About four years ago in Alaska, I went for a weekend hike with a friend. We were exploring Denali State Park. We had done some other outdoor activities before, and certainly plenty of hiking, and so we figured it would be just a nice, easy, two-day hike.
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Well, to make a long story short, we got lost. We turned off the trail and found ourselves in the land of bear scat and bogs. We discussed which way we thought the road was, and ended up pointing in opposite directions. This only led to further panic. Fortunately we found our way back to the trail, be it through bushwacking and many “Hey Bear!” calls. I made a series of mistakes that weekend that I’m embarrassed to admit I made, as I write to you as a supposed ‘outdoor adventure expert’. But I’m glad to have learned from them and gotten off relatively scot-free from the incident. Here are some key lessons learned:
1) Tell someone where you’re going. The weekend of our hike, we had told our friends that we were hiking in Denali State Park. They had no other clue of our whereabouts; what trail we were hiking, or what part of the State Park we were in. The park is over 325,000 acres, almost half the size of Rhode Island. Search and Rescue would’ve had their work cut out for them. Similarly, another key piece of information to share is when you think you’ll be back. If your contact hasn’t heard from you by then, she knows to be concerned.
2) Bring a detailed map. Familiarize with your route. Learn to read a topography map. Even better, get a book with trail descriptions. My friend and I had brought a small map with no real identifying points. We had picked it up at the park entrance. It was not meant to be used for navigation. We could have saved ourselves a lot of bushwacking by simply bringing a more detailed map.
3) Prepare for changes in weather. Although we were hiking in July, the weather quickly turned from sunny to overcast to hailing, all in the period of twenty minutes. Luckily I had brought my rain jacket, but I hadn’t brought enough layers to insulate myself. It’s important to bring some fleece or polypropolene, at the very least a hat and pullover, so as to prevent hypothermia. Don’t forget to check the weather before you go! Although it’s bound to change, at least you can have an idea of what to expect.
Photo courtesy of Joslin Fritz.