Podcast: How to stay safe in summer hiking season

Hikers will flock to the mountains of New England this summer. Many will need reminders about safety on the trails.

The nice weather is here, and along with it comes opportunities for hiking in the mountains of New England.

The use of hiking trails across the region has exploded in the years since the 2020 pandemic. Some of those hikers arrive well-educated on hiking safety. But many of those hikers are new to the sport and can get into trouble if they are unprepared.

Across New England, hiking experts and safety officials advise hikers to be aware of all they need to be safe during their adventure  — particularly in higher elevation trails across New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where weather conditions can vary fast. Hikers can quickly find themselves in dangerous situations.

On the latest edition of the Basecamp Podcast, expert hiker Mike Cherim of Redline Guiding joined us to discuss everything hikers need to do to stay safe this summer.

Watch/listen to the pod

Highlights from the podcast:

On the influx of hikers to the mountains after the pandemic: “There were more new hikers. People who just didn’t have the right gear. And conversely, you probably had more people with the right gear. It was just more people in every category. And we still have the same situation now. It’s really no different.”

On why the White Mountains are so popular: “Because of social media and the ability of the world to communicate, there are probably more people who are at least aware of the fact that they should be carrying certain things to prepare for things in the mountains. Not everyone is going to yield to that. A lot of people get in trouble here because of our proximity to the population centers. Millions of people are within a day’s drive of us. And with that comes proximity to the danger zones.”

On the dangers inexperienced hikers can face: “Take the proximity to the summit of Mount Washington and the alpine zone. They show up at Pinkham Notch. It’s a nice place. They tool around and check it out. Maybe walk down a trail. And then they keep going on the trail. Next thing you know they’re halfway up at the Hermit Lake shelters. It’s like, wow — the alpine zone is right up there if we just keep going. The next thing you know they’re in the alpine zone, in this area that has unpredictable weather and a pretty harsh climate. And they get to enjoy it and then they go home. And 99.999% of the time that’s the story. People have no idea how close they are coming to danger and hypothermia and to becoming a statistic in the news.”

Listen: