Are You A Negligent Hiker?

You’re hiking in New Hampshire and something’s gone wrong. Very wrong. You need to be rescued. If the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department determines you were negligent, they just may bill you for that rescue. The “we can bill you” criterion used to be “reckless” behavior. Now it’s “negligent”.

You didn’t have a map? …. You ignored weather forecasts? …. You wandered away from your hiking pals? And now you’re lost or injured and need a rescue? NH Fish and Game can recoup part of their equipment and personnel costs associated with that rescue.

And I don’t have a problem with that at all.

As States struggle with lower revenues and higher costs, expect to see more “responsibility fees”.

Over the next few posts, we’ll examine just how responsible folks prepare and execute their outdoor adventures. Let’s start with the Hiker Responsibility Code as developed and endorsed by the White Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Hiker Responsibility Code:  You are responsible for yourself, so be prepared:

• With knowledge and gear. Become self reliant by learning about the terrain, conditions, local weather and your equipment before you start.

• To leave your plans. Tell someone where you are going, the trails you are hiking, when you will return and your emergency plans.

• To stay together. When you start as a group, hike as a group, end as a group. Pace your hike to the slowest person.

• To turn back. Weather changes quickly in the mountains. Fatigue and unexpected conditions can also affect your hike. Know your limitations and when to postpone your hike. The mountains will be there another day.

• For emergencies. Even if you are headed out for just an hour, an injury, severe weather or a wrong turn could become life threatening. Don’t assume you will be rescued; know how to rescue yourself.

• To share the hiker code with others.

Has your State or club developed a similar code? Let us know.

Now Go Outdoors!

Bike or Hike a Rail Trail for Fall Fun by Jeanne Grunert
The rails to trails movement is sweeping the country, transforming retired railway lines into superb hiking and bicycling trails.

Fall Arrives At Mount Hood
Fall is also a great season to go hiking … it may be a bit colder, but the views are just as good and the fall colors on the hillsides are worth the pictures you’ll take. Plus the trails are a bit quieter this time of year, …

Fall Hiking in Silverton, CO
With the fall colors peaking at this time of the year, there is no better place to hike than Southwestern Colorado, and no finer place in Southwest Colorado than the majestic high country surrounding Silverton: Christ of the Mines Shrine, Cement Creek, Kendall Mountain, and Lackawana Mill.

Berkshire Leaf Peeping
To the Northern Berkshires for a last hike of the year. Sadly, the photos don’t do justice to the Massachusetts fall foliage …

Favorite Fall Hikes In Wyoming
Fall can be fleeting in the American Rockies but when it cools the day and colors the leaves there is little that compares to filling your lungs with the fresh air of a Wyoming short hike in Autumn. For those who seek simple trails not …

Blue Ridge Fall Hiking
If you’re in Nashville, check out Blue Ridge Mountain Sports Backpacking 201 October 16^th through November 6^th. Courses include navigation, wilderness safety, and Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics.

Maine’s Great Pond Mountain Hike
Forget about your stock portfolio and other woes for a few hours and take in the striking beauty of a splendid Maine fall day. Here is a favorite coastal hikes that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Washington State Fall Hiking
There are more great fall hikes in the Gorge than you can shake a stick at. Try the Pacific Crest Trail going either direction from the Columbia River. If you go north, you will get to Table Mountain (and see some pretty lakes along the …

Gearing Up For The Fall Hiking Season
Keeping warm on your Fall hike ….

Fall Hikes Around Chicago
Chicago hosts many great fall hiking options including Chain O’ Lakes State Park, Geneva Lake Shore Path, and Marengo Ridge Conservation Area.

Fall Hiking at Seneca Creek West Virginia
If you are looking for a wonderful place to enjoy the Autumn scenery, the Seneca Creek Trail has some of the most wonderful fall foliage ….

Fall Hiking in the Northwest
John D. Carr’s recommendations for Fall hikes in the Pacific Northwest. The trails he highlights are known to showcase some of the best wildflower and tree colors the season has to offer. They include Salmon Butte Trail, Vista Ridge Trail, ….

Fall Adventures Hiking the Appalachian Trail
The longest footpath in the nation offers beautiful scenery, is within a day’s drive of 67% of the US population, and serves as an escape from the “everyday”. The Trail provides hiking challenges for varying skill levels ….

Fall Hiking and Camping by Bill Sassani
Fall is a time for camping and hiking to take advantage of autumn colors, while at the same time being aware of changing temperatures, fluctuating weather, and hunters.

Now Go Outdoors!

Hiking News Headlines

• Before you hike one of Colorado’s Fourteeners, they’re are a few things you should know. Depending on the time of year and your skill level, tackling one of the 55 mountains at or above 14,000 feet above sea level ….

• Screening footage from his uncompleted documentary, The Vanishing Hemlock: A Race Against Time, David Huff sounds an alarm to save southern Hemlock forests from the woolly adelgid ….

• This years’ National Public Lands Day is Saturday, September 27th, 2008. The annual program of the National Enviromental Education Foundation is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands ….

• For hiking all of Pennsylvania’s 18 State Forest Hiking Trails, totaling 798 miles, William S. Geiger of Lehigh County, and John Potter of Lycoming County, PA are the 2008 recipients of the State Forest Trails Award ….

Now Go Outdoors!

Hiking News Headlines

• Two hikers died this past Wednesday (9/10/2008) as a flash flood swept away a family group and their guides. Hiking in a slot canyon in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, they had no warning ….

• Tropical Storm Hanna damaged Nova Scotia hiking trails in the Cape Chignecto Provincial Park. Two wooden bridges, a large one at Refugee Cove and a smaller one at Seal Cove, will have to ….

• Ground was broken for a new 14 mile hiking and mountain biking trail at Lake Howard, Alabama. Entering the Talladega National Forest, and growing a half-mile per day, the trail ….

Now Go Outdoors–Safely!