I keep reading about people getting rescued from nearby mountains. In some recent cases, the rescues were easily avoidable. If people had flashlights (torches for my UK friends), they probably would have been fine after dark. If they had started their hikes earlier in the day, they would have finished before dark. (One group started a 9 mile hike at 330 pm.🤦🏻‍♂️)

It’s said that it gets dark fast in the mountains. You might not understand how true this is until you’ve experienced it. Once the sun drops behind a mountain peak, the darkness comes quickly even if it’s still light for a while longer off the mountain.

When you go for an “easy” hike, it’s easy to be overconfident. “I’m going for a walk, nothing to worry about.” This is a mistake; more important than what you’re doing is where you’re going. When you get off the beaten path, it’s good to remember that the environment often holds more risk than the activity you’re doing. Additionally, help may not be close by and you should be prepared for a long wait if you run into trouble.

If you head out for hikes or out on the water, how much do you think about where you’re going and what might go wrong?