Canine
Hiking Club of Arizona
Hike Leader Recommendations
Welcome and thank you for considering embarking on a new adventure as a "Hike Leader". It's been many years since I first took this plunge but I remember it well and have enjoyed the role on most occasions. It's okay if you have never taken on a leadership position for a group before (I started as a greenhorn too and I'm still learning). Our group is generally very laid back and as long as you keep it simple and let the members of your party know your personal intentions, expections and experience level, there's no reason why you wont have a great time. The suggestions below were compiled after discussing the issue of inexperineced leaders with several club members. We decided for safety reasons and for convenience to make a list of guidelines with the intended purpose of keeping events running smoothly and helping new leaders avoid making the same mistakes others have already made. Some of the information below may not be relevant to you or your outing. Use it at your discretion and feel free to contact me, Jamie D., if you have questions about any of these duties, would like to add more to this page, or for any other reason.
Before reading further, it is important to note that our group is an unofficial one and therefore accepts no responsibility for any injuries to humans or dogs participating in any event. Each person should understand they are participating as an independent individual who is responsible for their own actions and those of their pet(s). Participation is 100% voluntary and each person does so at their own risk. You as the trip planner are also not responsible for anyone who is attending your function. This is stated on the CHCoA Disclaimer and on our Hiker Info. Sheet. If you would like to bring copies of this sheet to your event for participants to sign contact Jamie D.
Before the Hike
Meeting Place
Regardless of where you are meeting it's important to have accurate directions
to the location. As people arrive introduce
yourself and make sure everyone knows who you are and that you are the leader.
Before you leave the
meeting place get a vehicle count and have all hikers read
and fill out the CHCoA Disclaimer and Hiker Info. Sheet (including cell phone
numbers). Carry this sheet with you so you have everyone's name and info. handy.
If traveling out of town encourage
carpooling to minimize the amount of vehicles in your caravan. Plan for a second
meeting place closer to the trailhead and have specific directions
to this location as well. Print out written directions and/or
maps (even if they are
hand drawn) to the meeting place ahead of time and give a copy to each driver.
If you have a large caravan and you think it might be difficult to keep everyone
together encourage everyone to stay behind you, the lead vehicle, and appoint
one vehicle to bring up the rear. Share your cell phone number with the last
car and everyone one else, if possible.
Check list - Note pad and pencil/pen, driving directions & maps, Hiker Info. Sheet, cell phone numbers for drivers, name tags(your call)
At the trailhead
Again make sure you have introduced yourself and given others a chance to do so
as well. Get a final head count of humans
and dogs and share the number with the group. Set the group's expectation
level by going over any rules of the area (leash law, no leash law, etc.) and
what you
as the leader expect of each person (your own rules). Go over the trail info.
(share the trail number, if it's a loop, water crossings, direction
of travel, etc.) and if you have brought extra copies of trail maps, pass those
out. With groups larger than 4 or 5 we have found it very helpful
to choose a sweep hiker (someone who
will stay at the back of the pack). If you decide to do this,
introduce the sweeper to the group and if you brought 2-way radios, give one to
this person. Have all hikers do a quick equipment and water check, especially
if water is not present on the trail. Finally, find out if you have anyone in
the party with medical training
or other pertinent skills or anyone or any dogs who have special needs or health
conditions (hearing
impairment, allergies to bees, etc.)
Check list - Maps, two-way radios, water, leashes, Hiker Info. Sheet
During the Hike
Leadership
The leader should stay in the front or at least somewhere
near the front. Make it clear to those who pass you, they are on their own if
they get too far ahead and become separated from the pack. Check your map often.
Don't
be afraid to ask for help if you don't feel like you are on track. (Anyone can
get lost, it's not a weakness to ask for help).
Take regular rest stops and stay in close communication with the sweep hiker so
you
know how the hikers in the back are doing. Keep an eye out for those (humans
and
dogs) having trouble, slow the group's pace if necessary. Stop at all trail
junctions, no matter how simple they appear, to make sure everyone in the party
knows the
correct
path. When hiking in off lead areas, for safety reasons remind EVERYONE to leash
their
dog(s) at all stops involving food or
water. This minimizes fights and other grumblings.
Suggested Gear
It's a good idea to always have the 10 Essentials with you whether you
are leading a group or walking by yourself. A list of these items can be found
on the Dottie Corner
page in the section titled Human
and Canine Gear Lists. A few other handy items are:
2 Way Radios - A decent pair can be purchased for around thirty to forty bucks.
A Whistle - Carries much farther than your voice and can be used to communicate
with the sweep hiker or signal a need for help (three blows).
Paper and Pencil - Leave a note, exchange cell numbers, write down directions,
play tic-tac-toe while you wait for rescue (haha!), etc..
Additional Inspiration
(Taken from a few club members)
Jamie D.'s personal rules
Above I mentioned informing the group of your own personal rules before you start. I have a list of things I go over with every group I hike with regardless of the trail and how many times I've hiked with those club members in the past. Here is my list…
* Introductions
* Head count of dogs and humans and I share the number with the group
* General directions and info. about the trail. (trail number, what direction
we'll
be heading, length, what to expect elevation wise, water sources, etc) basically
whatever I know in
short.
* Leash rules for the area. If off leash is acceptable, I still expect everyone
to have control
of their dog whenever we encounter other trail users and I expect everyone to
leash
their dogs at all water and food stops. "My dog is friendly", is not
an excuse.
* Remind everyone to pick up after their dog and themselves. Leave no trace.
* Watch out for all dogs in the group to make sure none of them wander off or
cause
problems.
* Stop at all trail junctions, no matter how obvious. (This is how we loose people.)
* Remind everyone it's okay to stop if they need to stop. Stop with a buddy,
not
alone. There's no shame in needing a rest.
* Speed hikers are on their own if they get too far ahead of me and get separated
from the pack.
* If you get separated or injured, stay where you are. Three whistles means you
need help.
Jack M's Suggested Leader Intro. (this was taken from our yahoo group, message #1517)
"Hi all, would you all mind circling around me for a minute. Is everyone here? My name is ______ and I am the group leader. I am glad you all came today and welcome to our hike. We are planning on walking the ______ trail. In a few minutes we will leave the parking lot and head that-a-way. Before we begin I'd like to take this opportunity, since many of you have not hiked with us before, and we have never met, for us to introduce ourselves to each other. Perhaps we could each take a turn and tell the group your names and the names of your dogs. The hike we planned for today is approximately ____ miles."
At this point the leader hands out maps photocopied from a guide book, or makes available for viewing his/her map so the party can get a graphic idea of what they have committed to. This is also a good time for the leader to talk about the type of trail, expected conditions, flora and fauna common to the area, and to describe any natural features of particular interest, historical features, or whatever he/she might be aware of. Give less experienced hikers the benefit of their knowledge. Or ask the group if any have anything they can add.
The Leader now makes an effort to tell the participants any regulations or special considerations relative to this location....."This is a good time to mention that this area is designated as (Wilderness, Forest, BLM, etc.). All dogs must - by law - be leashed during this hike. This is to protect not only the fragile and unique environment of this area, but also to ensure that we, and our dogs, continue to be allowed to visit this area in the future. Your understanding and cooperation is appreciated."
Then he/she discusses safety issues. "Our practice is to be sure no one gets lost or is left behind. I, as the leader will be at the front of the group, ______ has kindly volunteered to follow last behind as our sweeper. Please do not hesitate to let either of us know if you or your dogs are having physical problems or plan on turning back. It is important for us to know if you are leaving the group so we don't become worried and send out the search parties" "We do not need to walk closely together so please feel free to walk at your own pace... stop to smell the roses, or as importantly, stop to let your dogs smell whatever foul detritus or offal they find on the trail. This is not a race. I hope you enjoy the day. Are there any questions? Again, thank you for joining us. The trail head is just down the road to our left. Let's go."
All of that takes maybe 10 minutes. And now instead of a group of strangers there is a cohesive group of fellow dog hikers/lovers.