Getting outside to enjoy the local landscape is one of the highlights of our region, but it’s important to not get lost in that beauty. The folks over at the Nevada Department of Wildlife have some advice that can prevent you from becoming the subject of a potential search and rescue case.
“Let somebody know where you're going, when you expect to be back, how long you'll be there for, where you park your truck if you know where you're going to do that, the trailhead name, but more importantly where you're going to be, just a general area, and when you expect to be back. So that way somebody knows to come looking for you perhaps," says Logan Klonicke, Hunter Education Coordinator, NDOW.
Having a hiking plan or hunting plan is the first step anyone take when planning to be in the wilderness for an extended period of time, letting someone know where you plan on exploring will cut down guesswork for search parties trying to locate you.
Flagging is another preventative measure hikers and hunters can take, by bringing some brightly colored cloth or ribbon to mark trees and plants as you walk along a path with help create a trail to follow back.
“Signal fires are a good thing to have. Carry a little bit of a fire starter with you in your pack and anything green will start smoke and you could send plumes of smoke up in waves of three. That is a general SOS information or if you have something bright like your phone you can use it to reflect.”
And when making a hiking plan, remember that getting to the end of the trail is only half of the journey before you turn back to the car, so plan accordingly, keep your wits about you and leave no trace.
