Monday, May 28, 2012

Backcountry Critters


Each year we include the obligatory article about insect encounters.
We are in tick season now, so please remember to be sure and check yourself for ticks after each hike. Check yourself all over. You can't feel them on you until they have already burrowed in. They will wander around (unfelt) on your body until they find a place to dig in and feed. While we don’t have the types of ticks in the Pacific Northwest that can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme’s Disease, it’s still best to be vigilant of these small critters. Click on this link for information on how to remove a tick if you find one: http://dermatology.about.com/cs/miscellaneous/a/tick.htm 
The first person in the hiking group is often dubbed "Web Eater", especially early in the day. If you happen to walk through a spider web, walk clear of the area and have a hiking companion check your head, back and neck for any spiders that may have come along for the ride. If you have trekking poles, you might swipe the path ahead like a swashbuckler!
You will soon be encountering mosquitoes and black flies on some trails. Be sure to carry insect repellent with you or some way of covering up to discourage these pesky critters. While it may be effective, most people find the smell and oiliness of DEET to be repulsive. Experiment with some less potent applications like citronella or eucalyptus-based repellents, or Permethrin-treated fabrics. If you'd prefer to just cover up, plan ahead and wear pants instead of shorts, pack a long-sleeved shirt, lightweight gloves and a head net. 
Finally, bees, yellow jackets, paper wasps and hornets pose a threat in early summer through the first hard frost. Avoid perfumes and scented lotions, and bright or flower-patterned clothing. If you have allergies to bee stings, be sure to discuss it with your doctor and request a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen). 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Fun in the Sun


What better topic coming off a hot, sunny weekend than sun protection! Unless you have really bad luck, you'll be spending dozens of hours in the sun on your CHS hikes this summer. Here are a few tips for doing it safely.
  • The active ingredients in sunscreen can and do expire. Check your sunscreen for an expiration date, and replace it if it's past due. Apply sunscreen liberally at the trailhead -- even better, at home before you leave for the meet spot -- and at the lunch break, and more frequently if you're fair-skinned. 
  • Pack a boonie hat or other cap with a broad bill and perhaps a back flap to keep overhead sun off your face and neck. They're goofy-lookin' as hell, but the trail's not a fashion runway! 
  • Sunglasses are a must-bring for every hike. In bright light conditions, they dramatically reduce the glare and give your vision more contrast so you can see obstacles in your path. Plus, you'll find that squinting for long periods of time gives you a real headache. 
  • Use a compact umbrella -- preferably white or other reflective color -- to keep direct sunlight away and maintain a cool zone around your upper body. 
  • Know the symptoms of heat stress and heat stroke (profuse sweating,  chills, cramps, dizziness, slurred speech, and inability to take on food and water are a few), and watch your fellow hikers for signs. I usually get a low-grade headache and become a great big whiner when I'm dehydrated -- you probably have your own symptoms. Be prepared to turn around and end your day early if someone suffers overheating. It's near impossible to recover on trail, and the best solution is lots of rest in a cool environment.
  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! On a really hot day, if you wait until you're thirsty, it may already be too late to catch up. If you anticipate extreme heat on an upcoming hike, keep pre-hydrated by limiting your alcohol and coffee intake a day or two before the hike, and by chugging 16-20 oz. of water before you lock up the car.
  • Include an electrolyte replacement beverage (Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade, Nuun, EmergenC, diluted citrus juice, etc.) to compensate for the sodium, chloride and potassium you lose as you sweat.
  • Observe the color of your urine -- you're looking for clear to straw-colored, and not dark yellow. Obviously, if you haven't had to go in a while, that's a problem too!
  • Take every advantage to use a stream, river, waterfall or snowfield for a refreshing cool down. Dunk your hat, soak your bandana, or build a snowman!
If you're having a "bug" kind of day instead of a "windshield" kind of day, these precautions may not save you. Even experienced hike leaders suffer in the heat. But do your best to be prepared, and store all those memories of what it feels like to hike in the heat -- you can call them up when you're taking your vitamin D supplements and trying to get through the cold, wet winter!

--Steve

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Pre-hike Planning

On Friday I joined my fellow Hiking Committee members and hike leaders at the Seattle Program Center for our annual Hike Leader Pizza Party. It's a tradition that dates back many years, and a chance for the branch's leadership to get together and plan out their trips for the upcoming hiking season. Poster paper and magic markers have given way to laptops and smartphones, but the commitment remains -- in all, I'd say we added four dozen new regular club hikes to the schedule! 

It wasn't all about the pizza, adult beverages, door prizes and hike schedules, though. Gary Paull, Wilderness and Trails Coordinator for the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, was there to present the latest news and pictures of current trail and road conditions and closures. It was a grim but timely reminder to us all to check and double-check road and trail conditions before leading a hike we haven't been able to scout. 

Following are several resources you might investigate before hiking on your own:
  • Each National Forest maintains its own website with the USDA (http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/pdx/forests.shtml#washington), and each website has an Alerts & Notices section that has the most current road and trail conditions. You can and should call the Ranger's Station for the district you're visiting. The rangers may not have actually hiked the trail lately, but they should be able to give you the current conditions as reported to them. 
  • Each National Park has similar information available through their respective websites at www.nps.gov
  • Hindered as they are by budgetary constraints, the rangers at Washington State Parks often have the most current trail information because they have actually hiked the trails. A park directory is found here: www.parks.wa.gov
  • Oftentimes the most current information is found in trip reports posted by volunteer contributors on the Washington Trails Association website at www.wta.org. Create an account and share your trip reports and photos today! 
  • WTA also maintains a directory for each land manager here: http://www.wta.org/hiking-info/ranger-station-info
Check before you hike, and stay safe out there!

--Steve