Safe summer hiking requires plenty of preparation
Want to see nature despite the triple-digit temperatures? Hiking in summer is not for most, and some experts will say it’s not recommended. But if you are determined and have the desire, there are things to know.
Las Vegas resident Branch Whitney, founder of the 52 Peak Club and author of “Hiking Las Vegas,” said he avoids hiking in the summer in places such as Red Rock Canyon, preferring the cooler temperatures of higher elevations such as Mount Charleston. Whitney plans a free talk, “Secrets of Having a Safe Hike,” at 6:30 p.m. July 27 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave.
He said “hard-headed hikers” who insist on taking to the trails in summer should plan for short hikes, only about two hours, and should head out early, so they’re finished by 9 a.m.
“Don’t do six- or eight-hour hikes,” he said. “People are going to get into trouble. It all boils down to making good decisions. This is Vegas. It’s all about the probabilities.”
Whitney said cotton is the best material to wear, and one’s T-shirt should be a light color. A hat is important, and a high-tech towel that stays cool when wet is a good idea for hanging around one’s neck, he said.
Most important, he said, is carrying water. His rule of thumb is a minimum of a liter per hour of hiking.
“And put a lot of ice in it,” he said. “Not that cold water makes you more hydrated, but people like drinking cold water, so they’ll drink more. … If you really want to cool down and have extra to spare, pour it over your head.”
He said most hikers these days use daypacks with bladders, and filling it with half ice and half water will usually keep the water cool for the whole hike.
Other hikers have similar methods for staying cool on summer hikes.
Steve Allen, 71, retired three years ago from what he called a sedentary life, moved to Las Vegas from Chicago and became an avid hiker.
“I’m one of the crazy ones,” Allen said. “I tolerate the heat well, and I just adjust. I do a lot of hiking right now when everybody else goes up to Mount Charleston to hike.
“You just start early in the morning and stay hydrated. In Red Rock, you do the canyons, so when it’s morning, and the sun is low, you’re in shade.”
Lela and Scott Hardy are in the 52 Peak Club. Their No. 1 rule for summer hiking is to stay hydrated.
“We take about 2½ liters of water,” Lela said.
“We get to the trailhead between 6 and 7 (a.m.),” Scott added.
They would tell a novice to hike with someone who knows the area and is familiar with the trails and avoid starting a hike when it was 90 degrees or hotter.
Two hikes at Red Rock Canyon include the west route of Kraft Mountain and the Las Vegas Overlook, also called Muffin Boulders. Both afford shade for much of the hike if you start early in the morning, Whitney said. Maps of trails can be downloaded free at his website, hikinglasvegas.com.
Chuck Williams, president of Friends of Red Rock Canyon, said he and his wife, Pat, had to learn to carry water after moving here from the Midwest. The retirees also learned to pace themselves in the desert so they didn’t overexert themselves.
“It’s easy to do,” Williams said. “I’ve had times where I had to stop and go, ‘It’s time to go back.’ Even experienced hikers can get to that point, especially in the heat. I’m more concerned with the visitors I see. They’ll set off on a hike with just a little water bottle. You want to catch them and tell them to take more water.”
Liz Carmer, leader for Friends’ all-volunteer Canyon Cleanup group, cancels scheduled cleanups if the meteorologist call for triple digits.
“Our volunteers are almost all 69 to 84 years old. We have two turning 85 in August,” she said. “As the summer continues, we start work no later than 8 a.m. and quit as early as 9 a.m. if the temps top 95 degrees or so. We supply lots of water and Gatorade on ice as well as bananas and other snacks. And volunteers may quit whenever they choose.”
Carmer is also a wildflower hunter, and some of the flowers don’t bloom until June when it can top out at 110 degrees or more.
“Personally, I carry no fewer than 4 liters in the summer and try to quit all hikes for wildflower hunts by 11 a.m.,” she said.
She wears a wide-brimmed hat, long sleeves and pants. But they’re not just any kind of material.
“I wear the thin-performance material that makes me feel cooler. The sun can’t burn my skin, and I don’t mean sunburn — I mean make it feel like it’s immediately on fire,” she said. “The long pants and shirts also protect me from snakes and cacti. I wear 100 SPF (sunscreen) on my face, neck, collar area, hands and lower arms and cover everything else with clothing.”
Heather Gang of Pahrump, who hikes with Outdoors Pahrump, avoids the heat of the day by doing just the opposite.
“We’ll do full moon hikes,” said Gang, “but the other danger is you’ll have thunderstorms in the summer. So, it’s dangerous either way.”
For more information on the 52 Peak Club, visit 52peakclub.com.
To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.