Planning And Leading A Day Hike: A Boston Hiking Club Primer
Thanks so much for thinking about planning and leading a
hike. The whole point of this club
is to connect people to explore the outdoors – without members stepping up to
plan hikes, we wouldn’t be anywhere. This
guide is meant to be a sketch outline of how to plan and lead a hike.
While its reasonably comprehensive, never leave common sense at home.
Deciding
Where To Go:
Is there a hike you have done that you want to share with
others? Is there a hike that you
have heard about from friends? Is
there a great hike that you have just read about in a book? No matter where you found out about a hike, you will need to
do some research on it. Use the
follow questions as a guide, but also come up with others to make sure that you
know the answers – your fellow hikers will want to know everything and more
before going.
1) How far from Boston is the hike?
2) How long is the hike? Find out about both mileage and average times.
3) What’s the difficulty level?
4) What kind of elevation changes will you experience?
5) What time of year are you hiking? Make sure the trail is accessible and the weather isn’t historically horrible.
6) What kind of gear is needed?
7) Have you see a review of the trail from a reputable source?
8) Do you have a good trail map?
9) How many people can safely travel at the same time?
10) What is the parking situation like at the trailhead?
11)
Are dogs allowed?
Planning
The Hike:
Now that you have found a trail you like, its time to get down to planning.
Read all you can on the hike. Check out the website of the park commission who manages the
trail system. Go to the library or
a bookstore and check out some hiking books.
Use the AMC’s New England trail guide books. Check out websites that review hikes – www.gorp.com
is a good one. Once you know that the hike is doable in a day, plan a route that
is safe and not too complicated (unless you come up with an elaborate
car-shuttling system, its better to have the hike end at the same place that you
started). If you need help, check with Kevin or some other hiking club folks.
You will need to pick a day – pretty straightforward –
weekends are usually best for our group. Next,
figure out how long it will take to get there and what time you need to leave.
If you are going for a full-day hike, its best to get to the trailhead no
later than 10am – this will give you time to get out of the woods before dark
(this might be much earlier depending on the time of year – make sure that you
know the time of sunset). If you
are planning a local hike you can definitely make it later in the day.
Spreading
The Word:
Post a message to the group about the hike. Make sure you
include all the necessary information. Use
the example below as a guide. Also,
ask the webmaster to post the hike information on the hiking club website, as
well as directions. If you want to
set up car-pools in advance, use the database function of the Yahoo Group.
If you are doing a local hike, there is usually no need to meet in Boston
prior to going, you can just use carpools to get everyone there. But, if you are
going further away, it can be a good idea to meet in Boston so that everyone can
caravan up to the trailhead.
SAMPLE HIKE:
When: Saturday, May 1, 2005.
Where: Black Mountain, NH
Meeting Time: We will meet at the Porter Square Dunkin’ Donuts, on Mass Ave, in the Porter Shopping Center at 7am. We will be leaving no later than 7:20.
Contact: Kevin DePodwin will be leading this hike. His cell
is ###-###-#### and e-mail is: kevin@bostonhiking.com.
For more info: www.somewebsite.come/blackmountain.
Details: Black Mountain is approx 2 hours from Boston, in the Waterville Valley area. The hike is 10 miles roundtrip, 5 in and 5 back out. The elevation gain is over 2500 feet, so it will be a difficult to very difficult hike.
Watch out for: The weather – very unpredictable, even if its 70 in Boston, it could be in the 30s at the top of Black Mountain. Wear several layers and remember to bring rain jacket and rain pants. The trail is also very rocky, so only people with hiking boots should attend – sneakers will not be allowed on the hike, sorry. Please use the gear list on the website. Also, there is no water available, so everyone should bring 3-4 quarts, lunch, and snacks.
This is not a hike for inexperienced hikers.
If you are meeting us at the trailhead, please follow the directions at the website: www.somewebsite.com/blackmountain/directions. Let Kevin know if you have any questions.
END SAMPLE HIKE
The
Big Day:
Some things to remember for the day of the hike.
1) Show up early to the meeting place.
2) Make sure that you have at least one good trail map of the hike. You might need to shell out some cash for one – most outdoor stores in the area have comprehensive map and trail guide selections.
3) Make sure your cell phone is charged – people will be calling you for information.
4) Make sure that everyone has all the necessary gear. It’s a good idea for you, as the trip leader, to have some extra clothes. Also, it is imperative that you have a first aid kit, compass, and knife, and that you know how to use all three.
5) Print out and give all drivers a copy of the directions. Include your cell # on the directions, and get the #’s of someone in each car. Make sure that each driver knows whether or not you are caravanning there, or just meeting at the trailhead.
6) Know where the last restrooms will be before the trailhead. Stop there and use them.
7) Give everyone enough time to gear up and stretch. Have everyone introduce themselves. It might seem cheesy, but a quick “icebreaker” is usually worthwhile.
8) Count everyone. Continue to count them throughout the day so that no one gets left behind.
9) Before you start hiking, tell everyone exactly what the plan is. Tell them what trails you will be hiking, the color of the trail markings, how long it should take, a brief description, etc, etc.
10) Glance over everyone’s gear. Ask them if they have everything they will need for the hike. If there are new hikers, take time to talk to them if they have more questions.
11) Start hiking. To set a pace, position yourself 3rd or 4th in line. The fast hikers will be ahead of you, but don’t try to keep up with them if they are moving too quickly for everyone in the group. Just make sure that no one gets out of your eyesight.
12) Keep tabs on your group. If they need a rest, take one. But remember, as soon as you stop, the lactic acid builds up in your muscles. Rest stops should be less than 2 minutes, which doesn’t give the acid enough time to build up to cause cramping. Or they should be longer than 15 minutes, which allows the lactic acid to flush out.
13) Make sure everyone is hydrated and snacking.
14) Sometimes the top of the mountain is the worst place to stop for lunch – its windy and cold. Don’t linger there too long if that’s the case.
15) Going downhill is more dangerous than going up. People are more tired and more prone to injury. Keep tabs on your crew. More rest stops might be necessary.
16) When you are done hiking, ask the crew if they liked the hike, and maybe had suggestions for next time.
17) Make sure everyone is back. Do a head count, and ask all drivers if they have everyone they came with.
18) Grab a beer – you deserve it!
May 1, 2005
Kevin DePodwin