Hints for Hiking
Hiking can be a pleasant pastime, however there are many dangers associated with hiking. Here are some hints to minimalise the potentials for accidents and injuries.
Basic Hiking Hints:
- Judgments: Hiking, climbing and driving all requires good judgment in
order to have a safe journey. Your safety is your own responsiblity.
- Number one injury in hiking is dehydration. Be sure to stop at some
points and rehydrate yourself. Bring enough water on your hikes. Resting
and rehydrates prevents the onset of heat strokes. Assume that all waters running in streams can be polluted with parasites, so either fill water from dependable sources such as taps, or use water filtering tablets.
- Wear at least 30 SPF sunblock on your hikes. Sometimes you can be
hiking at a higher altitude, and would get more likely to be burnt
quicker than on the valley floor. Hiking on snow on a sunny day can also
be optimal condition for a serious sunburn, since the snow reflects the
sun to the body.
- Wear a hat on your hikes to prevent your head/scalp from being burnt.
- Be prepared for sudden changes in the weather as you hike. Keep this
in mind when ascending a mountain summit, where snow is present.
- Changes in elevation can induce mild sickness for some hikers.
Ascending from valley floor to a mountain summit can involve an
elevation difference of 1,000 to 9,000 feet in Utah. Take time to get
accustomed to the high elevation.
- Steep cliffs: Loose sand, peebles, rain and snow can contribute to slippery
hiking conditions. Never throw rocks off the cliffs, since people can be
hiking below.
- It may be a good idea to obtain trail maps to avoid confusion and
being lost in the mountains.
Hiking in Canyons:
- Flash floods: All narrow canyons can become dangerous if there is a
rainstorm present, even if it is miles away. Water can come rushing
through and endanger your life.
- In some desert areas, avoid mid-day hikes between May to September.
- Hiking in the desert requires a lot of hydrating, so be sure to bring additional water supplies.
Leaving only your footsteps:
- Do not litter the trails with your refuse or rubbish. Please carry all
of your things out of the park as you carried in. Litter can be discovered by animals and eaten. There have been cases of animals dying from eating litter left by people.
- Walk only on marked trails to avoid walking onto fragile vegation and
plants. Do not take plants from the area, even if it seems to be in abundance. If 1,000 people visited a certain area in a month, and each of them took a plant, then the area will have 1,000 plants less than before. Resist the temptation to take plants and photograph them instead!
- Do not feed any wildlife at the parks. Animals can be carrier of
diseases and can bite. If they are fed on a constant basis, they may become agressive and approach you for food.
- Do not carve your names onto rocks at the park. Not only does it make
things look unpleasant, but it is a very serious violation of the NPS laws.
- Do not take objects from the park, even rocks. If all of the million
visitors took a rock, the park would be gone. Please leave everything as
it is.
- When nature calls, be sure to go at least 200 feet away from water sources. When defecating, be sure to dig a hole at least 6 inches deep and cover the feces with dirt and rocks on top.
