Been reading a lot about hikers needing to be rescued this week, and it’s got me worried. This year I’ve been seeing more and more hikers on the trail, all winter long in all sorts of conditions, which is great—it’s a sign that people are exercising and appreciating the great outdoors. But it also signals that more inexperienced hikers are coming and the spring weather will trick many of them into going somewhere they aren’t quite yet prepared to tackle. They’ll leave their homes on a sunny, seventy degree day, and not have the layers or equipment they’ll need to tackle the temperatures and conditions above treeline in New Hampshire.
Sadly, one hiker lost his life this week while hiking in the White Mountains. I don’t know anything about his experience level, but regardless, it’s a reminder for all skill levels to exercise extreme caution when hiking alone. I recently read of an experienced young hiker dying of hypothermia this winter at Mount Marcy in New York, and the reality is that tragedies like these can happen no matter how many times you’ve hiked something before, or how strong and young you are. We are all human and mistakes or injuries or both can happen to us all, and anything we can do to mitigate that risk is crucial. May those who have lost their lives in the mountains get a chance to walk them again someday.
Spring Hiking Plans
I know of a lot of people making spring hiking plans in New England’s big mountains, myself included, and I suppose this post is to serve as a little public service announcement. It’s easy to get caught up in the majesty of the mountains and plenty of outdoor enthusiasts, from Gen X (my generation) to Gen Z, are hard at work right now, looking for “epic” adventures in the wild. But stuff can go wrong really quickly, so be careful out there, eh?
This site isn’t meant to be a “how to” or “be prepared” kind of site, with hiking tips. This place is for my art and my craft, and sharing what’s on my mind. It just so happens that today, safety is on my mind. So, here’s a quick list of my “must-haves,” when hiking in sketchy conditions. And really, as I get older, most every condition.
The Pack List
- Hike with a friend. This can be anybody. Even your dog. But preferably a human who can go call for help if you stumble on a rock deep in the wilderness and can’t drag yourself to the trailhead.
- Bring a GPS tracker. I recently got a Garmin something or other, and it’s great. You just hit a button that says “Start Tracking” when you begin your climb, and it sends ping locations of your hike to whoever has access to your account. You can also send text messages through it when you have no service via your phone. It lets your people back home know that you’re safe and it could save your life in a pinch. I bring one on big climbs, whether I’m climbing with a friend or not. (I know I said #1 is to hike with a friend, but I’m often going alone, which makes getting a tracker all the more important.)
- Pack an extra pair of wool socks. Two if you’re nasty. The trails are often flooded with spring melt this time of year, making small brook crossings more like rivers you have to ford. I’ve had to hike through rivers and having an extra pair of wool socks, plus a pair of wickaway socks, keeps my feet from getting blisters. It’s also good to have an extra pair of wool socks to keep your drinks from freezing, should temperatures drop. Try it the next time you’re hiking in below freezing temperatures. It works like a charm.
- Microspikes are a must. Hopefully you won’t need them, but you’ll be counting your lucky stars if you do. There is still a ton of snow and ice in the upper portions of the White Mountains, and spikes can keep you from having a bad fall on some slick rock or ice. Bring ’em. You might need snowshoes and hiking poles in some spots, and maybe even an ice axe if you’re heading up some gully in the Presidentials. But in most spots, the critical thing to have on hand is a good set of spikes.
- First Aid kit with a small thermal blanket in case you need to spend some time out there in the cold. Make sure you bring a lighter or some matches as well. And some second skin for blisters.
- In my pack I always bring an extra underlayer in case I get wet and need a change of clothes to stave off the chill. I also bring an extra outerlayer in case the windchill is more significant than expected. This usually comes in the form of an extra fleece or long-sleeved shirt, as well as an extra shell layer if rain is likely.
- During the winter, especially on the big mountains like Washington and Jefferson, I bring a balaclava and ski goggles, as well as a winter hat. Depending on the weather and location, I might bring all three on chilly spring day, but mostly I just bring the hat.
- Good pair of warm gloves. Sometimes I even pack an extra pair in case one set gets soaked through. If it’s raining, I definitely do.
- Sunglasses and sunblock of course.
- For nourishment, I usually pack a bottle of water or vitamin water for every peak I’m going to hit. I’m a bit of a camel so I usually slug a drink before I head out, reward myself with a drink at the first peak, and so on. If I’m bagging one peak, I pack three bottles (two for emergency). If two peaks, four. Five drinks are typically my limit because it just gets annoyingly heavy after that. When I did a single day traverse of the Carter-Moriah range I took six bottles and I was still thirsty well before I finished that trek. I’m not much of one for buying plastic stuff, but for hiking, plastic Poland Spring bottles serve me well because you can crush them up after drinking them and you can considerably reduce the weight you’re carrying. If you carry a Nalgene or some other hard plastic container, you are lugging a little more weight.
- For food, I need Snickers and trail mix and a sandwich. Whatever food you need, pack extra in case something happens and you need to eat through the night.
- Bring a headlamp.
- Duct tape or athletic tape for blisters. These work better than Band-aids.
- Trail maps! Having paper trail maps are HUGE. We rely too much on our phones and the reality is that the phone won’t work in many places out there. However, if you do use your phone, the Peakbagger app will generally give me a pinpoint on my location when all other apps and phone services become useless. I highly recommend getting that app.
- This one is more optional, but I keep a Lifestraw water filtration system in my pack. It’s small and light, and if I ever did run out of water, I can always drink river water through it.
That outta do it for the big stuff. I have a few other items I bring that work for me, but not essential for a “must-have” list. If I missed anything, please drop a comment below. I hope everyone has a great spring hiking season and I see you out there!