The recent death of a hiker who was struck by a falling tree on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail has prompted the American Hiking Society to remind hikers not to let their guard down while out on the trail.
The 36-year-old Philadelphia man was killed on March 15 while he and two companions were on a section of the A.T. at the Ed Garvey Shelter in Maryland north of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
"Exploring America’s wilderness while hiking, whether close to home or while visiting a faraway national park, remains an exceedingly safe and enjoyable activity," said Peter Olsen, AHS's vice president for programs and government relations. "While a few outdoor adventure tragedies have occurred this spring, American Hiking Society wants to remind hikers and outdoors enthusiasts that hiking is a very safe activity, especially when one is prepared and takes a few simple precautions.
"Certainly while any physical activity in unfamiliar terrain poses hazards, so does not doing anything at all. When people enjoy an activity such as hiking, they are more likely to stick with it and achieve a better level of fitness," he added in a release. "This activity will even reduce their risk of various illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Considering that more than 33,000 people died on America’s roads in 2012, the most dangerous part of any hike is most likely to be the trip to the trailhead."
To help hikers stay safe, the American Hiking Society offered the following tips:
* For starters, hikers should always let somebody know where they are going and when they expect to return. For a lost hiker, doing this one thing would greatly increase their chance of a quick and safe return home. Along this same line, each hiker should review their planned route on a high quality map and then stay on the trail once they’re out there.
* Additionally, hiking with someone who is an experienced hiker and, preferably, one who is familiar with the area is always a good idea. Besides, good times on the trail are always better when they can be shared. If hiking with someone who is also unfamiliar with the area, refer to a good guidebook for local information such as typical weather patterns, indigenous wildlife, etc. Once out on the trail – stay together!
* Certainly a must for every hike, people should always take along American Hiking Society’s “Ten Essentials of Hiking” on every outing.
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Comments
Other news reports indicated the tree that fell on this unfortunate hiker had been slated to be taken down by the National Park Service. An example of the potential impact of deferred maintenance?
A tragic loss. Hazard tree programs have always been a big challenge. Some trees are pretty obvious (one that's dead and next to a structure), but I know of cases where trees that caused injury or death looked perfectly healthy ... until they fell and revealed hidden rot. There are clues to suggest "hidden" tree problems, but surveying even areas limited to developed sites, campgrounds, roads and major trails is very time-consuming.
For best use of manpower and dollars, it's most efficient to identify multiple trees to be cut in a given area and then schedule a tree crew to deal with them all at once. That approach especially makes sense where trees are scattered in remote locations, but it can also lead to situations where a "marked tree" can result in an incident before it's taken down .
Cutting hazard trees is in itself very dangerous work. I know of at least one employee death from such work, and this isn't a job you can just assign to any employee who knows how to start a chainsaw. For some parks, that means contracting out the work (and therefore more expense and more lag time between marking and cutting); for others, it means only a limited number of employees are available to do the work. Either way, it's a no-win situation for managers with too few dollars and employees go around.
Thanks for sharing the many variables that go into hazardous tree removal. Even with more resources, not every tree that's potentially hazardous could be identified and removed since, as you point out, there's sometimes hidden rot.
It's a reminder to all of us who traipse the woods to be careful. Minimize risk and avoid hiking during high winds, and take other precautionary steps.
Scariest hiking experience ever for me:
Backpacking solo in a state park. New moon. Had had a really hard rain a few days before. I always check for dead trees/branches before setting up camp near a creek. Near dusk, I kept hearing a bb gun. Not an area where hunting permitted. I called out numerous times... nada. Settle in tent, sleeping away when a huge tree falls not 10 feet from my tent. The creek had eroded so much dirt, the "bb gun" I heard was the roots snapping. The tree looked totally fine... now even more to think about!