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Arizona Hiking Trails
Arizona Hiking Trails
General Guidelines | Trail Tips | Rimsufer Arizona Hiking Trails
General Guidelines | Trail Tips | Rimsufer Arizona Hiking Trails
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General Guidelines | Trail Tips | Rimsurfer Arizona Hiking Trails
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General Hiking Guidelines and Tips
Hike preparation and enjoyment
• Be sure you understand the difficulty level of the hike and that you are ready for that level.
• Bring the required and wise hiking, clothing, equipment, safety and first aid for the hike.
• Layer your clothing based on the kind of weather you will be hiking in.
• Notify at least 1 person who will not be on the hike of your departure and expected return times.
• Hydrate yourself before, during, after and eat healthy and light before and during the hike.
• Notify your leader of any medical or health issues you may have.
• Wear good fitting hiking shoes and socks, if your feet begin to hurt resolve the issue promptly.
• Use shade and sunlight to your advantage - stay warm or cooler based on the trail conditions.
• If you are cold or wet be aware of the conditions that could lead to hypothermia.
• Stretch before and after, take periodic short breaks, do not set excessive goals. Enjoy the hike!
Trail and group courtesy
• Stay behind and within sight of your leader and with your group.
• Stay in front of your sweep and at trail intersections wait for all the group to arrive then proceed.
• Don't hold up the group with your personal interests.
• If someone is having some trouble, as a group be gracious and do not leave them behind.
• Leave your ego at home - relax and enjoy the company and the hike.
Mistakes that are often made by novice hikers
• Not being physically cabable of the level of the hike.
• Not bringing a hat or bandana to cover your head.
• Not eating or hydrating properly before the hike.
• Wearing poor fitting hiking shoes or wrong type of clothing for the weather conditions.
• Not bringing alternate or additional clothing for weather changes.
• Not bringing or consuming enough liquids (2-4 quarts per person per day).
• Not bringing the right amount or kind of "high energy" food.
• Not bringing the proper rain gear other means to stay dry.
• Falling behind the designated sweep or moving ahead of the leader.
• Not communicating you are leaving the trail/group for a "nature call".
• Over enthusiastic start that leaves you exhausted and uncomfortable later into the hike.
• Forgetting to bring basic first aid (includes insect repellent).
• Squeezing the hike into your day so you are in a big hurry to meet a time deadline.
• Continually slowing up the hike up with excessive photography, talking, critter watching, etc.
• Bringing a problem pet, leaving pet "dodo" along the trail, ignoring park leash laws.
• Littering , damaging, destroying, trampling, leaving the specified path to bushwack areas on the trail - (ie destroying or removing vegetation and stones, throwing stones, leaving lunch and snack scraps along the trail - if you pack it in you should take it out).
• Falling into a body of water and then not having any dry warm clothes to put back on
• Stylishly exposing bare skin and getting sunburned or hypothermic.
• Failing to think through the event(s) that caused your day plan, scope and time frame of the hike to go bad and then adapting realistically to that problem. An example may be as simple as to decide not to go on the hike, or just stop and begin back, as it is now too late in the day to get back before dark if you continue on, or maybe your feet or legs or body have developed a problem that may take you much longer to get back, so stop, do not go on, try to remedy the issue and then begin your return - do not push on "to the end" and find you cannot get back as planned.
• Not communicating with the leader that you are feeling ill or that you have a shoe problem and your feet are in need of prompt attention.
Hike preparation and enjoyment
• Be sure you understand the difficulty level of the hike and that you are ready for that level.
• Bring the required and wise hiking, clothing, equipment, safety and first aid for the hike.
• Layer your clothing based on the kind of weather you will be hiking in.
• Notify at least 1 person who will not be on the hike of your departure and expected return times.
• Hydrate yourself before, during, after and eat healthy and light before and during the hike.
• Notify your leader of any medical or health issues you may have.
• Wear good fitting hiking shoes and socks, if your feet begin to hurt resolve the issue promptly.
• Use shade and sunlight to your advantage - stay warm or cooler based on the trail conditions.
• If you are cold or wet be aware of the conditions that could lead to hypothermia.
• Stretch before and after, take periodic short breaks, do not set excessive goals. Enjoy the hike!
Trail and group courtesy
• Stay behind and within sight of your leader and with your group.
• Stay in front of your sweep and at trail intersections wait for all the group to arrive then proceed.
• Don't hold up the group with your personal interests.
• If someone is having some trouble, as a group be gracious and do not leave them behind.
• Leave your ego at home - relax and enjoy the company and the hike.
Mistakes that are often made by novice hikers
• Not being physically cabable of the level of the hike.
• Not bringing a hat or bandana to cover your head.
• Not eating or hydrating properly before the hike.
• Wearing poor fitting hiking shoes or wrong type of clothing for the weather conditions.
• Not bringing alternate or additional clothing for weather changes.
• Not bringing or consuming enough liquids (2-4 quarts per person per day).
• Not bringing the right amount or kind of "high energy" food.
• Not bringing the proper rain gear other means to stay dry.
• Falling behind the designated sweep or moving ahead of the leader.
• Not communicating you are leaving the trail/group for a "nature call".
• Over enthusiastic start that leaves you exhausted and uncomfortable later into the hike.
• Forgetting to bring basic first aid (includes insect repellent).
• Squeezing the hike into your day so you are in a big hurry to meet a time deadline.
• Continually slowing up the hike up with excessive photography, talking, critter watching, etc.
• Bringing a problem pet, leaving pet "dodo" along the trail, ignoring park leash laws.
• Littering , damaging, destroying, trampling, leaving the specified path to bushwack areas on the trail - (ie destroying or removing vegetation and stones, throwing stones, leaving lunch and snack scraps along the trail - if you pack it in you should take it out).
• Falling into a body of water and then not having any dry warm clothes to put back on
• Stylishly exposing bare skin and getting sunburned or hypothermic.
• Failing to think through the event(s) that caused your day plan, scope and time frame of the hike to go bad and then adapting realistically to that problem. An example may be as simple as to decide not to go on the hike, or just stop and begin back, as it is now too late in the day to get back before dark if you continue on, or maybe your feet or legs or body have developed a problem that may take you much longer to get back, so stop, do not go on, try to remedy the issue and then begin your return - do not push on "to the end" and find you cannot get back as planned.
• Not communicating with the leader that you are feeling ill or that you have a shoe problem and your feet are in need of prompt attention.
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This RimSurfer Arizona hiking trail photo gallery review features trail tips and general hiking Guidelines.