Hitting the trail with a backpack for a multi-day hike means carrying lots of food. Two things you don’t want in your backpack when on the trail: water and air.
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You probably don’t think of hiking as being a dangerous activity and indeed ninety-nine percent of the time it’s anything but dangerous and provides millions of people with a great deal of pleasure and often a sense of adventure. It’s easy to forget however that you are often out in the wilderness and far away from civilization and so, when accidents do happen, even quite minor accidents can quickly become serious if you’re not prepared.
Here are just a few basic safety tips to ensure that your hiking trips don’t land you in trouble.
Tip No1 – Consider taking a partner of friend along.
If you’re going for a short hike in a nearby area which is a well-traveled area with easy terrain then there’s often no need to worry about heading out alone. However, if you are hiking through wild country, perhaps heavily forested areas with winding trails and steep canyons, then the possibility of getting lost or sustaining injury becomes very real and you should consider carefully whether or not you are wise to head out on your own.
Taking a partner along can have many advantages, especially if that partner is an experienced hiker.
At it’s simplest ‘two heads are better than one’ and if you do get lost or run into difficulty you’re much less likely to panic if you have somebody with you to help solve the problem. If you do sustain an injury then having somebody with you to administer first aid and, if necessary to go for help, can not only be useful, but can literally save your life.
Tip No 2 – Let somebody know where you’re going.
As a novice hiker you should certainly stick to clearly marked and well traveled routes and should not start to stray from these routes and start ‘exploring’ until you have gained some experience and also had an opportunity to learn and practice the basics of map and compass work. However, it won’t take you too long before you’re ready to tackle some more adventurous hiking and, at that point, the possibility of getting lost or injured and needing help arises.
For this reason you should always tell somebody where you’re going and when you expect to return so that they can send out a search party if you don’t return as expected.
Tip No 3 – Take along some basic equipment.
While there’s no need to take everything including the kitchen sink with you, it’s a good idea to always carry a basic ‘survival kit’ with you and your local hiking club will be able to give you excellent advice on the sorts of items that this should include.
The sort of things we’re talking about here might include matches and a lighter, a first aid kit, a good knife (something practical rather than a simply impressive one hundred gadget affair) and a flashlight.
It’s also a good idea to have a map and compass with you and a fully-charged cell phone.
Tip No 4 – Take along some basic provisions.
Water or other fluids like sports drinks are clearly essential as you can lose a great deal of fluid even over a short period of time on a hot day. Dehydration can dramatically reduce your physical performance. You should remember however that water weighs about 8 lbs per gallon, so take enough but not too much.
If you’re thinking about cutting down on the amount of water that you can carry and planning on drinking from local streams, then don’t. Natural water sources may look inviting but they are often loaded with bacteria and can make you very sick very quickly.
Also take along enough food to last you. There’s no pleasure in being hungry out on the trail but remember that you can last a lot longer without food than you can without water so, if it comes to a trade-off, carry more water and less food.
Tip No 5 – Use your common sense.
It’s all too easy when you get out into the wilderness to get carried away with your own enthusiasm and try all sort of thing which, with hindsight, you quickly realize were just plain stupid. Mother Nature may be both beautiful and inviting, but she is also quite indifferent to your fate when you do something stupid.
Joining your local hiking club will put the resources of the club at your disposal and allow you to get advice and information on all aspects of hiking, including such things as which are the best waterproof hiking boots to buy. It will also allow you to make new friends and companions for those more adventurous hiking trips.
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Want to run up that ridge, just to see what’s there? Want to easily carry your pack up those fourteener’s, so you can go down by any route you choose? Want to feel good at the end of a twenty-mile day? It’s time to lighten your load.
Frankenstein Cliffs from upper parking area
Arethusa Falls
Located in the Crawford Notch region of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), Frankenstein Cliff is named after a German-born painter who was known for his landscape art. It is fitting that his namesake stands approximately 1000ft above the valley floor and offers incredible views of the Saco River Valley, Dry River and Bemis Brook as well as the trailhead to Arethusa Falls which are named after a goddess in mythology. The waterfall is the tallest in New Hampshire boasting a 200 ft drop.
Map of Crawford Notch area
If it’s solitude you want, try parking in the lower lot and hiking up the Frankenstein Cliff Trail. There is a moderate grade on this trail as it crosses the stream. Once you reach the railroad trussle above you, the grade becomes steeper and the soil a little loose in areas. There are a few small switchbacks leading up the trail. The elevation gain is nearly 1200 ft. in just shy of a mile. The climb is worth it. Once you reach the top, you can see for miles and miles. It is a nice place to rest and have a snack or look over the edge to your car if you are adventurous and not afraid of heights. Take caution when at the edge of open cliff faces.
View from top of Frankenstein Cliff
To continue on, follow the Frankenstein Cliff Trail to the right opposite of where you came up to the Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail.
Turn right and follow the Arethusa Falls to the waterfall. Once you reach this point, expect to see many more people as the trail is more maintained and more popular on this side. It is a short hike from this point, perhaps 2/10th of a mile. To return via a loop, return from the falls to the junction with the Arethusa-Ripley Falls trail and continue right down the mountain on the Arethusa Falls trail. Near the trailhead, there is a slight divergence for the Bemis Brook Trail if you are so inclined for a little more adventure.
When you reach the upper parking lot at the Arethusa Falls Trailhead, be advised the home and property located there are off limits and private. However, this is a great spot to snap some photos of the cliffs you just climbed. Continue down the hill on the paved road to the lower parking lot and return to your car. This loop will total approximately 4.8 miles.
Sign along Trail
Notes: The day we went on this loop (August 2008) we did not see any other people until we had almost reached the Arethusa Falls Trail junction. I was glad we had the toughest part of the hike out of the way early and we enjoyed the time alone with our dog on the trail. Once we reached the Arethusa Falls Trail it was almost non-stop people coming and going. We saw some people dressing in hopes to swim at the top. This is not that kind of hike. While you could perhaps get in the water, if it is a swim you are looking for, the Saco River is right along this route and easily acessible just up the road from this hike. There is one amenity you will find here, an outhouse located in the lower parking lot.
Sign along trail
Many people follow Shore Road in Cape Elizabeth to see the ocean and visit Fort Williams State Park. However, there is a small gem of preserved land with an easy trail and many vernal pools along this road and only a short distance from the better known state park. Robinson Woods, part of the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust (C.E.L.T.) has 87 acres of fairly level packed dirt path that winds its way around a nice a loop where you can smell the ocean while checking out the local flora and fauna and hopefully catch a glimpse of wildlife. There is a self-guided tour book available at the entrance, please be sure to return it for others to enjoy.
Open dawn to dusk, no fee, hiking, bird watching, dogs allowed on leash and under total voice control, mountain biking, no trash, no toilet.
For more information: http://www.capelandtrust.org/
To get there: From RT 77 take a left on to Shore Rd toward Portland Head Light/Fort Williams State Park. Trail access on Left just after Pond Cove on Right. The sign above on this post will be visible. There are also trail entrances at Dyer Road and Rock Crest Drive.
While not a Portland Trail trip for us, this was an exploratory trip as our dog had minor surgery and we decided to find some trails less traveled; Robinson Woods turned out to be just what we were looking for. We dedicided to take the boundry trail on this 1.4 mile loop trail. Most of the trail is packed dirt, fairly level, and a few small bridges to help you over vernal pools. We saw many old trees of different varieties and found the trail marked well with white blazes as well as signs with the greenbelt where the paths overlap. The website says that there are deer, owls, fisher and woodpeckers residing in Robinson Woods as well as Eider Ducks that raise young near the protective waters. There is also fresh water that goes through the woods and is a tributary to the ocean at Pond Cove.
Notes: During our visit in July 2008, we found the trail to be quite nice and we only saw two people walking a dog so there was a lot of solitude. However the misquitoes were of a different hybrid breed that we have never encountered before. We both sprayed ourselves down before entering the woods and came out with many a swollen bite on us. Even our poor dog was “bugged”. One of my favorite moments though, was rounding the path on the way back parallel to Shore Road and smelling the ocean. With the proper bug spray, I would think this would be a fabulous place to take children and take the self guided tour to educate them about the local flora and fauna. We didn’t see the book until we were on our way out, but next time I would certainly take it along as there are many well marked spots along the trail and I would like to know what they are.
Have you been here? Send us a comment and tell us about your experience.
