Would you consider it unsafe for a relatively inexperienced mom and kids (ages 10 and 13) to hike trails alone?

[HappyGrace]

The kids and I want to take up hiking and go sometimes during the week. We haven't hiked but a couple times-one was a pretty steep incline for a 7 hour hike w/ experienced friends and they loved that! So the physical part of us handling it isn't the problem.

 

I just wonder if it's safe-we live near the Adirondacks but on the outskirts, so it would be just simple trails but maybe half-day long. I could look up what to bring with us for safety equipment, etc. But what about bears, or encountering an unsafe person that could hurt us (since we're alone out there), or if we got hurt badly while out there (I have zero first aid experience), etc.

 

I'm just not sure it's a great idea.....anyone else hike alone with kids, or do you have any opinion about it?

[Laurie4b]

It depends on the trail. How isolated is it? How many people use it? Is there a ranger station nearby? Do you get cell coverage?

 

How old are your kids?  ETA--just saw it in subject line. No problem. I would hike and feel very safe with kids that age under conditions where there was cell phone coverage, the trail was not isolated, and the trail was relatively well-traveled.

 

I wouldn't hike alone with real young kids, but by the time they are late elementary, I did. Mine were all boys and all the trails we hiked were near home and within cell range. Our hikes were not as long as you are planning though--30-90 minutes typically.

[Whereneverever]

Is there another mom & kids who could go? Or start a mini club?

[Trish]

I'd feel safer with another adult.

[GreenKitty]

Do you get cell service there? Do you feel you could handle any situation that arises? If both of those are yes then go. If your unsure then don't. Go with your gut feeling.

[NorthwestMom]

You can increase your survival skills pretty easily.  Take a first aid/cpr class through the Red Cross.  Read a book for beginning hikers. Info about handling bears here: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/06/dan-crane-black-bears-attack-or-do-they.html

 

Stay closer to civilization as you gain experience. Go for it!

[poppy]

For a four hour hike? Seriously? You all won't go OUTSIDE for four hours? That's ridiculous.

 

Stay on well established trails.  Join an Audubon society or similar. If you're in the Adirondacks, there will be no shortage of well worn, beautiful trails. In many of these places there is staff and you sign in.

 

The odds of a bear or psycho killer attack are very low--- much lower than, say, the odds of getting in a car accident on any given day.

 

Bring a cell phone for in case you get hurt.

 

I think it would be a wonderful gift to your children. I hope you try it!

[SKL]

As long as you were always within walking distance to a ranger station or other source of help, and it's not a very unsafe area, I would think it would be OK.  Your kids are old enough to get help should you get hurt.  When we were that age, probably most of us hiked without any adults, right?

[Whereneverever]

My advice is based on levels of nervousness expressed on the OP. When in doubt, why not go with another adult?

[marbel]

My kids and I hike sometimes but we stay within some sort of park boundary; we carry water, a little food, and a simple first aid kit.  Oh and a cell phone.  In years of hiking with others and alone I've had one or two moments of being made nervous by another person I've encountered.   If you stay on trails, watch the weather, and have a map or otherwise know how to get back to your starting point, your chances of a problem are pretty remote.

 

 

[poppy]

My advice is based on levels of nervousness expressed on the OP. When in doubt, why not go with another adult?

 

If you think her anxiety is rational, sure.  Otherwise I think you are feeding into some irrational fears. It's understandable for an inexperienced hiker to be unsure!  But - really - a half-day walk in the woods is not a dangerous proposition for a woman with 2 kids.  It's a pleasurable, normal, no-big-deal family activity.

[Desert Strawberry]

Do you have a well monitored state park with marked and maintained trails? Do you have an arboretum? Our parks have guided hikes and free/ low cost classes. If you are worried, check in with the rangers before you go. Ask for a trail recommendation, and approximate return time. Ask them to send someone out to search for you after a specified time. Let them know you are alone and inexperienced. Keep it short until you are more confident.

 

I take even my babies hiking by myself. No trailblazing for us. Just nice state park trails. 

[Tammi K]

Well established trails are a pretty safe bet. Utilize basic safety precautions: stick together, stay on the trail, let someone know when/where your going. Bears - be noisy: talk, sing, etc. Bears are pretty good at avoiding people. You can pick up bear spray (pepper spray on steroids) at Cabela's or similar if you're worried. Have fun.

[T'smom]

For a four hour hike? Seriously? You all won't go OUTSIDE for four hours? That's ridiculous.

 

Stay on well established trails. Join an Audubon society or similar. If you're in the Adirondacks, there will be no shortage of well worn, beautiful trails. In many of these places there is staff and you sign in.

 

The odds of a bear or psycho killer attack are very low--- much lower than, say, the odds of getting in a car accident on any given day.

 

Bring a cell phone for in case you get hurt.

 

I think it would be a wonderful gift to your children. I hope you try it!

Who said they wouldn't go outside for four hours? I didn't read that anywhere.

[Starr]

Start with some hikes around one of the VIC Visitor Interpretive Centers or a State Park. They all have nice trails to get you started. You won't be absolutely alone on most shorter trails in any event. I wouldn't worry. There are nice books on family hiking in the Adirondacks. You'll have fun!

[Starr]

There is a difference between going outside for 4 hours and walking into a secluded unfamiliar place by yourself.  I would not be concerned by bears or psycho killers, but I'd be concerned about what I'd do if someone fell and broke their foot or if I got lost.  Probably can't get cell service.

 

 

If we worried too much about cell service we couldn't drive across the Adirondacks to the the highway.  ;) I don't think she'll looking to go backwoods yet. 

[HappyGrace]

Well, I'm not having anxiety over it-lol! I was presenting those ideas of what could happen that occurred to my inexperienced-with-hiking-mind in a wondering sort of way-as in, are these things realistic to be concerned over or not? :)  That being said, I don't feel confident that I could handle any challenge that comes up!

 

Anyway, I like the idea of trying smaller trails first. I just know that my kids did enjoy the challenge of the big trail we did with the friend in Vermont (near Smuggler's Notch)

 

We could definitely go w/ friends, but I was hoping this could be something the kids and I could do alone together-we need something like this right now to do together, just the three of us.

[poppy]

Everyone is different.  I wouldn't go hiking by myself.  I have very little experience hiking though.

 

Sounds like she's really talking about a walk in the woods or a "ramble", basically.  State parks, established trails, etc.  I do this all the time. I see moms with little kids alone frequently. 

 

Now, backpacking, trailblazing, anything overnight is a different story.  Maybe when some people think "hiking", they think of something where you need one of those huge backpacks and survival gear.  Really, there are beautiful, easy,  and short/loop trails all over the place.  

[Desert Strawberry]

My biggest fear when hiking is someone twisting an ankle. Two of my kids are too big to be carried. I'd have to send the uninjured kid to the rangers station alone, while I stayed with the other three. I'm not crazy about that idea. But, we have been doing this for 10 years, and that hasn't happened yet, knock on wood.

[Laurie4b]

Well, I'm not having anxiety over it-lol! I was presenting those ideas of what could happen that occurred to my inexperienced-with-hiking-mind in a wondering sort of way-as in, are these things realistic to be concerned over or not? :)  That being said, I don't feel confident that I could handle any challenge that comes up!

 

Anyway, I like the idea of trying smaller trails first. I just know that my kids did enjoy the challenge of the big trail we did with the friend in Vermont (near Smuggler's Notch)

 

We could definitely go w/ friends, but I was hoping this could be something the kids and I could do alone together-we need something like this right now to do together, just the three of us.

 

Well, some things you can't handle period, no matter how experienced you are. That's true in many endeavors. Read up on the kind of bears you might encounter--black bears in the Adirondacks, right? You're supposed to look big and scary as possible (Hands above head, shout, etc.) to scare them away. Hold your ground if they charge.

 

Psychos? You could encounter one in your house. Most would prefer a single female to a posse of 3 people. Your kids are old enough to make someone think twice. Too many people to control. So I would rule that thought out.

 

Take water and a small first aid kit and a cell phone with you. I have been to very few places where there is no cell coverage. Watch while you are hiking for changes in the coverage. Call the ranger station ahead of time and ask. Tell someone what trail you're going on. Make sure your kids know the name of the trail in case something happens to YOU and they are the ones who have to call. Very simple common-sense measures.

[NorthwestMom]

Yeah me too.  I know I'm a total wuss, but I'd be pretty screwed if one of my kids became injured.  I could not carry them.

 

  I couldn't carry my kids or any grown adults either, as I am pretty small. However, I've hiked a decent amount and it has never come to that. 

 

OP - you and your kids should each wear a whistle that can be blown if you get separated or you get hurt on a trail. If one child gets hurt and you can't carry them, stay with them and blow that whistle until more help arrives.

[Whereneverever]

Sounds like she's really talking about a walk in the woods or a "ramble", basically. State parks, established trails, etc. I do this all the time. I see moms with little kids alone frequently.

 

Now, backpacking, trailblazing, anything overnight is a different story. Maybe when some people think "hiking", they think of something where you need one of those huge backpacks and survival gear. Really, there are beautiful, easy, and short/loop trails all over the place.

This is true. When I think of hiking (which I enjoy and do a lot of) it's not happy little trails with happy little trees, lol.

[LucyStoner]

You are safer on a day hike than you are on the road driving to the day hike. By a long shot. Read up. Don't be an idiot. Wear supportive shoes. Take water. Woohoo! You are now a hiker.

 

I hike alone or with the kids at least a couple times a month in the good weather seasons. I used to backpack and would like to get back into that at some point.

[Farrar]

Holy crap.  I would not do well if I saw a bear.  LOL

 

Every time we've camped and hiked in Shenandoah, we've seen at least one bear.  Really, you hang back and stay out of their way, they'll stay out of yours.  But that's here in the east.  If I would out west where the bears are really scary...  But it's funny how you get used to whatever the danger thing is near you.  It never occurs to me to worry about something like copperheads until someone from somewhere with no poisonous snakes comes.  Or to worry overmuch about Lyme until someone from somewhere where it's not as endemic comes.  You just deal with what you deal with.

[LucyStoner]

Yeah, Lyme disease scares the shizznit out of me. But thankfully we live in an area where it is not a concern.

[Farrar]

This is basically why I don't hike.  I worry about this quite a lot.  I know a lot of people who have suffered with Lymes. 

 

Me too.  Ds had it last year - a very classic early presentation (so cured, thank goodness).  But I honestly have just decided that we do a tick check, we pay attention to Lyme symptoms in season and otherwise, we don't think about it.  I have seen people outside with everything tucked into everything (they say this doesn't help anyway - it just traps the ticks!) who are just standing in the woods quietly freaking out about it the whole time.  I generally can't live like that.  If I want to do something, then I do it and I don't let the worry things stop me.

 

But when we hiked at my father's in Georgia, he was like, why are you bothering to go over the kids like that, they're just ticks.  Oh yeah, drastically less Lyme.  How nice.

[HappyGrace]

Well, you all are just rays of sunshine, encouraging me to go hiking! :D  If the bears or twisted ankle don't get me, the ticks will! :lol:

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

We started with guided hikes and worked up to doing longer sections of the AT. Best way to do it, and yes, you can still get in trouble on paths. Every year, park police have to go out and retrieve someone who brought one bottle of water and crocs on a day hike.

 

Start in a group.

 

Ticks are pretty preventable, black bears aren't much of a threat if you do what the rangers/naturalists say.

[In The Great White North]

Before you go:

 

Learn to read a map.  Get a map.  Equip a fanny pack (first aid kit, bandages, space blanket, whistle, cell phone, food water, etc)

 

Learn the natural hazzards of your area: poison Ivy, ticks, snakes, bears, etc.

 

If spraining an ankle is a big concern, carry one of these:

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/adventure-medical-kits-sam-splint/ID=prod6146898-product

and a few triangle bandages.

 

There are a lot of resources you can get:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Die-Out-There-Deck/dp/1594850712

 

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Hiking

 

http://www.americanhiking.org/gear-resources/

 

Don't forget hunting season.

[Catwoman]

Well, you all are just rays of sunshine, encouraging me to go hiking! :D If the bears or twisted ankle don't get me, the ticks will! :lol:

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

;)

[HappyGrace]

oh.........great.......forgot all about poison ivy and hunting season! lol

 

I think we will just take up chess instead :)

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Well, you all are just rays of sunshine, encouraging me to go hiking! :D If the bears or twisted ankle don't get me, the ticks will! :lol:

You can do it. DD was doing naturalist guided hikes of a few miles when she was 5. Start slowly and not alone. Your OP said Adirondacks.

[TrixieB]

I hike with my kids, and I hike by myself.  I figure the odds of running into a person bent on harming me are pretty small.  There are black bears around here, but the odds of running into one of those are pretty small too.

 

Do you have a dog?  If so, take him/her along.  Or find another parent & kids who would like to hike with you & your kids.  Either of those options might help you feel safer.  Also, choose trails that are more heavily used.  Then if something does go wrong, someone will come along soon and can possibly help you.  Some of the trails here are so busy that hikers are constantly stopping & stepping aside so groups of hikers coming the other way can pass. 

[Farrar]

Well, you all are just rays of sunshine, encouraging me to go hiking! :D  If the bears or twisted ankle don't get me, the ticks will! :lol:

 

Nah.  Just do it. :D

[ThisIsTheDay]

I would never think it might be a dangerous thing.  You should expect that you won't see bears--they will typically leave when they hear you coming.  It's extremely unlikely you will encounter anyone who would hurt you, or that one of you would be badly hurt. It seems a little odd to me to worry about anything so unlikely.  It's a half day hike on popular, well marked trails.

 

Take water. Know where you're going.  Take a cell phone, take a whistle, and prearrange to check in with someone when you return to your vehicle.  And enjoy!!

[zoobie]

Me too. Ds had it last year - a very classic early presentation (so cured, thank goodness). But I honestly have just decided that we do a tick check, we pay attention to Lyme symptoms in season and otherwise, we don't think about it. I have seen people outside with everything tucked into everything (they say this doesn't help anyway - it just traps the ticks!) who are just standing in the woods quietly freaking out about it the whole time. I generally can't live like that. If I want to do something, then I do it and I don't let the worry things stop me.

 

But when we hiked at my father's in Georgia, he was like, why are you bothering to go over the kids like that, they're just ticks. Oh yeah, drastically less Lyme. How nice.

There's much less awareness and different CDC standards here. Fortunately, our ticks are large and easy to spot, but they're everywhere. Hopefully it will get cold this winter and maybe kill some off because this year was ridiculous, even in the un-deep-woods of suburbia.

http://georgialymedisease.org/

[sassenach]

I would not at all hesitate with those ages.  And I'm not particularly outdoorsy. 

[Ottakee]

Lots of great ideas so far. Take a basic first aid class with your kids. Get a little pack for each to carry a bit of food (granola, beef jerky, etc.), some water, a whistle, etc.

 

Start with local state parks, park rangers, etc. and ask for tips, take any classes they offer, etc. I go horseback riding with 2 special needs girls out in more rural areas and often we are the only ones out there.

 

I am sure they have GPS and special phones that would work even where normal cell phones don't (my friends use them in rural Alaska). I know for horseback riding they even have apps/tracker thing that will alarm if you quit moving for so long and don't hit the OK button. When it does that it will send your location to 1-2 special numbers so that those people will know where you are and that you need help.

 

I bet even your local sporting good store---more likely a locally owned one--would know of hiking groups, good trails to try, etc.

[Cindy in FL.]

They'll make a movie about it, I'm sure. Something like Tickzilla.

 

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

;)

[momto10blessings]

I hike with my kids at least once a month on isolated trails without cell service. I do carry pepper spray though. I stay away from hikes with cliffs or water though.

[regentrude]

I see no problem. Your kids are not small. The older one is almost old enough to hike on his own.

For starters, pick well marked trails. Carry a map. Maybe a GPS. Water, snacks, rain gear.

If in bear country, make noise while you walk. usually not difficult with kids. Bears are more afraid of you than you of them.

For ticks, simply wear long pants and check each other once back home. 

Know basic first aid, but really, on a half-day hike, unless one is extremely severely hurt, one can make it back out without being rescued. People have crawled down glaciers on a broken leg days from civilization- a twisted ankle on a marked path two hours from the car would be painful, but not a big deal.

Have fun.

[Mrs Mungo]

I agree with everyone else who is pro-hiking. Hiking is really basic, unless you are doing expert level trails. Novice trails are typically pretty free of obstacles and are relatively free of climbing. Even moderate trails (which might be more steep and/or rocky) are usually pretty easy for anyone relatively fit.

 

I agree with starting with state parks with well-marked trails. I usually carry a day pack (unless the hike is *very* short, like under an hour). I carry snacks, an emergency whistle, a map, my phone, etc. We all carry water. I stop the kids for water breaks often, especially if it is hot and/or humid. I think the Hiking book from the Boy Scout Merit Badge Series might be a good thing to go through with your kids. It will help you progress to more difficult trails.

 

Joining the local Sierra Club is a good way to volunteer your time and learn about other trails in your area.

[Carol in Cal.]

It's just good sense to educate yourself a bit before you go out into wild nature.

 

Go to a ranger station.  Tell them you know nothing.  Ask about the hazards locally--here they would be poison oak, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions--and how to avoid each one. 

 

Bring a daypack or a fanny pack with water, a hiking rain poncho, and a flashlight.  Bring your cell phone, charged up.

 

Chances are you won't need any of that stuff, but it's always the people who assume that they won't that get simple little inconveniences turned into stupid dangers.  Having that stuff along is like insurance--it's cheap and you hope you'll never need it, but it mitigates downside risk.

 

[Bearcat]

I hike with my kids practically weekly. And have done since they were babies in a backpack carrier. They are all hiking on their own legs now but are all under the age of 9.

I always tell my husband where we will be, always have my cell with the rangers emergency number in it and always stick to marked trails. I read about and research a trail I am unfamiliar with before I go. There is a trail I really want to go on but I read about it being steep and slick in spots and in another spot the trail is really narrow along atop of a cliff. I decided it is best to do that one when the kids are either older or when my husband can come along.

We love hiking and I could not recommend it more as a great and relatively easy way to spend your time.

The amount of learning that naturally happens is tremendous. on our recent hikes we've discovered fossils, learned about the ice age in our area, learned about local native american tribes and other local history, spotted and identified birds, we are trying to learn bird calls, i could go on and on.

We have a tradition of going on a big family hike on Black Friday. It is often cold and snowy but we always go.

Yes, there is often some whining from the kids. They are cold, the are tired, they are hot, they are hungry etc but for the most part my kids love hiking. My oldest (8) has started taking a more active roll in deciding where we should go each week. And the weeks I decide not to go on a hike they are disappointed.

we also have a goal to hike in all 50 states. Only 7 states accomplished so far but we are working on it. :-)

I would totally go for it. Start small and slow and you will soon find most of your worries and concerns disappearing.

[Melissa in Australia]

we call it bushwalking here, and we do it all the time. No bears but heaps of snakes and mossies thought. we have done it since the kids were very little. The most important thing is to have water, (DH says matches as well)

[Cinder]

Holy crap.  I would not do well if I saw a bear.  LOL

 

That's what dh and I thought too first time we went hiking in the Smokies. Then a bear crossed our path about 10 yards ahead of us. We had just been asking each other what we should do if we saw a bear--and one shows up! We didn't know you're supposed to make noise so we turned sideways and kept still. The bear just watched us as it walked to a water fountain on the path and started drinking. Then it walked away. Phew!

 

Many years later, back in the Smokies, on a different trail we came across fresh bear scat. Our younger ds was about 6yo and very nervous that a bear might be close by. It was. But farther than that first time we saw a bear. We started talking really really loudly and the bear did amble off in the opposite direction. But poor ds was nervous until we got back in the car.

[Desert Strawberry]

I'm a little surprised how many of you have cell reception in the wilderness. Our phones cut out at the gates of the park. 

[Cinder]

For the OP, we--me, ds2, dd--recently started hiking the trails at our local state park. These are the same trails that ds2's cross-country team ran during the season. Now that the season is over we take ds2 there to run while dd and I walk/bike around. Our trails are well-traveled but less so now that the weather is much cooler. The distances are about 3.5 miles--ds2 goes one way, dd and I go the other. I guess I never thought to worry about getting hurt, and we're very unlikely to run into a bear here.

 

I say go and enjoy. Take precautions but don't get over-worried. Have fun!

 

 

(edited since I accidentally posted before I was done)

[bettyandbob]

It's not even just Lymes here though. It's Lymes, West Nile Virus, and eastern equine encephalitis virus. And it's from ticks and mosquitoes. Plus most cases of Lyme's are from these tiny poppy seed sized ticks that can't be easily seen.

 

I just can't enjoy myself on a hike worrying about that stuff. Plus I don't like hiking enough to take that kind of risk.

I could get Lyme or West Nile being outside in my suburban Northern Virginia community.

 

OP please go hiking. Your family is enjoying it. It is great exercise. As seasons's change there's always something new to see even on trails you've done before.

[Hikin' Mama]

Well, based on my board name, it is probably obvious where I stand on this issue. :) I've been hiking by myself with my kids since they were much younger than that. My husband doesn't like to hike and I do, so I went without him. 

 

As far as wild animals go, learn what to do with the ones you will most likely encounter in your area. Most animals will not hurt you if you stay calm and behave appropriately. You can probably find this info at a forest service office or state park office or online. Ticks are only a problem in my area before it gets hot. I've still gone hiking when ticks can be a problem, I just cover most of myself and do a thorough tick check when I get home. After hiking and before getting back in the car, I thoroughly check my dog and we all do a wild brushing off over our bodies before we get back in the car.

 

As far as people, I've done a lot of hiking, and a lot of it solo (well just me and my canine companion), and I've never been in a situation where I felt threatened. I think that generally, crazies don't go out on hiking trails looking for trouble. Now backwoods with no trails, maybe. :) Growing up, all of our vacations were backpacking through the wilderness and even then we only encountered people who were out trying to enjoy nature just like we were.

 

It is important to have a good topographical map. You will have to pay for them, but they are much better than the free ones, in my experience. Also, if I'm going somewhere new, I often check with the local forest service office to see how the trails are, or if there are any conditions that might make the trail impassable. In my area, sometimes mountain trails can have a good bit of snow still on them well into June. It's good to know before you drive a distance to hike only to find out 1 mile in that you can't continue.

 

One more thing, when I hike by myself or with kids, or even with other adults, I always carry a whistle. Each of my kids carries a whistle as well. I hook it around my belt loop and stick it in my pocket. If you get lost or hurt, it takes much less energy to blow a whistle than to yell. It is also louder. If you get lost, stay put and blow. Also, I always tell someone reliable (in my case, my mom) where I will be going. I tell her the name of the trailhead and how to get there, what my destination is, and what time I expect to be back. She writes this all down and then if I don't call her when expected, she knows exactly where to send the authorities. I've never needed this, but I think it is a good precaution. The ONE time I didn't do this, I actually did get lost and thought I was going to be spending the night in the mountains. I had taken the wrong trail in an area I had been in before, and therefore didn't have my map with me. Because I had been in the area before, though, I figured out how to get back to my car based on a creek that was going downhill that I knew would get me in the vicinity of my car. So I broke a few rules of mine: no map, no telling someone where I was going. I would have been okay, but my family would have been freaked out!

 

I have experienced so much beauty out hiking that I can't imagine not going. And I am not a risk taker. I was much more scared about snorkeling in the ocean than about going out alone in the mountains. But once my brother, who used to be a rescue diver, told me what to do and what not to do, I enjoyed it immensely. I think it is the same for hiking in the wilderness. Gather info and go and have fun! Some of my best memories ever are hiking with my dad and hiking with my kids.