Trails Club of Rossmoor
Hike Leading Made Simple (a guideline) June, 2011
1) Plan when/where and what type hike you are going to lead. In our area, seasonal weather guides where we hike; summer takes us toward our cooler coast, winters a good time to hike warmer inland areas, spring for wildflowers and waterfalls, and Fall good for most all. Our club has three hike groups, each with distinct hike level guidelines we follow for the safety of all. They are based on distance + elevation gain as well as our judgment for technical difficulty. Each groups guidelines are on our web site and may be back in our directory next year. You should plan your hike for normal weather for the season, if weather on hike day is greatly different, then a backup location is needed. Others at trailhead can also help with last minute hike location changes.
2) Finalize general hike type/location chosen above, then review trail maps, (on Internet, our web site, Regional Parks etc.). Maps are good sources for specific trails and possible loops. Some ideas can come while on hikes others are leading in an area you find interesting. Mark trails to scout perhaps using Hi-Liters, plan for restrooms and lunch picnic areas, gather needed info and pick time and partner/mentor to do scouting with. It is possible to scout one person’s hike in the AM and the others that afternoon, if areas not too far apart and you don’t scout full hikes. Pick our trailhead and measure driving distance from Rossmoor, double for R/T and compare to our drivers reimbursement chart for drivers fee to enter later when preparing driving instructions. It is possible to scout alone if you want, as long as hike is a somewhat populated area and you are comfortable with this, but company is best.
3)Locate restrooms and pick several possible lunch locations along your proposed trail. If possible, tables are best for lunch, but a protected area to sit on logs or rocks is also good. Find an area of interest or with a view. It should be approx 2/3’s thru your hike and after most of the uphill is complete. Pace and technical difficulty should be group appropriate.
4) Now from your trailhead, SCOUT possible trails you have picked butmake changes if you find a better/more interesting way now that you are actually there. Keep track of your turns, mileage and approx. elevation gain as you should publish these figures with final hike information. If it will be hot when actually leading, look for the trail with the most shade and likewise if cooler season, the sunny open one is best then. Work out all your final details and mark your map before coming home.
5) If final hike includes any special circumstances, as tours or lunch out and/or not back by 2PM, then e-mail should go out to your proposed group thru our club web/e-mail coordinator, with these details prior to the hike so all can come prepared. Prepare final written drivers instructions, you can write them out from road map, use map quest or trace on a map but be sure it is clear. Bring 3 to 7 copies to trailhead the day you lead. Enter drivers reimbursement amount on top of their instruction sheets. Be sure someone in each car has a cell phone, and numbers are known or exchanged, many are now listed in our directory.
6) On the morning you lead, please plan to arrive a few minutes early to head up your hike sign in sheet. Each group has a black form box in our trail box at our Gateway meeting location. Combo = 22-32-22. Head up form then sign your name as leader on line #1, then check back about 8:55 to see approx. number of sign ups to form car pools. Ask for drivers hands, fill cars, distribute driver instructions and then give a brief overview of your hike. Confirm all drivers and navigators are sure of trailhead location, introduce new people (or at trailhead), then at 9AM start drive to trailhead to begin the hike.
7) Be sure all cars arrive at trailhead, if one missing we normally wait up to 15 minutes for them to find us. After that, start the hike all cars present or not. Cell phones can help here. Count your sheep prior to starting the hike and recount often along the trail and at all intersections. Be sure all know to stop and wait at all trail intersections. Know who is last in the group and/ or have a sweep. Try to set a pace that keeps most all together. If some break off from the group, be sure the leader knows, agrees, and meeting place is understood. This is especially important recently, as we have had many large hike groups, thus it’s best to have an assistant leader (appt. one who hopefully knows the hike or you can share a map copy with), they help set pace of the last part of the group and keep tract of them. After the hike, be sure all are accounted for before leaving. If a new hike, please fill out a hike input form to have it added to our hike library on our web site. And thanks for providing a great day for all!
8) We have mentor assistance available for new leader’s. We sometimes use the first Monday of each month as scouting Mondays, but any day that works for all is great. We have many experienced hike leaders who also have learned from others in our club. Many are happy to help as needed when asked. There are still lots of fun new hikes/variations in our area to find and share with trails friends, have fun doing so, it makes for a better club for all.
Trails Club of Rossmoor 6 / 2011
Hike Leading Made Simple (a guideline) June, 2011
1) Plan when/where and what type hike you are going to lead. In our area, seasonal weather guides where we hike; summer takes us toward our cooler coast, winters a good time to hike warmer inland areas, spring for wildflowers and waterfalls, and Fall good for most all. Our club has three hike groups, each with distinct hike level guidelines we follow for the safety of all. They are based on distance + elevation gain as well as our judgment for technical difficulty. Each groups guidelines are on our web site and may be back in our directory next year. You should plan your hike for normal weather for the season, if weather on hike day is greatly different, then a backup location is needed. Others at trailhead can also help with last minute hike location changes.
2) Finalize general hike type/location chosen above, then review trail maps, (on Internet, our web site, Regional Parks etc.). Maps are good sources for specific trails and possible loops. Some ideas can come while on hikes others are leading in an area you find interesting. Mark trails to scout perhaps using Hi-Liters, plan for restrooms and lunch picnic areas, gather needed info and pick time and partner/mentor to do scouting with. It is possible to scout one person’s hike in the AM and the others that afternoon, if areas not too far apart and you don’t scout full hikes. Pick our trailhead and measure driving distance from Rossmoor, double for R/T and compare to our drivers reimbursement chart for drivers fee to enter later when preparing driving instructions. It is possible to scout alone if you want, as long as hike is a somewhat populated area and you are comfortable with this, but company is best.
3)Locate restrooms and pick several possible lunch locations along your proposed trail. If possible, tables are best for lunch, but a protected area to sit on logs or rocks is also good. Find an area of interest or with a view. It should be approx 2/3’s thru your hike and after most of the uphill is complete. Pace and technical difficulty should be group appropriate.
4) Now from your trailhead, SCOUT possible trails you have picked butmake changes if you find a better/more interesting way now that you are actually there. Keep track of your turns, mileage and approx. elevation gain as you should publish these figures with final hike information. If it will be hot when actually leading, look for the trail with the most shade and likewise if cooler season, the sunny open one is best then. Work out all your final details and mark your map before coming home.
5) If final hike includes any special circumstances, as tours or lunch out and/or not back by 2PM, then e-mail should go out to your proposed group thru our club web/e-mail coordinator, with these details prior to the hike so all can come prepared. Prepare final written drivers instructions, you can write them out from road map, use map quest or trace on a map but be sure it is clear. Bring 3 to 7 copies to trailhead the day you lead. Enter drivers reimbursement amount on top of their instruction sheets. Be sure someone in each car has a cell phone, and numbers are known or exchanged, many are now listed in our directory.
6) On the morning you lead, please plan to arrive a few minutes early to head up your hike sign in sheet. Each group has a black form box in our trail box at our Gateway meeting location. Combo = 22-32-22. Head up form then sign your name as leader on line #1, then check back about 8:55 to see approx. number of sign ups to form car pools. Ask for drivers hands, fill cars, distribute driver instructions and then give a brief overview of your hike. Confirm all drivers and navigators are sure of trailhead location, introduce new people (or at trailhead), then at 9AM start drive to trailhead to begin the hike.
7) Be sure all cars arrive at trailhead, if one missing we normally wait up to 15 minutes for them to find us. After that, start the hike all cars present or not. Cell phones can help here. Count your sheep prior to starting the hike and recount often along the trail and at all intersections. Be sure all know to stop and wait at all trail intersections. Know who is last in the group and/ or have a sweep. Try to set a pace that keeps most all together. If some break off from the group, be sure the leader knows, agrees, and meeting place is understood. This is especially important recently, as we have had many large hike groups, thus it’s best to have an assistant leader (appt. one who hopefully knows the hike or you can share a map copy with), they help set pace of the last part of the group and keep tract of them. After the hike, be sure all are accounted for before leaving. If a new hike, please fill out a hike input form to have it added to our hike library on our web site. And thanks for providing a great day for all!
8) We have mentor assistance available for new leader’s. We sometimes use the first Monday of each month as scouting Mondays, but any day that works for all is great. We have many experienced hike leaders who also have learned from others in our club. Many are happy to help as needed when asked. There are still lots of fun new hikes/variations in our area to find and share with trails friends, have fun doing so, it makes for a better club for all.
Trails Club of Rossmoor 6 / 2011
