Another sunny, warm weekend is about to get underway here in the desert. Many folks will head out to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Far too many will go out unprepared. Some folks think a quick walk on a busy trail is hardly "hiking" so they arrive with a small bottle of water and flip flops. Too many of these folks quickly wilt in our desert heat and learn how sharp the local rocks and plants here really are.
I spend far too many of my own hikes providing water and aid to unprepared folks. I'm always happy to help out, but come on people! Please respect that this is a harsh climate with unforgiving terrain.
When you head out, even for a quick walk to take a picture, make sure you have the right gear. Things go bad quickly out here in the desert. So please take the right steps to make your journey safe. Oh and by the way, same rules apply for pets too. I have aided too many folks who have overheated dogs and no water. The terrain is tough and very hot on an animals paws. So get out and enjoy, but be safe and smart.
So, so true. Several years ago I was doing a training hike on a local popular mountain. It's a favorite because it's relatively close to the Seattle urban area, but far enough out that once you're up the trail you really are "in the woods." On my way down the mountain I encountered a young man and his girlfriend about 2 miles from the trailhead parking lot. Each were wearing t-shirts and shorts. The young man had tennis shoes on, but his girlfriend was wearing flip-flops. She was crying because she had just severely sprained her ankle, and wasn't able to put any weight on it. It was about 6:30pm, and there was maybe an hour of daylight left. The temperature was already dropping, and once the sun went down, it would drop rapidly. The panic in their eyes was clear, because they were quickly realizing their situation. I gave the kid my pack (~60lbs - cause I was training), and put her on my back. We traded back and forth like that for about a 1/2 mile until a third guy came along and offered to help. Between the three of us we rotated the young woman and my pack all the way back - which really wasn't that far all things considered. But still, it's amazing how people just don't think about how vulnerable they are when the go practically naked into the parks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this story!
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