I went on hikes before the COVID-19 lockdowns but I really ramped it up in the winter of 2020. I'm fortunate to have locked down in a peaceful house, but I still craved truly alone time. And what's more alone then being by yourself in the mountains during the winter?
I'd load up my phone with podcasts and hit the road all by myself. It was a really great time of self-discovery. One thing I learned, and practice especially when I'm hiking, is to trust my instincts. There have times when I'd be bundled up, phone charged and ready to go, but something made me turn around and drive home instead.
Here's why I've turned around and gone home, instead of following through with the planned hike.
1) No one else parked at the trailhead
Why?
Many of the hikes I do are out of cell phone range, so if anything goes wrong, I have to rely on the help of passersby. You can't predict an accident from happening. If there's absolutely no one who's going to pass me by on the trail to notice that I've busted my ankle and can get help, then I don't feel safe enough being out on the trail.
How to avoid this
Take some first aid or survival tactic courses and get confident applying those skills, if you persevere and want to hike truly alone
Bring some friends or family with you on the trails
Pick popular trails, or go on weekends when there are more people on the trail
2) Getting on the trail, and feeling uncomfortable
This has happened to me a few times. I've started on the path and keep slipping, or can't warm up, or I'm not sure I brought enough water.
Why?
It's typically because I didn't bring the right gear for the conditions. The weather can change drastically in the mountains. I've set off on a hike when it's 20 degrees and sunny in the city, and arrived at the trail and it's snow/icy conditions. If I didn't bring spikes for my shoes, I'm turning around and going home.
How to avoid this
Research the conditions ahead of time and bring the right gear. You can leave extra items in the car if you drove there, but you can't conjure up something that wasn't packed in.
3) Getting there too late
What's 'too late'? Any risk of it getting dark while on the trail.
I've cut it too close once alone, and once with my husband. That was more than enough for me to learn that lesson well enough to never do that again.
How to avoid this
Check the sunset timings and understand that it 'sets' earlier in the mountains. Add some buffer time to the estimated time it'll take you to hike. Get off the trail before it starts getting dark, and turn around early if you have to.
4) Bear warnings at the trailhead and forgetting my bear spray
How to avoid this
Bring the bear spray.
Beyond that, the ways to avoid bears when exploring their habitat are by staying in groups of 6 or more, making lots of noise and staying on the trail. I check the recent trail reports on Alltrails and people will say whether there are bear warnings, or if they spotted fresh scat or saw a bear on the trail if they did. Once I read any of that, I avoid that hike.
Hiking when they're hibernating is a good point in winter hiking's favour. Though you could still come across a bear in the winter. They get up every now and then for a snack and then return to their seasonal slumber.
I love bears, I don't love encountering them on a hike and I haven't had to before.
5) Injuring myself at any point
This is very explanatory. I've gotten on the path, tweaked by hip or my leg starts hurting every time I take a step. Listening to those signals and letting my body rest instead of powering through and further causing injury means I get healthy enough to hike another day.
6) Anyone else I'm with wanting to turn around for any reason
Hiking is a fun day outside enjoying nature, health and the company of those around you. If there's anything that gets in the way of that ultimate goal, I'm completely fine turning around and trying again another day.
7) Hearing growling or ominous rustling, the feeling that I’m being watched
I've only gotten that 'I'm being watched' feeling twice, once by myself and once with friends. Stay alert, and if you sense something, stay calm and make the right reactions. When I was alone, it meant fast-stepping it back to the parking lot. And when I was with my friends, I let them know, they quickly picked up on the panic in my voice and we bolted to a safer, more populated part of the trail.
8) I literally cannot find the trail, after much wandering
The silliest reason, but this has tricked me into turning around and going home twice. I can do all the research possible online, plug it into maps, drive out of range, get to the marked trail head and STILL get stumped. Ahh well.
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