October 3, 2024
Tragedy on the AT: A Rare Cautionary Trail
by Hal Wright

The death of a 67-year-old thru hiker in Virginia reminds us to keep track of our health before and during long distance hikes.

Tragic incidents on the Appalachian Trail are rare indeed. Over three million people set foot on the A.T. every year. Thousands of these visitors hike the entire trail or large sections of it. While few of these hikers experience serious health-related issues, we've learned of the recent death of 67-year-old thru hiker Thomas VanEtten, apparently of natural causes, along the trail in Virginia. VanEtten's obituary states that completing a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail was "something he had wanted to do for years." We can at least take solace in the knowledge that VanEtten passed on doing something he loved.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy offers much advice for staying safe while hiking a long-distance trail. Equally important is having an awareness of one's health before starting to hike. For older hikers, an assessment of one's heart health and general fitness is especially important, given that the rigors of a long-distance hike are difficult to replicate in life off the trail. Also, it's important to plan a hike which respects one's limitations in terms of miles walked per day, pack weight, and terrain. Better to be prepared to hike 10 miles per day and to experience the delight of learning that it's possible to hike farther, than it is to extend a hike for one or more days without the food needed to stay on the trail.

Contrary to some comments of some younger hikers on social media, hiking in one's 60's and beyond is not too dangerous to attempt. If that were true, many of us in Allentown Hiking Club would have been off trail for a long while!

October 1, 2022
Hiking During Hunting Season
by Paula Uhrin

Hunting season is upon us in Pennsylvania and this is a good time to prepare before venturing outdoors.

Specific dates for hunting seasons from vary year to year. Before you go, learn the regulations and hunting seasons for the areas where you will be hiking. Note that the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced three Sunday hunting dates for 2022:

November 13, 20, and 27. For more details on the hunting seasons in Pennsylvania you can reference the Pennsylvania Game Commission website (https://www.pgc.pa.gov).

Be sure to wear a brightly colored clothing. Colors such as blaze orange or neon green or yellow are recommended. (Orange safety vests and hats from Walmart work fine and are inexpensive.) Clothing should include a hat and vest (and pack cover or large bandana), or hooded outerwear that can be seen from all angles when hiking during hunting season. On state game lands in Pennsylvania, all hunters and non-hunters are required to wear at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined, or a fluorescent orange hat, from Nov. 15-Dec.15 (except on Sundays with no hunting). The orange material must be visible from all angles (360 degrees). Many hiking paths including parts of the Appalachian Trail use state game lands, and even if you are not hiking on state game lands it is a good practice to adopt during hunting season. If you hike with a pet, it should also wear a blaze orange vest, collar, leash or bandana so it is visible from all sides. The AT recommends that pets be leashed at all times while hiking.

Avoid wearing colors that could be mistaken for game animals. Avoid any brown, tan, earth tones and especially white - you do not want to look like the flash of deer's tail. During turkey season avoid red, blue, purple, black and white. These are the head colors of a male wild turkey. Basically, the brighter the better!

Use extra caution particularly at dawn and dusk. Hunting activity typically increases during those times as that is when animals are feeding and visibility is poor. Hike during broad daylight when hunters can more easily identify you. Be especially cautious close to road crossings, trailheads, and in valley areas. Utilizing a flashlight or headlamp will help with visibility and identify you as a human and not a critter.

Avoid the most popular hunting days, like opening weekend. In Pennsylvania that would be the Sunday after Thanksgiving and extending into the first two weekends of December. When you do go, choose trails that are off-limits to or unpopular with hunters. In this area there are several preserves that do not participate in hunting activities. Stick to established, marked trails. Skip the bushwhacking during hunting season as hunters are more likely to expect hikers on trails.

Enjoy the trails and stay safe out there!

Paula Uhrin
President, Allentown Hiking Club

July 17, 2019
Hiker Safety
By Karen Gradel

We hike for a variety of reasons, for physical fitness, to challenge themselves, to explore nature. We pack our backpacks and head out never thinking that we won’t get from point A to point B without a problem.

In May a Berks county woman walking her dog got lost on the on the Tom Lowe Trail. I’m sure she thought she was just going for a short hike since she didn’t have any food or water with her. The idea she would spend the night hunkered down outside never crossed her mind. This should be a lesson for us to not get too comfortable even on a short or familiar trail.

Having a fully charged cell phone with you to call for help is basic item to carry with you but there are dead spots on the trail with no cell service so make sure you tell someone where you will be and what time you will be back. And check in with that person when you return. Always take water with you and for longer hikes a protein bar, water filter and thermal blanket should be in your pack. You should carry a first aid kit and make sure you keep it updated and replenished as you use items from it. And a tip from Michelle Hinkle is to carry your old expired Driver’s License in your backpack for identification.

If possible hike with a companion, there is safety in numbers. While the trail is usually a tranquil place where there is a real comradery among the ‘trail family’ sometimes the violence from the outside world creeps in. One such incident happened in May 2019 when one hiker was murdered and another in-jured by an unstable person. Even though the group of four hikers made the decision to leave the area where the unstable person was, two of the hikers were still overpowered. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel uncomfortable get out of the area as soon as you can. And make sure you report anything unusual to the local authorities. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says ‘If you see something, say something’. The Nation Park Service has a 24 hour Dispatch/Communications Center which can be reached at 1-866-677-6677 or you can send an email to incident@appalachiantrail.org. If you are doing trail work or hiking in our area and see something that doesn’t seem right our local Game Warden Tyler Kreider has asked that we let him know about it. The Pennsylvania Game Commission violation number is 1-888-PCG-8001 or you can reach Tyler at 610-926-3136. Safe Hiking.