Summer in the Mountains
Photography: Don Weller
There is nothing quite like the long days, clear skies, and endless panoramas of summer in the mountains. Suddenly we are overcome with the urge to climb a peak, fish a distant hot spot or get lost in our own thoughts on a long hike far away from the business of our everyday lives. So many opportunities and so many options, all so perfect … until something goes wrong.
Personal safety in the high mountains and on backcountry trails can be easily compromised. A sudden storm with hail and lightning, an unexpected plunge into cold water, a falling rock, a stumble off the trail, a wrong turn, a late start at the trailhead, an encounter with any number of different animals, or forgotten equipment, clothing, food or water can make the difference in how your perfect day in the mountains might play out.
Regardless of your chosen activity … hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding, ATV’ing, climbing … there is a minimum amount of knowledge and equipment you should include when preparing for any outing. A few simple items can easily keep a situation from becoming deadly and/or lengthy in terms of rescue efforts.
The most important element of any outing is having a plan! You should clearly communicate this plan to someone who is not going on the outing and include info on the location (peak, trail, lake, etc), expected departure and return times, and who exactly is going on the outing. Without a communicated plan, if something does occur that jeopardizes safety, most search and rescue efforts start poorly (delayed and with little information to go on), and the effectiveness of a search effort is compromised.
Remember: “Safety in numbers” is a saying that has value! It is safest to explore the mountains with others.
What is in your backpack? The following safety essentials belong in every pack for every single outdoor adventure: A whistle. It weighs next to nothing but can signal an emergency, and will be louder and last longer than your voice, its sound traveling through the woods for a greater distance. A map and compass. Even if you’re familiar with the area you’re exploring, they can be critical if you become lost, disoriented or injured and another person not as familiar with the terrain needs the information to go for help. A compass is small and lightweight. You should have one in your pack at all times. Even if you don’t know how to use it entirely, the simplest function will help to keep a group traveling in one direction. Many compasses also have mirrors which can be used as signaling devices. Matches, a small knife and a basic first aid kit are useful for any unforeseen event. Space blankets. Light, compact and critical to survival in the mountains, they can be used to make a stretcher, a shelter, a blanket to retain body heat for an injured person in shock, or to stay warm in cold nighttime temperatures. Food and water! Pack more than enough for the day. Others may forget, and you can be ready to help. High energy foods (power bars, nuts, dried fruits and gorp are all good choices), and plenty of water will go a long way to provide needed energy during any emergency. Extra clothes are helpful to have on hand should weather conditions change during your outing. Long sleeves and pants offer protection from insects, scratchy bushes and the sun. Invest in cool, lightweight clothing with zip-off legs and roll-up sleeves that can help keep you comfortable as the temperatures change throughout the day. Raingear (pants and jackets) can often be important to have along, but for the weight-conscious or those carrying smaller packs, garbage bags work great! The 40-gallon Hefty bag, (with ties) is the best alternative raingear. Just make a hole in the bottom of the bag for your head, pull the ties to tighten around your body and off you go … warm and toasty! Carrying these few safety essentials will not weigh your pack down, and can significantly influence the outcome of a backcountry accident or outing gone bad.
Now that you’re equipped, let’s consider a possible outdoor scenario and see how your preparation or lack thereof plays out. You’ve gone to the mountains with friends for the day and start off down a mutually chosen trail. Half an hour out, you stop to adjust your shoes and deal with a blister, telling your friends you’ll catch up in a minute. With the ugly blister tended to, you continue on, only to find a split in the trail. You decide to go left. A bit further, the trail crosses a stream … via a slippery log that’s precariously balanced. You’re almost across, and the log wobbles, dumping you into the water. The spring runoff is cold and running fast, sweeping you downstream. After several minutes, you finally get your feet out in front of you and are able to grab hold of a tree branch and pull yourself to the bank. You made it — but are now wet, alone, cold and possibly lost! Today’s anticipated outing has just taken a major change for the worse.
To stop the loss of body heat, you should get naked (out of the cold, wet clothes) and put on the garbage bag or other dry clothes from your backpack. Next, locate your matches and build a small fire to get yourself warmed up, and dry out your clothes because they will be needed later. No one knows you are missing yet, but it’s a good time to grab that whistle and start blowing. Maybe someone is nearby and can help. You’re lost, cold and scared, and the hardest thing to do is stay put … but STAY PUT! And try to stay calm (deep breathing helps).
Meanwhile … what are your friends doing? They have just finished a relaxing snack while waiting for you to catch up. After waiting for a while, they realize you are not coming … something has gone wrong. It’s been an hour or more since they last saw you. They go back down the trail to locate you. Upon arriving at the split in the trail, they suddenly realize their error. They forgot to mark the turn in the trail. The weather is rapidly changing for the worse, but they take the left fork in the trail, hoping to find you quickly. At the slippery log stream crossing, they see a piece of torn clothing and fear the worst. Before heading downstream, they consult the map, take a compass bearing, and then start bushwhacking through the thick wooded area alongside the stream.
After what feels like a long 20 minutes and finding no additional signs of you, someone smells the smoke from your fire and then hears a piercing sound … your whistle! With high hopes, your friends continue downstream and find you huddled over the small fire trying to take the chill off. United again and happy to be rescued, the first aid kits come out of the packs, and your friends attend to your injuries. Before heading out, you all consume some food, drink some water and consult your map and compass to determine your location. Finally, the trail leads you back to your car. It’s a happy ending to a rough day, with everyone a bit smarter about the great outdoors. If you and your friends had not had the simple essential safety items in your packs, the day’s outcome could have been quite different. Fill your pack with these items and never remove them. You will always be prepared for a day out in the mountains with a happy ending!
Avid outdoorsman Charlie Sturgis is “Minister of Outdoor Satisfaction” at White Pine Touring. He spends as much time enjoying Mother Earth as possible.
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