Safety on the Pine Mountain Trail

Even though we have had very few lost hikers on the PMT, we don’t want any and we want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable hike along the on the Pine Mountain Trail. The following are things you may to be aware of more closely not just related to hiking on the Pine Mountain Trail but trails everywhere.

There has been a renewed interest in hiker safety, and some of it was prompted by the murder of hiker Meredith Emerson in north Georgia earlier this year (2008.) Her friends have formed a new group call Right to Hike. This group has a website which is www.righttohikeinc.com This group has three goals: 1. Provide funds for implanting microchips in dogs (Emerson’s dog had a chip and this helped lead police to her killer, Gary Michael Hilton) 2. Help students study in France as Emerson did. 3. Help pay for Satellite personal outdoor trackers/ locators to provide hikers and outposts with transmitting devices that will allow hikers to send signals to emergency personnel when in distress.

The death of Emerson was a real shock and wake up call to hikers on the AT in north Georgia and to hikers everywhere. The GATC tells on their website and in issues of their newsletter following the death of Emerson some up front, matter of fact things as well as reviewing common sense guidelines part of which we previously suggested.

So in part, here is what the GATC wrote as adapted to the Pine Mountain Trail and FDR State Park….

The freedom to enjoy the Pine Mountain Trail and FDR State Park comes with the responsibility to be personally informed, prepared, and alert to our surroundings. Although the Pine Mountain Trail is safer than most places like mall parking lots, it is in no way immune to crimes of violence (none of which have occurred on the PMT) or to accidents. Safety awareness and preparation are your best lines of defense. Be aware of what you are doing, where you are going, and to whom you are talking. Hikers looking out for each other can be an effective community watch.

Dress for the weather: to avoid hypothermia from exposure to cold and rain and appropriately for the heat. Carry water and drink water and other rehydrating drinks on hikes all year. Wear proper footwear. Dress conservatively though to avoid unwanted attention (this is mainly for ladies.)

Preparation is the key to a safe hike. Besides water, make sure you have food and equipment available (like a simple survival kit , whistle, flashlight, cell phone* and or Satellite Personal Outdoor Tracker/locator.) Water purity in the backcountry cannot be guaranteed. You must filter, boil, or chemically treat all water before consumption or use. Carry a first aid kit. Read up on first aid in the outdoors. Carry current trail maps and know how to use them. Review the trail section BEFORE you start out.

Many of you are experienced hikers and backpackers and feel confident about hiking the PMT and other places alone, but hiking alone is not the wisest thing to do for several reasons (be you male or female.) Our suggestion is to hike with someone and if with others in a group, stay with the group. Anyone can sprain an ankle or miss a trail turn (get lost.) If you are by yourself, there's no need to admit to a stranger you're hiking alone. If you encounter someone who gives you the creeps, get away from them. Be wary of strangers. Be friendly, but cautious. Don't tell strangers your plans. Don't leave your equipment unguarded on the trail.

Before starting out on a hike or backpacking trip eliminate opportunities for theft. Lock your vehicle. To our knowledge, no vehicles have been damaged or broken into in FDR State Park in years! This is great. Don’t invite a problem. Don’t leave valuables in plain view inside the vehicle. Don't wear expensive jewelry on the trail.

Before leaving your vehicle for the trail, it is also a good idea to let someone at home or a friend know where you are going and when you plan to come off the trail. Finally, before you leave your vehicle it is a good idea to call the park office and tell the clerk or whom ever answers that you are going hiking giving them your name and your cell phone number if you carry a phone*, your vehicle tag number, description of the vehicle and location you plan to park and most importantly, the trail section you intend to hike and when you plan to come off the trail. You could stop by and leave the info with a clerk or ranger at the FDR State Park Office. You could put a piece of paper on the dash of your vehicle with some basic information (mainly just route, cell phone # and time due back. Rangers could find your name from the tag number.) Reason for all this is if you are lost or hurt and not able to walk out and were gone for an extended time, the park rangers on patrol would know who to look for and where, if they find your car at a trailhead parking lot after hours. They would first try to call you on your cell phone then come looking for you. This information is for day hikers as well as backcountry campers. Use the PMT trail registers (Park Office Mile 4, WJSP-TV tower and at Dowdell Knob) but avoid revealing information that could make you vulnerable. Don't linger near roads or trailheads. Avoid hitchhiking or accepting rides whenever possible (if you need a shuttle call Carl Carlson at 706-628-5336 or in an emergency the park office.)

The main thing is be mentally prepared for the risks you may encounter. If you encounter trouble, chances are an Emergency Medical Unit, sheriff, state patrolman or FDR ranger will not be nearby and a cell phone may not work. Learn to trust and be prepared to act on your own instincts. FDR Manager Don McGhee, Assistant Clint Rouse and enforcement Ranger Joe McClendon patrol the park daily. We are grateful for them being there if we need them. In an emergency, note where you are and call the FDR 24 hour number first (706-663-4256) then 911 if no answer. We haven’t had any situations we are aware of where someone bothered or made a hiker or backpacker feel unsafe and we pray and hope we never do. But individual safety awareness and responsibility are the keys.

*caution: depending on your cell phone company, there are some areas of the trails which may not have reliable cell phone service