Enjoying Your Catskill Adventure

By Paul Misko

The Catskill hiking season is in high gear, and though most outdoor adventures go as planned, with all participants arriving back home without a scratch, not all go smoothly. As we all have learned, life sometimes has other plans, and often without warning. The best solution is to be prepared with a few essential items, which can make all the difference when the unexpected happens. The weekly newsletter put out by the NYDEC recounts many instances of hikers getting lost or hurt on the trail, most of which could have been avoided or minimized if the hiker had done some better planning and packing.

In this article I will share my opinions on the best way to have a safe hike and be left with fond memories, instead of a horror story. Included will be a list of emergency items to carry in your daypack, and a few hiking tips which might save you some grief.

I guess the first step is to see the wisdom in doing some preparation. On any busy hiking day I see a large proportion of hikers headed up the mountain with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, a water bottle, and a cell phone. I get the feeling that they are certain that the smart phone can handle all emergencies. This is largely true when down in “civilization,” but on the mountain tops, it has limited use.

I have actually heard people say that they don’t need to carry any emergency gear, because “Nothing has ever happened to me.” Some faulty reasoning to be sure. Eventually something will happen. Perhaps you’ll miss the correct trail turn-off or lose the trail completely. Maybe an unexpected storm quickly overtakes you, or the hike took longer than you thought and you are now hiking down the mountain in the dark. Perhaps you, or someone in your group gets hurt and must move slowly, again forcing you to descend in the dark. The worst case is that you might have to spend the night on the mountain, alone, or to attend to an injured hiker. So, what should you pack?

This first list would include some items which would make up the bare minimum that each adult should carry.

• A GOOD flashlight or headlamp. Please don’t rely on your cell phone as your flashlight. A headlamp allows your hands to be free.

• A large plastic garbage bag to rest on, along with a mylar sheet (space blanket) to wrap yourself in which will keep you warm and dry.

• A lighter or matches along with some firestarter material.

• A sweater and hat. Polyester Fleece is the lightest, and warmest.

• A compass and map or GPS unit or cell phone with map app.

• A whistle

• A rain jacket or poncho

• A pocketknife or better yet, a multi-tool

• A plastic bag with tissues

• Some first aid items including sunscreen and bug spray

• A couple of energy bars (these are in addition to your lunch and drink)

Other things you might consider are a metal cup, a bandana, a second source of light, a length of rope, and extra shirt. As you gain experience, you will likely adjust what you carry. When you get your daypack set up, leave everything in it. This way you can just grab it and go when a hike opportunity pops up, and you won’t have to waste time hunting around the house for what you need, which will cause you to forget things. You can just put in your lunch and drink, and head out.

Most of the time, the hike goes off without a hitch, but you should face the reality that the time may come when you must spend the night on the mountain, with only the items you have on you.

Imagine the worst-case scenario. As evening approaches, it will get dark, very dark. A cold damp breeze will develop. You will hear critters moving about in the woods and your imagination may turn that harmless weasel into a hungry bear. How much more tolerable your unplanned overnight will be if you carried a few items in a fanny pack or daypack. The weight of these combined items is three or four pounds, well worth the small effort compared to the benefit they will supply if called upon.

This pack-full of prophylactic provisions is necessary for all adults to carry, but what about the children?

When I was young, us kids would often debate to see who got to carry some equipment. It was an honor to take on some responsibility, a sign of growing up. In the last couple of decades, I’ve noticed that even the older kids usually carry nothing, and instead let mom and dad carry all the gear. If we do the math … we should realize that the ones most likely to wander off and get lost are the kids. Since we know that is the case, the first step is to make sure your kids wear some bright colors, so they are easier to keep track of. Wearing camouflage may be cool but is not so cool when searching in the forest for a camo clad kid. The second step is to have each kid in your group carry a few items. Cargo shorts/ pants or a small fanny pack will do. Here is a list of a few items each kid should have.

• A whistle

• A large plastic bag and space blanket

• A flashlight

• A couple energy bars

• Perhaps a hoodie tied around their waist.

• Small water bottle

Think about the difference between your kid lost in the woods overnight with NOTHING, and the one who has at least these few things. As the child gets older and more responsible, you can add the fire-starting supplies and a pocketknife, and eventually more equipment as time goes by.

Here are a few tips I have gleaned from my hiking experiences.

• Make sure you understand where you plan to hike. Check out a map and look up the trail online to make sure of distance and difficulty. Many mountains have more than one trail to the summit, so be careful to take the correct one.

• Let someone know where you are going, and the latest time you should be back. If they don’t hear from you by that time, and cannot contact you, they should contact 833-NYS-RANGERS or 911.

• Avoid pure cotton clothing such as blue jeans and flannel shirts and use nylon or poly which dry faster. A proper pair of hiking pants are a worthwhile investment.

• Check the weather forecast the morning of hike. Weather changes rapidly. If the weather gets bad, turn back and return another day.

• Keep the hiking group together, and keep an especially close eye on the kids. Don’t let them get far ahead and out of sight.

• If you bring your dog, please keep it under control. Understand that your dog’s antics may not be as amusing to others as they are to you.

There are lots of great trails to hike, critters to see, and views to enjoy in the Catskills. A bit of preparation will allow you to have great stories to share, instead of disturbing accounts of adventures gone awry.

The Catskill 4000 Club occasionally offers Outdoor Skills hikes, if you are interested in attending one, send an email to climbapeak@gmail.com.

Paul Misko is a Catskill historian with a focus on the Shandaken area, and John Burroughs. He gives presentations on history and leads hikes with the Catskill 4000 Club. He can be contacted at climbapeak@gmail.com. His blog is at catskillforestadventures.blogspot.com