It’s time to put on the hiking boots and biking helmets for some more “objective-oriented” exercise!
With the gradual warming trend in the White Mountains weather this spring (despite our welcomed moisture events in relatively regular intervals), it’s time to put on the hiking boots and biking helmets for some more “objective-oriented” exercise! We could still have a couple weeks before the oaks leave out and shorten our viewing distance along the many maintained trails of the White Mountain Trail System so now is a good time for wildlife viewing as well as antler and morel hunting for those willing to trek off trail. Cashing in on some hard brown antlers or munching on fresh morels (for some) would make any hike more memorable and worthy of stories for years to come.
Spring season hiking and biking has more advantages over other seasons. Along with extended visibility for wildlife viewing, most critters are not as wary in the spring, outside of the fall hunting seasons. Turkeys could be the exception but some of them definitely don’t read the hunt regulations as the only season they care about is the gobbling season to impress the hens. Our area hosts many colorful migrant birds on their way back north at the same time as some local nesting pairs are vigorously singing their stake to a territorial claim The abundant variety of wildlife comes at a time when their human counterparts have not reached the summer peaks yet so you might just have the trail all to yourself - people-wise that is.
Local spring weather can be windy with usually less moisture than we’re getting lately. And temperatures can vary widely so layers and wind shells make things much more comfortable and can be lifesavers. Getting wet miles from the trailhead while wearing just a cotton t-shirt can cause real problems with hypothermia no matter how fast you run to try and generate heat. As you could guess, some of the “cold-blooded” wildlife, or animals who get their body heat from the environment, are not all warmed up yet but will start becoming more active very soon on nice sunny days.
Overall, the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages to hiking or biking in the spring. That is, if you go prepared. All outdoor activities, including geocaching and antler hunting, should start with telling somebody where you are going and when you’ll return, even if it is just a quick text before you lose cell coverage. And speaking of cell coverage, make sure you put your phone in “Airplane Mode” if you could have a weak or no cell signal to preserve your batteries to use when you can get a signal. Your phone’s GPS still works in airplane mode but it also uses power faster when your navigation app is being used. So, to preserve your phone’s power, bring a power bank and cord to charge your phone or invest in a dedicated GPS unit like a Garmin. You can still download your hiking tracks to your favorite social media site or desktop computer map.
The next step in getting prepared is to know the area you’re going into or to have a reliable method for navigation with a map, gps and/or compass. Then you need your essential day pack and any repair tools and parts if you’re biking in the backcountry. Many people have different preferences for their pack but the essentials can be lumped into categories or systems that cover all aspects of hiking comfort, safety and, unfortunately, sometimes survival. The following list needs to be customized for your specific activity depending on the current weather and other conditions.
▢ Basic Hiking Gear
Day Pack with water containers
Good footwear and/or helmet
Appropriate clothing for weather
Common sense with an adventuresome spirit
▢ Extra Essentials
Water in reusable containers
Clothes that will insulate when wet such as polar fleece or wool blends.
Gloves, socks, hat, long sleeves and long underwear
High energy food
▢ Shelter
Poncho, rain wear, space blanket, emergency tube tent, XL heavy duty garbage bag
▢ Navigation
Map, GPS, compass, headlamp with extra batteries, phone app and power bank
▢ Communication
Trip plan notification to a friend, charged phone, radio, personal satellite locator beacon
▢ Health
Sunblock, insect repellent, hat, first aid kit, moleskin for footcare, medications, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, toilet paper
▢ Survival
Loud whistle, multi-tool with knife, fire starter (matches, lighter, starter tinder), water purification tablets or filter
▢ Optionals
Binoculars, field guides, camera, tripod, two-way radios, walking stick, snake gaiters, bear spray or air horn,
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