{"id":1229,"date":"2013-05-02T17:43:33","date_gmt":"2013-05-03T00:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/?p=1229"},"modified":"2022-08-02T17:15:30","modified_gmt":"2022-08-03T00:15:30","slug":"hiking-safely-requires-common-sense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/2013\/05\/02\/hiking-safely-requires-common-sense\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiking safely requires common sense"},"content":{"rendered":"

Doing research and being well-prepared can make all the difference when it comes to hiking through the local hills and mountains.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Source of this article: The Thousand Oaks Acorn<\/a>, May 2, 2013<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a beginner or an experienced hiker, the best way to stay safe during a hike is to know what you\u2019re getting into before you leave the house, says Capt. Anthony Romero of the Ventura County Fire Department.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways do your research before you go,\u201d he said. \u201cWebsites are a fantastic resource. There is a lot of good information out there for Ventura County hiking areas and state park areas. And you can never be too prepared for anything, even something such as a day hike.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ventura County Fire Department responds to hundreds of hiker rescue calls every year throughout the region\u2019s parks and rural areas, Romero said.<\/p>\n

While few require extreme medical attention or rescue efforts, most of the calls come from hikers who get lost simply because they\u2019ve strayed from trails, he said.<\/p>\n

Getting lost in rough terrain can often be avoided.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere might not always be trail maps at the trailhead,\u201d said Kate Kuykendall, public affairs officer for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. \u201cIt\u2019s always a good idea to do your homework before you go. You can print out a map before you leave and carry it with you on the hike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Common dangers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which stretches along the California coast from the Oxnard Plains to the Hollywood Hills, includes nearly 500 miles of trails for hikers to explore.<\/p>\n

The Santa Susana Mountains in Simi Valley, the Conejo mountain area and many other parks in between also offer adventurous opportunities for hikers.<\/p>\n

Each trail has unique features, but many share common dangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest things to watch out for right now is ticks,\u201d Kuykendall said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recently had tests come back with ticks testing positive with Lyme disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyme disease, characterized by flu-like symptoms, joint pain and a large rash around the tick bite, can affect the nervous system and cause bouts of arthritis.<\/p>\n

Rattlesnakes, which are indigenous to the area, could also pose a threat. The California Poison Control Center estimates that rattlesnakes are responsible for more than 800 bites each year, with some resulting in death.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really about paying attention to where you\u2019re walking,\u201d Kuykendall said. \u201cFortunately, rattlesnakes come with their own alarm system. But if you see a snake on the trail, either give it a wide berth and go around it or wait patiently for it to leave before you go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Poison oak, which causes extreme allergic reactions and itching if it comes into contact with skin, grows in abundance in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most important things is to stay on the trail,\u201d Kuykendall said. \u201cIf you stay on the trail, you\u2019re more likely to avoid the poison oak, rattlesnakes and ticks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supplies and skills<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not every hiker is welltrained in survival skills. But all can benefit from bringing basic supplies and a little bit of knowhow to the trails.<\/p>\n

Romero and Kuykendall agree that all hikers should keep hydrated and bring enough water to last throughout the excursion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a Mediterranean ecosystem here, a very rare ecosystem characterized by hot, dry summers and mild winters,\u201d Kuykendall said. \u201cThe hot, dry summer is certainly a factor when it comes to survival. It\u2019s definitely a reason why people should drink lots of water when they go hiking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romero also suggests bringing a fully charged cellphone, a light jacket, a whistle and a signal mirror, which can be used to reflect sunlight and catch the attention of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cHikers always want to travel light, but this type of gear weighs very little and can be of great assistance in a rescue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Long pants and shirts with long sleeves that are light in color can also prevent tick bites, because they keep the skin covered and make it easy to spot dark insects, Kuykendall said.<\/p>\n

Above all, the \u201ckey survival skill\u201d when it comes to hiking, Romero said, is to remember that there is \u201csafety in numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever go hiking alone if you can help it,\u201d the fire captain said. \u201cBut if you are going alone, always let someone know you\u2019re heading out for a hike.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiving someone your expected time back can be very helpful in things like initiating a search.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most Ventura County fire stations can provide visitors with information about local trails and parks.<\/p>\n

The VCFD at http:\/\/ fire.countyofventura.org<\/a> also provides up-to-date weather warnings and high-heat and high-wind alerts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Doing research and being well-prepared can make all the difference when it comes to hiking through the local hills and mountains. Source of this article: The Thousand Oaks Acorn, May 2, 2013 Whether you\u2019re a beginner or an experienced hiker, the best way to stay safe during a hike is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,6,69,19,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-hiking","category-rescue","category-santa-monica-mountains","category-trail-hazard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1229"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3613,"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229\/revisions\/3613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venturacountytrails.org\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}