The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Free Admission to All National Parks from January ...

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Free Admission to All National Parks from January ...: The National Park Service announced yesterday that all 397 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 through 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.Additionally, several parks will be holding special events to honor Dr. King over the three-day weekend.The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012:– National Park Week (April 21 to 29)- Get Outdoors Day (June 9)- National Public Lands Day (September 29)- Veterans Day (November 10 to 12)

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Oh, Shenandoah!

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Oh, Shenandoah!: Oh, Shenandoah! is a photographic exhibition celebrating Shenandoah National Park that will open this Thursday at The Arts Center In Orange,...

Hiking In Thunderstorms

Hikes to peaks need to start early, so you can get to the top and get back down before the afternoon clouds build up.

During a lightning storm stay in a section of forest of trees the same height, not on a ridge, not under the tallest trees, not in a cave, under a rock overhang, leaning against a tree or standing on the exposed roots of a tree.

If caught out in an open area (you saw the clouds forming, and you had plenty of time to get to a safe place--what are you doing there?), spread everybody far apart and crouch down (don't lie down). Keep your feet close together. Keep your hands off the ground. Do not lie flat on the ground!!

This position includes squatting (or sitting) and balling up so you are as low as possible without getting prone. Wrap your arms around your legs, both to offer a safer path than your torso for electrons to flow from the ground, and to add enough comfort that you will choose to hold the position longer.Keep your feet together so you don't create potential for current to flow in one foot and out the other ... current may spontaneously trigger your leg muscles to jump while in the lightning position, so take care to avoid being near hazards when you drop into this position.
Crouch on something insulating if possible, such as your ensolite sleeping pad, or climbing rope. Even dry moss or grass or a snow patch is better than bare rock. Especially if you have to sit instead of crouch, get some insulation under your buttocks.

Get metal objects away from you (they don't attract lightning but they carry induced currents which, although they are small, can add to ground currents and make the difference between getting zapped a little and getting zapped too much or burnt. A woman's watch was burned to her wrist in one instance.)

Stay out of small depressions. Pick a slight rise instead. Not in standing water or a puddle.
Hey! Spread out your group so you aren't all hit at once
But mostly, pick a place quickly and get down, and stay down.

Estimating the Distance from a Thunderstorm

Because light travels much faster than sound, lightning flashes can be seen long before the resulting thunder is heard. Estimate the number of miles you are from a thunderstorm by counting the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the next clap of thunder. Divide this number by five.

Treatment Principles

· Scene Safety: Avoid further injury to survivors, rescuers, and the patient. You may have to wait for the storm to pass to treat
some patients if they are in extremely hazardous locations.

· Basic Life Support: Rescuers should be prepared to provide prolonged rescue breathing.

· Triage: Unlike normal triage protocols in multi-casualty situations, attend first to those who are in cardiac or respiratory arrest
without obvious lethal injury.

· Assessment: All patients require a complete body survey and careful evaluation for head, spinal, long bone, or cardiac injuries.

Peripheral pulses, and sensory and motor status, should be assessed. Check the skin for small hidden burns.

· Monitor closely for cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological collapse.

· Evacuate any patient obviously injured by lightning, and be alert for lingering physical or neurological issues from exposure to
lightning that should be evacuated for further evaluation and treatment. 

Hiking In The Rain

1. Waterproof stuff sacks are the way to keep dry clothes dry. Use different-colored sacks so you can easily identify where your gear is stashed. Garbage bags work as liners for non-waterproof sacks.
2. Self-locking plastic bags keep everything dry, from your food supplies to your journal, your matches, camera, first aid kit, guidebook, maps, and firestarter—among other things.
3. In hot climates, it can be pleasant to walk in the rain without rain gear, but if you start feeling cold, it’s time to gear up. Keep a slow, steady pace. You don’t want to overheat.
4. Be prepared by having an extra layer of clothes available where you can get to them fast in case of a sudden change in the weather.This is very important especially in higher elevations.
5. Be flexible about stopping for breaks. In intermittent wet weather, take advantage of dry stretches to eat and drink—regardless of whether it’s your usual time. You’re burning a lot of calories walking and staying warm, and you need to replenish them.
6. Ventilation can regulate your temperature. If your rain gear has “pit zips”, open and close them to cool off or warm up.
7. To keep your feet dry, put on your rain pants. These direct the flow of water past your legs, over the waterproof outsides of your boots. If it’s too warm, gaiters will keep your feet dry for awhile, but won’t keep the rain from going in the tops of your boots.
8. Keep snacks handy in a waistpouch or somewhere else where you don’t have to take off your rain cover, open your pack, and expose your gear to the weather every time you want a snack.
9. When the sun comes out, keep your pack cover and gaiters on. Trees will be dribbling rain down onto you for several hours after the rain has stopped, and wet knee-brushing vegetation can soak feet in minutes.
10. If you end up with wet socks after the day’s hiking, wring them out and hang them up where escaping body heat will dry them a little. If next day is sunny, wear spare socks and hang wet ones on your pack to dry. If it’s still raining, put your already soggy socks back on your feet, and save the dry ones for the end of the day.



              Adapted from EVERYDAY WISDOM: 1001 Expert Tips for Hikers KarenBerger                                           (The Mountaineers Books, $16.95, paperback).
 

Gear List For Winter Hikes

Synthetic Lightweight Base Layer: Worn not packed; Bottoms & Tops, Zip T Neck for top
Synthetic Liner Gloves: Wear one; bring one or two
Synthetic Liner Socks: Wear one pair
Vapor Barrier Socks: Only worn if temps are going to stay below 15 or so
Socks: I use a very heavy wool sock
Boots: Gore-Tex Boots will be fine with good pair of wool socks as long as snow is not over 12 inches
Gaiters or Super Gaiters: If hiking in snow these are a must
Synthetic Mittens: Mid weight; Depending on weather, wear one and bring one or two
Waterproof Outer Mittens:For heavy snow days
Fleece Vest: I generally use a "Wind Block" vest
Fleece Jacket: I generally use a 300 weight Jacket
Down Jacket: Carried on longer or colder trips for rest stops and for emergencies
Waterproof/Breathable Wind/Rain Shell: For when it starts snowing hard
Waterproof/Breathable Wind/Rain Pants: With full side zips
Fleece Hat: I wear a hat that is fleece lined, nylon outer, with ear flaps
Pack: Short hikes; 2000 cubic inch. Longer hikes; 3050 cubic inch
Water: Two to three liters in wide mouth nalgene bottles
Bivy Sack:Always carry this incase the unexpected happens
First Aid Kit: For sprines or cuts from fall on the ice
Whistle:Not just for bears this whistle could save your live if you fal on ice or slip on ice and fall over edge on the trail
Pack Cover:For heavy rain or snow
Foam Pad: Or a portion of one  
Knife: Personally I carry the Bear Grylls knife with the fire starter which is a really nice knife .
Head Lamp: With extra batteries
Compass: Incase GPS goes down or batteries die
Map: Always have a back up ... a map will never fail you
Trail Description: Generally copied from the AMC White Mountain Guide
Bandanna: Two or three for a multitude of uses
Snow shoes: For Hikes the snow is over 8 - 12 inches
Ice Ax: Extremely rare that I bother to carry one but I do keep it on the list
Crampons:A must for winter hikes especially on higher elevations
Balaclava:For winds of 15 plus MPH
Altimeter: Useful for judging where I am!
Thermos: IF it's brought it will have either hot soup or cocoa in it
Sunglasses: Prevents Snow Blindness
Goggles: Essential in extreme cold or high wind
Large Trash Bag:
Trekking Poles:Keeps you from slipping on the ice
Camera: I use a digital camera and I put a spare set of batteries in my pocket to keep them warm
* Notice you should carry what your comfortable with and not what someone tells you this is just my list and my suggestions your needs and others may vary from hike to hike due to conditions of trails or due to weather .This is what i would call a good base list feel free to comment or add ideas to make us all better and safer hikers .

Emergency Gear You Might Need On A Winter Hike

Emergency Gear: Ok, here's another category that is quite varied from one hiker to the next so I'll give you my idea of what "emergency gear" consists of. Many people carry next to nothing others carry the kitchen sink. The one thing I ask myself if I'm going to be any further than a short walk from "civilization" is what would I need to survive an unplanned night out without too much discomfort. I by no means think that I'll be enjoying myself but I do want to have enough that I don't end up with frostbite! In that vane, here's what I may be carrying at any given time.
Food: A bit of chocolate & a few hard candies. I'm not looking to chow down I'm simply trying to have a little something to keep my metabolism up if I end up out for longer than expected.

Extra Clothes: Just enough to ensure that I will not freeze if forced to spend the night out. Many people carry a sleeping bag and/or a tent for this purpose. There are pros and cons of both techniques. By carrying a down jacket, a pair of fleece pants and some extra socks in a waterproof bag I know that even if everything else gets wet I still have some dry clothes to keep me warm for the night. The advantage of this system is that they can be used at any time, not only for an emergency bivouac. If it just turns out to be colder than planned I have that extra clothing. The down side to this technique and the best reason for opting to go the sleeping bag route is that in the case of an injury or if I were mildly hypothermic it would be extremely difficult to strip off my wet clothes and get into dry ones. Where as it would be comparatively simple to pull out the sleeping bag and climb inside of it.

Shelter: If you're out in winter you really should have some means of shelter if you're forced to spend the night. Some people carry a tent, yes even on day hikes. Personally I carry a bivy sack. The idea is to be prepared for whatever may happen.

Fire Starter: Sadly, starting a fire is becoming a lost art and it certainly can not be counted on as a possibility in all circumstances but in some situations it could literally be a life saver! I carry some water/wind proof matches, a small "Bic" lighter, a small piece of candle and a piece of "fire starter" that can be purchased at most good outdoor stores. It's also important to get some practice in using these items.

Repair Kit: It needn't be terribly extensive but it's a good idea to be able to make basic gear repairs while in the field.

Duct Tape: I have a couple of yards wrapped around the top of my trekking poles.

Cable Ties: These are the handiest little items imaginable for repairing everything from a broken snowshoe to building a basic splint

Cord: I carry about 20 feet of nylon cord, again handy for many purposes.
Safety Pins: 3 or 4 of assorted sizes

Emergency Blanket: I prefer something a bit more sturdy than the conventional emergency blanket. For about $20.00 you can purchase one that is designed like a sleeping bag with a Velcro "zipper" that even has a sort of lining. Much more rugged and much less likely to blow away than the more basic ones.

Chemical Heat Packs: These little things are amazing. They are simply a small packet of chemicals that produce heat when opened. They come in various sizes that can be inserted into your mittens to warm your fingers or your boots to warm your toes. If forced to spend the night out somewhere they may make the difference on whether or not fingers or toes get frost bitten.

Large Trash Bag: These can be used for a multitude of purposes including; Pack Cover, Rain Coat, Bivy Sack, Water Collection Aid

Cell Phone: Yep, that's right, I put it as the last item of emergency gear because that's where I believe it should be. Hiking, especially in winter should be a sport of self reliance. You should be prepared to take care of yourself no matter what happens! I generally do not carry a phone but if you do decide to carry one, please be advised that your chances of getting a signal in the mountains is 50/50 at best. So again, be prepared and I the way I figure it, if I need to be prepared to take care of myself if the phone doesn't work, why even carry it?

Head Lamp: Any type of flashlight will do the trick but a headlamp is so much simpler to use and it allows you to keep your hands free that it's my choice. I also carry a spare bulb and spare batteries. In winter you'll find that lithium batteries will last much longer in the cold and it's a good idea to keep any batteries in your pocket to keep them warm. For that reason there are headlamps designed specifically for winter that have the batteries in a unit that attaches somewhere under your jacket and has a wire that leads to the light itself. That way the batteries are kept warmer at all times.