 Hiking
in the Arizona Deserts
Hiking
is a popular recreational pastime in Arizona, as a get-away
from urban living, while enjoying the beauty and wildlife
of nature. Hiking season runs all year in Arizona. Of course,
with unpredictable weather and fires, some trails may be
closed anytime during the season. The websites for the
area will usually inform you of any closures or cautions
and we provide links for most of the trails in our directory.
Safety
includes having the right kind of clothes and equipment.
Preparation, comfort, ethics and how to deal with an emergency
are all important topics to know when enjoying the outdoors.
A day hike, where you expect to return home before
evening, doesn't require as much equipment as an overnight
hike or backpacking trip. You will need a good pair of hiking
boots or walking shoes, and loose clothing that is appropriate
for the weather conditions. Because our weather conditions
can change quickly in the desert, it is safer to overdress,
and carry a few extra layers, than to be under-dressed and
cold. For a day hike bring these basics: water, energy food,
sunscreen and hat, a map of the area, a GPS or compass, a
rain coat (for rain & warmth), sharp knife, matches, and
a friend or Cell Phone. We also bring a few cameras,
extra batteries, a whistle, two way radios, MP3 player, hiking
stick, pad to sit or lay down on and the dog.
For
an overnight hike, you may also need a tent, food bags
(to hang food in trees and away from critters), a change
of underwear and socks, and cooking supplies. Check with
your hiking partner to prevent packing duplicate gear,
to minimize gear weight.
Hiking
Ethics and Courtesy
Hikers
have a responsibility to the land, wildlife nature and
to other hikers and sportsmen. The effects of just one
person or one group can be great. For example, a cigarette
that starts a fire which starts a forest blazing. The cumulative
effects of people over time can be very damaging to our
wilderness areas.
Leave
no trace of your ever having been in the area.
Don't hike
off existing trails
It's
rarely necessary to hike off trail. On trails with switchbacks,
don't shortcut the curves. When you make a new path on
steep slopes, you encourage others to follow it until the
vegetation is tramped down and removed. During subsequent
rainstorms, this can result in serious erosion problems
that can damage the trail as a whole. This cost money from
the limited funds available to our forests each year.
Pack it
In / Pack it Out
Carry
a plastic trash or store checkout bag to take up your trash
until you get back to an area with trash cans. Properly
dispose of what you can't pack out. Human waste and food
leftovers should be buried at least 200 feet from streams,
water bodies and trails. Don't leave cigarette butts behind
for the next people to see. Open your items before you
go. Remove foil wrappers, for example safety seals can
be removed and thrown away at home before a trip
Minimize
Fires
Or
don't start a fire at all. Many forests are just full of
dry kindling waiting for an excuse burn. If you plan to
heat something up during an outing you are best off carrying
a small fuel stove versus messing around with a campfire,
especially if the wind kicks up. Check before you go for
forest area fire alert conditions that might prohibit open
campfires. It is up to you to be aware of these situations.
People who cause forest fires usually receive both civil
and criminal charges, often involving both the Federal
and State systems.
Using
campfires on a hike is best restricted to an emergency
situation in which you desperately need to get warm and
dry your clothes. The thing to remember if you have to
make a fire is that mineral soil and rocks don't burn,
but ground cover, overhanging branches and root systems
will. Use a cook stove, placed on a rock, with a minimum
of 10 inches of nonflammable surface around the stove in
case some fuel is spilt.
Leave what
you find
You
will sometimes come across old ghost towns, abandoned military
equipment, indian artifacts, mines or other features of
interest. Leave them as you find them don't collect souvenirs.
Let others find these treasures as you did.
Close fence
gates
In
most areas the Government leases public land for cattle
grazing and the fences are used to contain these animals.
Leaving a gate open allows livestock to go where they shouldn't,
causing environmental damage. Any fence gate you go through
should be immediately closed.
Don't Trespass
Keep
an eye out for trespass signs and respect them. Sometimes
the owners may be downright hostile towards you if you're
caught on their land.
Be Ready
to Help Others
You
know if you come across somebody in distress while deep
in the wilderness, you wouldn't just walk away. It may
be frustrating when it disturbs your trip, and it's usually
the injured person's fault for not preparing or using good
sense. Nevertheless, if somebody is injured or in peril,
we all have an ethical obligation to help, and/or get them
help. Be ready for emergencies and they won't be such a
burden.
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