Category Archives: Hiking

Trail etiquette: Our yearly reminder on sharing the trail

One a year we feel compelled to reiterate the rules of proper trail etiquette. This year, we both reiterate and update the rules to reflect the brave new world of pandemic hiking.

A few basic civilities to keep in mind on the trail:

  • Yielding. Until this year, the simple rule of yielding when encountering other hikers on the trail, especially a narrow trail, was that the downhill hiker yields to the uphill hiker. That is, the person hiking downhill should step aside and let the uphill hiker have the trail. To that, we add these coronavirus addendums: 1. The downhill hiker should not just step to the side of the trail, but should step at least 10 feet off the trail (when possible); and, 2. Both hikers should also cover their faces (a bandana or a Buff can serve double duty here.
  • Yielding on multiuse trails. On trails open to horses and mountain bikers as well as hikers, horses always have the right-of-way. When mountain bikers and hikers meet, mountain bikers yield to hikers. 
  • Passing. Several years agoI was last in our group of eight when I heard footsteps rapidly approach from behind. I waited for an acknowledgement — a request to pass or at the very least, a throat clearing — as the footsteps neared. None came, so I stepped off the trail to my right; a young runner passed, not breaking stride, not acknowledging my action. When she caught up to the next hiker in our group, she simply stopped and walked tight on our hiker’s heels. Our hiker, sensing someone behind her, turned, stepped aside and said, “You’re welcome to pass.” The runner did, with barely a grunt of thanks. It’s not impolite to pass a slower party on the trail; just announce your intentions, ideally with a brief and robust, “On your left,” issued 15 to 20 feet before the passing zone.
  • Thanks! Oh yes, and when someone does yield, please acknowledge their gesture with a “Thanks!”, a cheerful one.
  • Stopping? Step to the side of the trail. If you stop to take a drink, check the map, or eat some gorp, step off the trail.
  • Be aware of your surroundings. Good trail etiquette comes down to being aware of your surroundings and remembering that the quiet, the fresh air and the freedom that the trail offers you is why others are here as well. That said, two specifics that, alas, do need to be said:
    • Do not smoke on the trail. On a group hike a while back, a member of our party stuck her nose in the air, sniffed and said, “Is that cigar smoke?” Surely not, I said. It was more likely the rotting carcass of a woodland creature who had met its demise. Yet 10 minutes up the trail, off to the side, sat a 20s-ish fellow with a stogie. True, most trailhead kiosks don’t specifically address smoking — perhaps because common sense would dictate that the trail is not a suitable venue. 
    • No portable speakers. On the same hike that we encountered the smoker, we were shortly after treated to a tinny, scratchy, cacophony of quiet-shattering chaos, emanating from a portable speaker clipped to the water bottle belt of a young runner. If you want to listen to adrenalin-pumping music rather than soothing woodland noises, wear earbuds.
    =&9=&. We love dogs, and we welcome them on our hikes (when permitted by the land manager). That said, a few key elements of dog-related trail etiquette:
    • Leash your dog. Most places where we hike — state parks, municipal parks, national parks, nature preserves — require that your dog be leashed, and many require that they be on a six-foot leash, not a 16-foot retractable tether that can wreak havoc for unsuspecting hikers, cyclists, equestrians. The reasons for leashing are many. At the top of the list is that some hikers aren’t comfortable with dogs, especially ones that come bounding up to them in the wild, friendly though they may be. There’s also the matter of protecting the dog from—squirrel! Fido’s primal olfactory instincts kick in and he may never be seen again. 
    • Pick up your pup’s poop. Everywhere you hike, this is the rule. But more than being a rule, it’s just common courtesy to your fellow hikers. Hopefully, we don’t need to elaborate.
    • … And take the poop bag with you. Actually, we do need to elaborate: After you have bagged said poop, take it with you, do not leave it packaged by the side of the trail. We’ve heard more than one hiker say, “I’ll pick it up on my way out.” If this is the explanation behind every trailside receptacle of refuse we spot, then somewhere deep in the woods are hundreds of hikers and their dogs wandering in search of the “way out.”
    • Seek permission before petting. I know: every dog looks like it wants to be petted. Even so, ask permission before taking a knee and diving into a rousing round of, “Who’s-a-good-dog?” with a dog you don’t know — and, perhaps more importantly, doesn’t know you.
    • Know your dog. Not all dogs like other dogs. Or people. If your dog has an iffy history with other critters, avoid heavily trafficked trails at busy times.

    Observing a few simple, common sense rules of trail etiquette will come in especially handy as we, eventually, head into fall and cooler weather. Be considerate, and have a great hike! read more

Solitude on the trail? You’ll find it here

Even with the temperature living in the 90s this summer, it’s been hard to find solitude on the trail. Everyone, now, is a hiker.

But not everyone knows to look for the more subtle stretches of trail. Trail, for instance, that doesn’t start from a visitor center, that doesn’t have a privy, that doesn’t even have paved parking — official parking, period. Finding these gems is tricky. But they’re out there. read more

GetOut! Your Friday Nudge for Weekend Adventure

So it’s raining, and may rain over the weekend. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get outside. Consider:

  • Cleansing, cooling rain. For one thing, a storm front often leaves cooler temperatures in its wake. Considering it’s been in the 90s of late, a dip into the upper 70s — as was the case Thursday — can be most refreshing. Simply wait until the rain appears to be easing, check the radar, and head out. 
  • Check the radar. That second step — check the radar — is essential to making sure you aren’t venturing into a short lull. Be sure to check both the immediate past — the last couple hours or so — to see how the storms are developing and tracking, as well as the projected future to see where the storms are expected to head. Be especially leery of dark greens, yellows, reds and — gasp! — purples, which indicate increasingly sever weather.
  • Avoid it, or embrace it. And if you’re seeing just green, especially light green, headed your way, so what? If you’re properly prepared (see below), hiking in a light rain can offer a more intimate level of outdoor escape. Ideally, hike for a trail that’s good tree cover to absorb the bulk of the rain. If you’re a novice at hiking in the rain, plan not to go out for too long the first time; like any new undertaking, there will be small kinks to work out.
  • Soggy solitude. Another advantage to hiking in the rain, especially right now? You’ll likely have the trail to yourself. Because not everyone knows how to cope with the rain, not everyone feels comfortable being in the rain. This makes it an especially good time to visit some of the trails that have been so crowded of late, the parks that have had to shut their gates at mid-morning on a weekend because they’ve reached capacity.
  • Summer’s the time. Finally, if you’re going to hike in the rain, summer is the time to do it. Though a rain-bearing front often drops the temperature, in summer it usually isn’t enough of a drop to pose a hypothermia concern (unless you’re in the mountains, at higher elevations, where a even a temperature dipping into the 50s can be troublesome). Getting a little wet when the temperature is in the 80s isn’t such a bad thing (unless you get more than “a little” wet and hike a longer distance, inviting the opportunity for chaffing).

This weekend, check the forecast, then get out and enjoy!

GetHiking! Guide to Hiking in the Rain

Don’t let a little rain keep you indoors on a summer weekend, not when our 5-page GetHiking! Guide to Hiking in the Rain can quickly give you the motivation and direction to enjoy one of the best times to be out in the woods. Learn more and purchase the $0.99 guide here. read more

Take the Fear out of Summer Stream Crossings

The following is a tweaked version of a blog we wrote two years ago on water crossings, specifically mountain water crossings where there’s no bridge and, often, no obvious place to cross. 

In the past couple of weeks, it’s become hot. Summer hot.

And that means when we head out for a hike, we’ll look more favorably on trails that have water as a main feature. Just enough to cool our feet in, maybe splash some water in our face. Trouble is, you can’t always choose how much water you get. When that happens, when your trail comes across a stream or creek without a bridge or an obvious way to get across, you need a strategy for a safe crossing. read more