Hiking Tips
Planning Your Hike - There is an old saying that goes something like this, “Those who fail to prepare, are preparing to fail”. For a safe and enjoyable hike, proper preparation is essential. One of the first things to do is to check the weather forecast for the area you are going. A wise hiker will re-schedule rather than face the risks of a blizzard or a lightning storm or flood. Hiking solo always carries a greater risk, so it will probably be to your advantage if you can find a good partner or group. Please make sure you study good maps of the area you are going in to - terrain, topographical and satellite maps in particular. It never hurts to check ahead with the agency that manages that area. They might be doing a prescribed burn, or there might be some current problems with “snags” (fallen timber), or some other hazard not normally there. Make sure you pack all the equipment you will need for the kind of hike you are doing. Also, be sure to factor safety into your plans (please check out our Hiking Safety page).
It is also very important that you share your hike plans with a very responsible person. These plans should include EXACTLY where you are going and the route to be used, plus when you will check back in with them. If you cannot find a responsible person to share your plans with, contact the sheriff’s department in the county you are hiking in.
Planning Your Hike - There is an old saying that goes something like this, “Those who fail to prepare, are preparing to fail”. For a safe and enjoyable hike, proper preparation is essential. One of the first things to do is to check the weather forecast for the area you are going. A wise hiker will re-schedule rather than face the risks of a blizzard or a lightning storm or flood. Hiking solo always carries a greater risk, so it will probably be to your advantage if you can find a good partner or group. Please make sure you study good maps of the area you are going in to - terrain, topographical and satellite maps in particular. It never hurts to check ahead with the agency that manages that area. They might be doing a prescribed burn, or there might be some current problems with “snags” (fallen timber), or some other hazard not normally there. Make sure you pack all the equipment you will need for the kind of hike you are doing. Also, be sure to factor safety into your plans (please check out our Hiking Safety page).
It is also very important that you share your hike plans with a very responsible person. These plans should include EXACTLY where you are going and the route to be used, plus when you will check back in with them. If you cannot find a responsible person to share your plans with, contact the sheriff’s department in the county you are hiking in.
Hiking Gear Commonly Used:
1. Hiking boots
2. Backpack
3. Hiking poles
4. Canteen bottle
5. Belt pack
6. Binoculars
7. Pepper spray
8. Flexible tripod
9. Compass
10. Hook-on sunscreen bottle
11. Sunglasses
12. Small flashlight
13. Pedometer
14. Knife
1. Hiking boots
2. Backpack
3. Hiking poles
4. Canteen bottle
5. Belt pack
6. Binoculars
7. Pepper spray
8. Flexible tripod
9. Compass
10. Hook-on sunscreen bottle
11. Sunglasses
12. Small flashlight
13. Pedometer
14. Knife
Maps - By far the best online resource we have found, is Lists of John. This website provides free information and memberships with no strings attached. Not only does it cover the Black Hills - Badlands region, but most other summit locations across the USA. When you access Lists of John, you can use its navigation to go to all the listings for the Black Hills in South Dakota or Wyoming, plus the Badlands summits. Using the map coordinates center marker, you can switch between topographic, satellite, historic or Google terrain settings to give you a much better "look" at any area you are considering hiking into, plus you can zoom in for closer looks. This site is clearly the most useful hiking preparation site we have found. Lists of John is funded entirely by donations, and if there is any hiking/climbing site worth making a donation to, List of John is it!
Climbing - The hiking routes for the summits, canyons and trails featured in Tread & Soul do not require any climbing skills greater than Class 3 scrambling. For those unfamiliar with the four classes of scrambling, clicking on the climber photo link at the right will take you to a YouTube video presentation on the four classes of scrambling, which would generally coincide with what we understand the classes to be.
We do not advocate hiking and climbing any summit that requires Class 4 scrambling, due to the risks for serious injury or death if ropes and other protective gear are not used. Two summits that might fit that description would be Elkhorn Mountain and Old Baldy Mountain (the one behind Mt. Rushmore). Please understand that there is not universal agreement among hikers and climbers for exact definitions in scrambling and technical climbing classes. Opinions do vary and sometimes those differences are heated. Please know that we are trying to encourage relatively safe and fun hikes. Those who desire something more challenging might want to contact either of the two rock climbing schools through the links in our Resources page.
We do not advocate hiking and climbing any summit that requires Class 4 scrambling, due to the risks for serious injury or death if ropes and other protective gear are not used. Two summits that might fit that description would be Elkhorn Mountain and Old Baldy Mountain (the one behind Mt. Rushmore). Please understand that there is not universal agreement among hikers and climbers for exact definitions in scrambling and technical climbing classes. Opinions do vary and sometimes those differences are heated. Please know that we are trying to encourage relatively safe and fun hikes. Those who desire something more challenging might want to contact either of the two rock climbing schools through the links in our Resources page.
For more details on how to avoid getting lost, click on this link: HikeSafe.com
For additional hiking advice articles, check out this page from AHS: American Hiking Society Hiking Tips For categorical hiking tips and videos, you can access the REI Hiker's Library at this link: Hiking Articles & Videos For great backpacking tips, click on this link: Guide for Beginner Backpackers For our recommendations for 12 great Autumn Colors hikes in the Black Hills, click on the photo link at the left. |