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On the Trail

Every outing should begin with proper preparation, which usually takes only a few minutes. Even the easiest trail can turn up unexpected surprises. People seldom think about getting lost or injured, but unexpected things can and do happen. Simple precautions can make the difference between a good story and a miserable outcome.

Use the Top Trails ratings and descriptions to determine if a particular trail is a good match with your fitness and energy level, given current conditions and time of year.

Have a Plan

Choose Wisely The first step to enjoying any trail, no matter the activity or the degree of difficulty, is to match the trail to your abilities. It’s no use overestimating your fitness or experience—know your abilities and limitations, and use the Top Trails difficulty rating that accompanies each trail.

Leave Word About Your Plans The most basic of precautions is leaving word of your intentions with friends or family. Many people will hike the backcountry their entire lives without ever relying on this safety net, but establishing this simple habit is free insurance.

It’s best to leave specific information—location, trail name, intended time of travel—with a responsible person. However, if this is not possible or if plans change at the last minute, you should still leave word. If there is a registration process available, use it. If there is a ranger station, trail register, or visitor center, check in.

Prepare and Plan

• Know your abilities and your limitations.

• Leave word about your plans.

• Know the area and the route.

Review the Route Before embarking on any hike, read the entire description, and study the map. It isn’t necessary to memorize every detail, but it is worthwhile to have a clear mental picture of the trail and general area.

If the trail or terrain is complex, augment the trail guide with a topographic map. Maps and current weather and trail-condition information are available from local ranger stations and backcountry offices, so use these resources (see Appendix).

Carry the Essentials

Proper preparation for any type of trail use includes gathering the essential items you will carry. The checklist will vary tremendously by trail and conditions.

Clothing When the weather is good, light, comfortable clothes are the obvious choice. It’s easy to believe that little in the way of spare clothing is needed, but a prepared hiker has something tucked away for the unexpected, ranging from a surprise shower to an emergency overnight in more remote areas.

Clothing includes proper footwear—essential for hiking and backpacking. Running shoes are fine for shorter trails, but if you will be carrying substantial weight or encountering sustained rugged terrain, step up to hiking boots.

In hot, sunny weather, proper clothing includes a hat, sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt, and sunscreen. In cooler weather, particularly when it’s wet, carry waterproof outer garments and quick-drying undergarments (avoid cotton). As a general rule, whatever the conditions, bring layers that can be combined or removed to provide comfort and protection from the elements in a wide and unpredictable variety of conditions.

Water Never set out on a trail without water. At all times, but particularly in warm weather, adequate water is of key importance. Experts recommend at least 2 quarts of water per day. When hiking in heat, a gallon or more may be appropriate. At the extreme, dehydration can be life-threatening. More commonly, inadequate water causes fatigue and muscle aches.

For most outings, unless the day is very hot or the trail very long, you should plan to carry sufficient water for the entire trail. Unfortunately in North America, natural water sources are questionable, often contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and fertilizers.

Trail Essentials

• Dress to keep cool, but be ready for cold.

• Carry plenty of water.

• Have adequate food (plus a little extra).

Water Treatment If you have to use trailside water, you should filter or treat it. There are three methods: boiling, chemical treatment, and filtering. Boiling is best, but it’s often impractical because it requires a heat source, a pot, and time. Chemical treatments, readily available in outdoor stores, handle some problems—including the troublesome Giardia parasite—but they will not combat many of the chemical pollutants. The preferred method is filtration. A good filter system removes Giardia and other contaminants and doesn’t leave any unpleasant aftertaste.

If this hasn’t convinced you to carry all the water you need, one final admonishment: Be prepared for surprises. Water sources described in the text and shown on maps can change course or dry up completely, especially in late summer. Never run your water bottle dry in expectation of the next source; fill up when water is available, and always keep a little in reserve.

Food While not as critical as water, food is energy and should not be under-emphasized. Avoid foods that are hard to digest, such as sugary candy bars and fatty potato chips. Carry high-energy, fast-digesting foods, such as nutrition bars, dried fruit, jerky, and trail mix. Bring a little extra food—it’s good protection against an outing that turns unexpectedly long, perhaps due to foul weather or losing your way.

Optional Items

Map and Compass (and the know-how to use them) Many trails don’t require much navigation, so a map and compass aren’t always as essential as water or food—but it’s a close call. If the trail is remote or infrequently visited, a map and compass are necessities.

A handheld GPS (global positioning system) receiver can also be a useful trail companion, but it’s no substitute for a map and compass; knowing your longitude and latitude is not much help without a map.

Cell Phone Most parts of the country, even remote destinations, have some level of cellular coverage, but service is sketchy at best in much of Yellowstone and the Tetons. In extreme circumstances, a cell phone can be a lifesaver, but don’t depend on it; even where available, coverage is unpredictable, and batteries fail. And be sure that the occasion warrants the phone call—a blister doesn’t justify a call to search and rescue. Smartphones can be useful for hiking; you can load maps, route notes, and photos and use the inbuilt GPS to track your route.

Emergency Kit We never hit the trails without carrying the following: sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, blister kit, bear spray, toilet paper, matches or lighter, water bottle and water-purification method, trekking poles, whistle, rain jacket, and emergency snacks.

Gear Depending on the remoteness and rigor of the trail, there are many additional useful items to consider: pocketknife, flashlight, fire source (waterproof matches, lighter, or flint), and first-aid kit.

Every member of your party should carry the appropriate items described above; groups often split up or get separated along the trail. Solo hikers should be even more disciplined about preparation and carry more gear. Traveling solo is inherently more risky. This isn’t meant to discourage solo travel but simply to emphasize the need for extra preparation. Solo hikers should make a habit of carrying a little more gear than is absolutely necessary.

Trail Etiquette

The overriding rule on the trail is “Leave No Trace.” Interest in visiting natural areas continues to increase in North America, even as the quantity of unspoiled wilderness shrinks. These pressures make it ever more critical that we leave no trace of our visits.

Never Litter If you carried it in, it’s just as easy to carry it out. Leave the trail in the same, if not better, condition than you found it. Try picking up any litter you encounter and packing it out—it’s a great feeling. Just one piece of garbage and you’ve made a difference.

Stay on the Trail Paths have been created, sometimes over many years, for several purposes: to protect the surrounding natural areas, to avoid dangers, and to provide the best route. Leaving the trail can cause damage that takes years to undo. Never cut switchbacks. Shortcutting rarely saves time or energy, and it takes a terrible toll on the land, trampling plant life and hastening erosion. Moreover, safety and consideration intersect on the trail. It’s hard to get truly lost if you stay on the trail.

Share the Trail The best trails attract many visitors, and you should be prepared to share the trail with others. Do your part to minimize impact. Commonly accepted trail etiquette dictates that bike riders yield to both hikers and equestrians, hikers yield to horseback riders, downhill hikers yield to uphill hikers, and everyone stays to the right. Not everyone knows these rules of the road, so let common sense and good humor be your ultimate guide.

Trail Etiquette

• Leave no trace—never litter.

• Stay on the trail—never cut switchbacks.

• Share the trail—use courtesy and common sense.

• Leave it there—don’t disturb plants or wildlife.

Top-Rated Trails

Northwest Yellowstone: Mammoth/Gallatin Country

3. Bunsen Peak

8. Osprey Falls

Northeast Yellowstone: Tower/Roosevelt Country

9. Black Canyon of the Yellowstone

10. Fossil Forest

Central Yellowstone: Norris/Canyon Country

16. Hayden Valley: Mary Mountain East

17. Monument Geyser Basin

18. Mount Washburn

Southeast Yellowstone: Lake Country

20. Avalanche Peak

23. Pelican Valley

Southwest Yellowstone: Cascade and Geyser Country

25. Bechler River

27. Dunanda Falls and Silver Scarf Falls

32. Shoshone Lake and Shoshone Geyser Basin

34. Union Falls and Mountain Ash Creek

Grand Teton National Park

39. Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

40. Leigh, Bearpaw, and Trapper Lakes

42. Rendezvous Mountain to Granite Canyon

44. Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes

Leave It There Removal or destruction of plants; animals; or historical, prehistoric, or geological items is certainly unethical and almost always illegal.

Getting Lost If you become lost, stay on the trail. Stop and take stock of the situation. In many cases, a few minutes of calm reflection will yield a solution. Consider all the clues available; use the sun to determine direction if you don’t have a compass. If you determine that you are indeed lost, stay on the main trail, and stay put. You are more likely to encounter other people by staying in one place.