More than 200 hikers annually are rescued from City of Phoenix desert and mountain parks and preserves.
Courtesy the City of Phoenix, the following checklist can help keep you from being a statistic.
Watch the weather
Yes, “it’s a dry heat”—but Arizona’s temperature can be deceiving and deadly. Hike when it’s cool outside, try early morning and evenings when there’s more shade.
Dress appropriately
Wear proper shoes, clothing, wide-brimmed hat (we recommend a Tilley Hat), and sunscreen.
Bring Water
Hydrate before you go. Have plenty of water, more than you think you need. Turn around and head back before you drink half of your water.
Keep in Contact
Carry a mobile phone.
Team up: Hike with others. If hiking solo, tell someone your start and end times and location.
Be honest
Do you have a medical condition? Asthma, heart problems, diabetes, knee or back problems? Don’t push yourself?
Take Responsibility
Don’t be “that person”—the one who wasn’t prepared, shouldn’t have been there for health reasons or ignored safety guidelines. Be the responsible hiker who takes a hike and does it right!
Worth Pondering…
‘Heat, ma’am!’ I said; ‘it was so dreadful here, that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones.
—Sydney Smith, in Lady Holland, Memoir