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Day Hiking 101

4/13/2010

 
On my last hike down the mountain, Chris, Katie, and I started hiking after dinner. Knowing that the sun was going to set before we made it out, we all had flashlights and extra batteries. We encountered three day hikers that had left the lodge around 5:30 pm and had only made it half way before the sun the set. They were now hiking without flashlights. This can make for a very dangerous scenario. We left them with one of our flashlights and continued hiking to the car. Our discussion quickly turned to what makes for a safe day hike. These, of course, are all suggestions.


1. Make sure someone knows where you are going. Have       a contact person to call when you get off of the trail. 
2. Always carry plenty of water. Carry more then you           think you are going to need. 
3. Have a sturdy day pack to carry some emergency             supplies.
4. Supplies: an emergency kit with a mirror, space                 blanket and some general first aid supplies, such as           bandaids. I always carry duck tape wrapped around my     water bottle. Duct tape has fixed many of my hiking           gear. Flashlight is a must. Snacks. I always carry               some form of fire starter, just to be on the safe side.
5. Do your research about the weather. What kind of             temperatures? Change of socks is always good. If it is       going to be cold, take layers to put on or take off               according to your activity. It is extremely dangerous to     get caught in cooler conditions in cotton. You do not           want to have soaking wet clothing and catch a chill.           Cotton does not dry fast enough to keep you warm.
6. Now, the important information. Always keep in mind       how long you have been on the trail, when the sun goes     down and how long it is going to take you to get out. If     you are prepared with a flashlight and the correct gear       to get you thru the night, it is not going to matter. If         you are day hiking and you do not have the correct           gear, turn around in time to give you plenty of time to       get back to the trail head. Do not be concerned with           reaching the top. The peak is not going any where and       you can hike it later when you are better prepared.


As I stated before, these are all suggestions. We have witnessed many different emergencies on the mountain and a lot of them could have been avoided if they followed some of these suggestions. I hope these help with your next day hike. Happy Hiking.



Pat N.
4/13/2010 01:52:51 am

Great tips! Glad you enjoyed your days off. They were well deserved. It's nice to know you arrived back safely to your mountain home. Enjoy the sun and the llamas.

Mike & Sarah
4/13/2010 02:56:58 am

Very good advice! Especially the band-aids part. We were up there for a day hike last week with our two small kids; Sarah and I walked in just before lunch with a butterfly over her eye. The result of a Fraser Fir attack!! You just never know...

Anyway, thanks for the great hospitality and we can't wait to be there again!!

ps. the eye is doing much better now :)

Tonya
4/13/2010 03:27:48 am

Great Advise!

Galen B.
4/13/2010 07:12:58 am

For our first hike to LeConte in 2005 we had contacted Ed Wright through his web site. He was very helpful and gave us a lot of the same info you have posted. I don't think we have ever used all of the water we have taken with us but we have given it away to others on the trail that didn't have any or not enough. So I will always take extra.
If you know anyone that sells Avon, they sell a product called "Foot Works".
It helps prevent or at least reduce blisters. Thanks again for all the pictures and info.

JD
4/15/2010 04:03:13 pm

Could you share some of your most interesting "rescue" stories since working at the lodge? I am always amazed at the lack of preparation by some. I recall one October when I was coming down from Mt. Cammerer around 4:30. Two college students were going up in t-shirts and one light jacket between them. When I passed them they were about 2 miles from the fire tower.That was the night of a terrible storm with 100mph winds. I've always wondered how they fared that night.

Lynda Kainoa
4/17/2010 05:18:55 pm

Hi, that is great advice. I am usually prepared and dressed to hike. I made this trip to Mt LeConte on Sunday, April 11. I got a late start from the Alum Cave trailhead, 10:22 am. Departed the cave at 12:44 pm. I escorted a lady from NH who was limping from plantar fasciitis and equipped only with a Canon EOS, LOL! She bummed bottled water from a lady who was hiking back. Her husband had hiked to the top and she was going to wait for him at the cave. I met him as he was coming back down. He was a little perturbed to find out she made it Alum. I realized that it was because she wasn't geared to hike. I made it to LeConte about 3:40 pm. I ordered a bag lunch and chatted with several hikers who were spending the night. I started back down at 4:45 pm, a little concerned about losing daylight. I made it back to the trailhead at 8pm. I had a little difficulty negotiating the downhill as I sprained my left ankle slightly about halfway down. I had my trekking poles which helped tremendously, a hydration pack (2 liters), technical long underwear (for skiing), Mountain Hardwear shell jacket, two granola bars, and emergency inhaler (for asthma). No flashlight or headlamp.

I was definitely not prepared, and I was glad I made it out just as the sun was setting. And I hiked alone, a self-imposed rule that I broke, since I made this trip on the spur of the moment.

I did this to celebrate my birthday and the memory of a friend who died (last summer)while he was hiking... he was also unprepared for they failed to check trail conditions (controlled logging) prior to hiking Knobstone Trail (Indiana).

I spent several weeks beating myself up over his senseless death. So now I am over prepared when I do hike.

BTW, I did this hike with a fractured 4th rib and multiple shoulder/chest contusions. I realized later, after the hike, that I had a partially collapsed lung (during followup w/ Dr). Which is why I took me 9.5 hours to complete the roundtrip.

I want to say Aloha to Nathan (staff) and the cook, who were gracious and friendly and provided pleasant conversation while I rested up.

I am on the wait list for July... I know someone will cancel and we can get to spend the night! Looking forward to hiking up there again, this time geared up and in good health.


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