HIKING TIPS

To make hikes as pleasant as possible for everyone, including the hike coordinator, please keep in mind the following:

• Try to arrive a few minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. The rule of the club is to start on time.
  
  
• Do not wander off the trail without letting the coordinator know. This means for "pit stops" or other little side trips when you are out of sight of the group. Also, follow the route the coordinator has chosen. If you want to explore other routes, come back another time on your own.
  
  
• If you have any questions about the length of a hike, the terrain or the pace, please call the coordinator before the hike. It is better to find out before a hike, rather than in the middle of one, that the hike is too strenuous for your abilities.
  
  
• The coordinator must keep track of the group. He or she belongs somewhere in the vicinity of the group, not a mile ahead! Keeping a challenging pace is important, to be sure, but so is the group's enjoyment of each other's company. If at all possible, designate someone as a sweep. Once the sweep is in sight, the coordinator will know everyone is accounted for.
  
  
• If there is a fork in the trail or a crossing, the coordinator should wait until everyone is in sight so that all hikers make the correct turn.
  
  
• It is also the responsibility of the coordinator to scout the trail ahead of time to avoid aimless wandering and to have some idea of the time it will take to cover the distance, according to terrain, time of year, etc.
  
  
• All participants on a hike involving placement of cars are responsible for helping transport hikers as necessary. No one, whose car is at the end of the hike, should leave unless the coordinator assures him or her that their car is not needed. Also, the coordinator should not leave until he or she knows the last car has started.

Thank you for your cooperation. Hiking should be a fun experience. By following the above, you will help to ensure that it is!

To learn more about the Foothills Trail Club, please view the following links:

Home | Constitution | Types of Hikes | Membership

Conservation Trail | Hiking Guidelines | Hiking Schedule