Hiking in the PHX area mountains in this heat, WTH?

[43north87west]

I see a few other hardy souls out there in the afternoon heat. There are handful of "regulars" that I see on Squaw Peak when I run in the afternoon. If I go to South Mountain, there are 2 other "regulars" who I see every time. The weather doesn't matter. I have been on Squaw Peak in a blinding thunderstorm and in snow and they are on the mountain. At South Mountain, I have been out in brutal heat and the regulars are there.

As Big Cats said, the summer heat is something to witness. Everything struggles. Some of the desert creatures struggle for months at a time. My personal favorites are vultures and chuckwallas. When alone or with one other person on a mountain trail, if you see a vulture and there is nobody else around, stop moving. The vultures will almost always slow down, descend, and circle more tightly until they establish that you are not (yet) edible. Chuckwallas are pretty bold and will drink water if it's poured nearby. They are very easy going and don't move out of harm's way until the last minute. Behaviors of most animals are amplified in the summer heat.

[TempeAZnative]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

Many of us transplants don't lock ourselves inside all summer, some of us suck it up and find other things to do outdoors besides hiking in the heat.

It's just that some of us don't see the benefit of hiking anyway, a bunch of rocks, sand, the occasional wildlife, the hot sun beating down, and a convoy of sweaty bodies on the trails, big freaking deal.

I prefer Wildlife World Zoo or some of the waterparks for summertime fun, they have plenty of misters, wavepools, and enough shade to lessen the risk and be still comfortable.

Judging by all the whining by transplants around here most of them do lock themselves indoors all summer, and then ***** and moan about the heat. Anyway just because you don't see the benefit doesn't mean the trails need to be shut down. So what if a couple people die a year there area billions of people on this planet not everyone needs to be saved.

[FromEastCoast]

I'm old and out of shape and still managed to get some hiking in last weekend after drinking the night before. I had a buddy in town and he wanted to see the desert. It was fine...we just made sure to drink water and wear sunscreen.

[go09]

The amount of recent rescues does seem pretty crazy. I guess it's folks not knowing their limits or properly preparing.

I've hiked many times over 100°... once the sun starts to set, it's actually much more comfortable than hiking at 85° in the morning when the sun is still rising. I always add trace mineral drops (electrolytes) to my water... makes a big difference in staying (and feeling) hydrated.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Webtek334

First of all I want to go on record by saying I think it's pretty cool how the PHX area has preserved mountain areas right in the city and many more mountain trails on the edges of Metro PHX.

But now for my outrage. I read a report on azcentral.com recently about how many people hike these trails even during a big heat wave like this. What's even more outrageous is another azcentral.com report said mountain rescues spiked by more than 30 percent in 2014 over the previous year, and PHX fire officials were called out on 116 mountain rescues so far in June 2015.

I don't understand the reasoning behind hiking in this heat, it seems very unreasonable and down right insane. Even the mornings aren't all that cool and it heats up pretty quickly out there with the blazing sun.

Maybe some of you out there can fill me in. WTH kind of sense does it make to go on the trailheads when it's relentlessly hot? I understand the exercise part and all but why don't you people just join a gym and work out there? At least in a gym you can work up a sweat and get fit in a cool atmosphere and it won't be as detrimental to your body. Best part of all is you're responsible for your own actions in a gym and fire crews won't have to waste time rescuing you.

I agree with you 100%! It makes no sense at all to be out for long periods of time when it's hot like this, especially on a hiking trail. I always thought it was kind of silly to be hiking in the middle of a big metro area anyway. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good hike ... but my hiking preference this time of year is to be in a place where it's at least 30 degrees cooler than Phoenix, such as the White Mountains where you're surrounded by natural greenery, trees, fresh air, and relatively cool weather. I have gone hiking in the Superstitions before during the winter ... and even that can be dangerous if it's a warm, sunny day & you're not aware of the surroundings, or prepared with ample water.

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

I have to agree about a Stupid Hiker Law.

There has to be a way to discourage inexperienced people or any other dangerous goings-on which continually masquerades as "hiking". Such antics usually seem to end up with Arizona's Search & Rescue and EMTs having to go do their thing at a possible cost to their lives as well.

Absolutely right! I've been advocating a Stupid Hiker Law for a long time, and I even started a thread about it a few years ago:
https://www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...hiker-law.html

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

I would be fine with a law like that but what they should really do is simply shut down the hiking trails during the summertime.

Shutting down the trails wouldn't do any good because there would always be those idiots who would cross the barriers and wander off ... and in that case, a Stupid Hiker Law would absolutely need to be on the books & enforced. Just like the Stupid Motorist Law (which forces people to pay for their own rescues if they cross barricaded flooded washes), a Stupid Hiker Law would make people pay for their rescues if they were to cross closed off hiking trails & become stranded.

Originally Posted by stevek64

Count me in as another one for a stupid hiker law.

Look at what's going on in other parts of our state, the Grand Canyon:

Unprepared hikers drive up Grand Canyon park rescues

This is the part that's unfair in my view:

"A park's operating budget pays for rescues costing under $500, while a national pool of taxpayer funds covers costlier operations, Davis said."

"Many of the rescues are preventable if hikers prepare themselves and stay aware of their surroundings, he said.""

While I can understand funds covering someone if there's a rock-slide/some unavoidable event, but if someone goes out without a map, not enough water, the proper gear? Sorry, time for an individual to pay up.

I'm guessing if someone hikes up Camelback and gets dehydrated for not bringing enough water, taxpayers pay the whole tab, even if they have to bring a helicopter up/a med team up?

Yep, I agree. Paramedics waste so much time & money by having to rescue these morons who hike in the heat, become disoriented, dehydrated, and stranded. Make them pay for their own rescues ... or better yet, put signs up around the trails that say: "SOCIAL DARWINISM BEGINS HERE, HIKE AT YOUR OWN RISK". Another example of survival of the fittest, and a good form of population control!

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by hikernut

Yes, it really is not that difficult. Bring plenty of water, a snack, a hat, and some sunscreen. One can safely hike or bike any day of the year here, just choose a reasonable time of day considering the season.

Unfortunately, some treat a hike in the desert like it's a trip to the mall.

hikernut

You aren't kidding. Friday I was at University and the 143 (or right around there--don't remember exactly) and noticed that there was a crew re-tiling a hotel roof at 3pm. It was > 110 degrees. They were wearing jeans, boots, and sombreros. I presume it was not cool on the roof in the direct afternoon sun especially wearing jeans, boots, shirts, and sombreros. But they were doing it, and they were doing it because people can survive in extreme climates if they are prepared. Being conditioned to the heat just extends the temperature range.

Tourists or newcomers probably account for the great majority of the rescues. It's amazing to hear people from back east talk about regular everyday things out here like roads with no guard rails, or walking on the edge of one of our mountain trails. In some parts of the country, authorities or agencies dictate everything. For example, at my summer house in the Midwest, if it rains slightly, you have to call ahead to find out whether mountain biking and hiking trails are open. They're worried about someone spraining an ankle. Meanwhile, you can hike to the ridgeline in South Mountain Park and fall into a mine shaft so deep and remote that nobody will find you before you dry out and turn to dust. It doesn't happen, but it could. Out east they just put up fences and guard rails and call conditions DANGEROUS!!!

As far as I'm concerned, one of the greatest freedoms that we have as Arizonans (something difficult for outsiders to understand) is the freedom of being responsible for your survival. A person can't relate it if they don't spend a lot of time in the eastern US. Everything out there is designed for the lowest common denominator, and it's *really* low. Here, if you want to hike Humphreys Peak in winter, you can. It's not nice in winter and you could die, but you can do it. Want to drive a dirt road along the Mogollon Rim, with no guard rails and a deadly drop on the other side? Take some nice pictures. Want to hike up a mountain in Sedona when the temp is hovering around 100 degrees, and then hang your legs over the edge of a 1000' canyon and take a nap? You can do that. It's highly recommended that you don't fall off, but FYI, it could happen if you are stupid. And once in a while, people get stupid. That's life.

IMO, with respect to the valley, one of the inherent problems with having a combination of a growing population, a tourist destination, and an extreme climate, is that people who don't know better, are going to increase in number. It's a fact of life. They're going to get in trouble here and there.