Hi, I am Teresa, LA local, and work professionally hiking, fighting fire and dispatching search and rescue and missing hiker calls in the greater Los Angeles area. Even in LA, a few simple steps before you go will keep you safe. Happy hiking, I'll see you out there!
Hiking in Los Angeles is one of the most amazing ways to get above the smog line, grab some fresh air, and get a workout in. Hiking in LA has been popular for decades, but as a first responder in the LA area, there are preventable hiking emergencies that happen every year.
Every year family members call 911 to report missing or overdue hikers, hikers have preventable medical emergencies related to heat, dehydration, and fitness, hikers go missing, and search and recovery missions remain unsolved. Yes, even in our LA Hills!
By preparing ahead of time, packing a backpack, and listening to your body, everyone can safely enjoy the fresh air and hit the trails!
Before you go:
Before hitting the trail, let somebody know where you are going to go hiking, and what time you think you should be back.
Try to be specific; I have taken calls from really worried mothers because their daughter was “hiking in the forest” and was not home yet.
Give a trail name, or specific area if you can. Let them know what car you will be in. It is much easier to find a car in a parking lot in the woods than it is to find missing hikers. If we can find your car, we can look for you.
Fill up the gas tank!
Yes, gas is close to $7. No, you should not run on fumes when you drive through remote areas. YES! There are places in LA that are remote, believe it or not! Especially in winter months or during any weather storm, it is not uncommon to have delays because of weather- like waiting for a snow plow to move, or a traffic accident that may close small highways.
Check the weather
Are you acclimated to hike in 100-degree weather? Are you prepared for 30-degree temperature fluctuations when the sun goes down? Often mountains and foothills have different weather patterns than the city and valley climates.
Protect yourself:
Protect your feet with quality socks-I don’t leave home without Merino wool socks anymore, shoes that are broken in, and have appropriate tread for what you are doing,. Wear clothing or sunscreen to protect your skin, sunglasses, and anything else you need to keep your body safe and comfortable. Hate bugs? Grab bug spray? Hate sweat in your eyes? Wear a hat.
My least favorite kind of emergency call to receive as a dispatcher is a Missing Hiker after dark. 99% of the time the clothing description is: black shorts, black shirt. Don’t be that guy. How are we supposed to find you? Wear colors that are going to make you memorable to other hikers, and to make you visible. Most search and rescue operations include searching by helicopter, where contrasting colors are key. Don’t try to camouflage with the brush.
Pack your bags:
The Boy Scouts love their ten essentials. Are they really essential? YES! Many hiking emergencies can be self-rescues if every hiker has their ten essentials.
Bring Food. Who doesn’t love snacks? Focus on high protein, salt, and carbohydrates. My favorites are applesauce pouches and a PB&J.
BRING ENOUGH WATER. One Aquafina is not going to cut it in the summer on a three-hour adventure. Heat-related illness is one of the top injuries among outdoor adventurers. Bring more water than you think you will need of the extra weight as some bonus strength training, and you can always pour it out if it becomes to much.
Bring an extra layer- a jacket or windbreaker. Weather changes quickly in the foothills, and these hills are steep, you will likely get sweaty at some point. If you are sweaty and the sun goes behind the hills, you will likely get cold fast. It is easy to go from Hyperthermia (being overheated) to hypothermia (being too cold) quickly, even here in sunny LA. I promise. #askmehowiknow
“Bring a Map and compass” is what every Boy Scout will tell you.
Ask yourself, can you read a map? Can you triangulate with a compass? It is 2024, probably not, but you will have your phone. We are so used to following that little blue Google dot but be aware that even in the great LA, there are places with no cell service. Download your map ahead of time, you will still be able to use It in airplane mode. Drop yourself a pin where the car is parked, and open up the compass app on your iPhone for the first time.
That compass app will allow you to read off your location. Imagine this: you twist your ankle. Your phone works! You call 911, they ask where you are. Ummm. Hiking…? If you read off a lat/long (those numbers at the bottom of the compass app, or the numbers in Google Maps) a dispatcher can figure out where you are and get somebody to help you. Without that, it is a game of 20 questions.
Grab the bandaid kit
A first aid kit is on every “10 essentials” list, but how much of that will you use on the trail on a day hike? Blisters happen, band-aids are not the best, but will help limp you back to the car. An Ace bandage and a roll of gauze is in my kit as well as Benadryl, and ibuprofen. I pack a first aid kit for my own safety, but also so I can assist others if needed. Benadryl for allergies, bee stings, or allergic reactions, and ibuprofen for headaches, or injuries that may swell. Gauze to add compression for a bigger-than-a-band aid wound, and an ace bandage for just about anything.
A good rule of thumb is if you do not know how to use something that comes in a first aid kit, do not carry it.
Other nice things to put in your back:
-check the chest strap of your backpack, many hiking backpacks have a whistle on the buckle. The sound from a whistle will carry further and use less energy than yelling. Remember Rose, on the Titanic? Be like Rose, have a whistle.
Space blanket: just in case something goes bad- a space blanket will help regulate temperature, provide a bit of shelter or shade in bad weather, and is easy to spot from a helicopter if you are in need of a rescue.
MultiTool: cool to have, heavy to carry. My go-to is a single-blade serrated knife. I can do almost anything with her.
Toilet paper AND TRASH BAG: The facili-trees don’t have TP. PACK OUT GARBAGE!
Hand Sani: Eww, David.
Trash bag: As a display of the amazing human you are, you can collect trash on the trail and throw it away responsibly.
Finally, hit the trailhead!
Hide all your valuables, car window smashing are popular at trailheads, put your Adventure Pass in the window if you need to display it, and have fun!
Stick to the marked trails, if the terrain is steep going up, it will be steep coming down- be mindful of your footing and your traction.
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