Your Escape Route

When hiking in the backcountry do you plan an escape route?  It could be invaluable.

I wrote this post in the fall of 2012 during a particularly nasty forest fire.  

It was a time of extreme dry weather and the forest was a tinderbox waiting to ignite.

This fire was first observed about 6:30 AM by residents of a small town near the actual fire.  Sadly, this information was not relayed to the agency responsible for fighting the fire.  By around 11:00AM teams were being dispatched to the scene and assets were being organized.

There were several groups in the backcountry.  Going back to their originating trail head was not an option, they needed to escape.

 
For the last several days I have been working with my Search and Rescue (SAR) team on a forest fire in the Pacific Northwest. The team has helped to coordinate the potential evacuation of a small community and has worked with Forest Service staff to assist stranded hikers. Getting these hikers out safely has been a priority.

To read the rest of the post go here.