Safety

Prior to leaving for a trip into the Golden Trout Wilderness there are several precautions you should take before leaving. These precautions could save your life in an event of an emergency. You should consider the following before leaving for your trip;

1. Let someone know where you are going. Give the individual or group of individuals an itinerary of where you plan to be each day and when you plan on returning.
2. Plan your trip ahead of time. Nobody likes an unwanted surprise!
3. Review the Wilderness Ethics and Etiquette pamphlet.
4. Create and review a check list for the equipment you will be taking. The chances of forgetting something will be dramatically reduced.
5. Know the limitations of your gear.
6. Know your own limitations and be willing to adjust accordingly.
7. Check the weather for the day, weekend, and/or week prior to leaving.
8. Call and/or visit the local ranger station to get updated information on the area prior to setting foot on the trail (Scroll to the bottom of the FAQ section for phone numbers).
9. Test out new gear prior to leaving for your trip.

Unfortunately there are things we cannot control while enjoying the outdoors, but can prepare for in case it does happen. For example, when encountering a bear what should you do? Below is a list of items to become aware of as they may keep you from or get you out of a dangerous situation while outdoors.

1. What to do if you encounter a bear.
2. What to do if you encounter a mountain lion.
3. What to do if you encounter a marijuana garden.
4. What to do if you….(click here for more survival and awareness techniques).

Hazard Tree Awareness – A nice user friendly guide to recognize what the U.S. Forest Service calls “hazard trees.” A great tool to learn and use when you are in the woods. This training document is used to teach new and experienced Forest Service employees.

Starting and Putting Out a Camp Fire – This video is more for campground based camp fires, but the concepts still apply for small fires you may make while in the wilderness. Check out this USDA Forest Service video on how to build and put a campfire “dead out.”