Desert dangers to watch for on a day hike with children

Opal Canyon, California

As a dry, often inhospitable environment, deserts offer both incredible scenic wonders and grave dangers. Because of the former, they make for great hiking terrain…because of the latter, you should be aware of the variety of dangers that you could encounter during a day hike there. Foreknowledge is power.

Among the many dangers a desert environment can present are:
g Sun- and heat-related illnesses – Sun stroke, sunburn, heat stroke, and dehydration are serious, life-threatening ailments that often affect hikers who don’t respect the desert. Hiking during more temperate seasons and hours of the day, drinking plenty of water, dressing properly, using sunscreen, and pacing oneself all can go a long way to avoiding these problems.
g Flashfloods – Often trails head down canyons and arroyos, which are perfect spots to get caught in a flashflood. When hiking in such locations, always keep an eye out for an escape route to higher ground. Also keep an ear out for a roar rising in volume up canyon, even on sunny days, as thunderstorms several miles away can quickly send floodwater roiling down a canyon or a dry run. If you hear such a sound, immediately head to higher ground.
g Creepy crawlies – Spiders, scorpions and snakes all can sting or bite, and some are poisonous. To avoid meeting one, don’t place your hand in holes or pick up rocks where these creatures like to hide and don’t place your feet in grass or brush where you can’t see your toes. Should you encounter one, keep your distance and slowly back away.
g Getting overadventurous – Exploring side canyons you don’t have maps for or climbing up rocks and cliff sides that have no easy way down are all no-no’s in the desert. You don’t want to get lost or become trapped so that your water supplies run out before you be rescued.

Of all of these dangers, sun- and heat-related illnesses by far are the most common followed by injuries from climbing where one shouldn’t or letting lost by going off the trail. I’ve spent several years hiking the Mojave, Colorado, Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts, and during all of that time have encountered one rattlesnake, one scorpion, and zero flashfloods. What’s even better is you can control sun- and heat-related illnesses and being overadventurous simply by using common sense. In short, a desert hike can be fun and safe!

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

How to safely explore a cave with children

When exploring caves with children,
first find those with approved, marked
trails, such as at Carlsbad Caverns.
Photo couresy Carlsbad Caverns NPS.

Avoid encounters with wild animals,
mine shafts, collapsing cavern roofs

Ah, the allure of a dark cavern, full of secret passages and maybe even pirate treasure – what child wouldn’t want to explore a cave that you come across as day hiking?

For all their fun and excitement, though, caves can be dangerous places. Fortunately, some of them can be explored…but only with great caution.

If you have a little spelunker in your cave, quench their thirst for adventure by hiking approved, marked trails through caves. This always is your safest bet, as the trails have been designed for safety and park rangers familiar with the cave probably are close by.

Never enter a cave that is boarded or marked with warning signs to not enter. There’s good reason for the boards and signs. Often the caves have mining shafts in them or suffer frequent roof collapses.

Having said this, there are some shallow caves along hiking trails that are marked safe for entry. If going in them, however, follow these basic rules:
g An adult always comes with – A child never should be allowed to explore a cave alone. Buddy up and as the adult watch for potential dangers.
g Always carry a light – You must see where you are going so you don’t fall or stumble into a wild animal. A large flashlight with fresh batteries will do. Have each person in the party carry a flashlight.
g Avoid occupied caves – Bears, mountain lions, poisonous snakes, and bats all makes caves their home. If you hear or see signs of habitation, such as footprints, stay out.
g Never make turns that you won’t remember – With limited lighting, you easily can get lost in a cave if its passageways branch. Oftentimes you won’t see a passage the first time through and so will become disoriented.
g Don’t get into what you can’t get out of – Don’t squeeze down holes or through small openings into another section of the passage. You may not be able to climb out or get back through through the hole.
g Keep to clean cave floors – Don’t hang out in areas with feces or urine from small animals. These likely were left by rats, mice or squirrels and can carry diseases such as hantavirus.
g Watch for instability – Freshly fallen rocks or water flowing through a cave likely means the cave lacks structural stability. Leave immediately before a cave-in occurs.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Observe elk, bison on Wind Cave N.P. trail

Bull elk at Wind Cave National Park.
Photo courtesy Wind Cave NPS.

Map of Elk Mountain Nature Trail,
courtesy Wind Cave NPS.

Day hikers can spot elk on the prairies and foothills of a short trail in Wind Cave National Park.

While most visitors check out this South Dakota national park for it complex cave system, there are plenty of great hiking trails above ground. Indeed, visiting the caves requires that you join a tour group, anathema to the hiking soul, which enjoys roaming and lingering as one pleases.

The 1.2-mile Elk Mountain Nature Trail is among the park’s great aboveground trails. It heads through a mixed-grass prairie, a ponderosa pine forest, and crosses a creek and its riparian ecosystem along the way.

Bison and prairie dogs
To reach the trail, from Hot Springs, S.D., take U.S. Hwy. 385 north into the park. Turn left/north onto the park road, heading past the visitor center. Then take the only road going west into the Elk Mountain Campground, which sits at the base of foothills that turn from prairie to ponderosa pine forest as heading west. Park at the fee station and check in to inform the ranger that you’re hiking the trail rather than camping.

Continue by walking west down the campground road. The trailhead sits between Campsite No. 20 on the north side of the road and the path to the amphitheater on the south side. Walk the trail counterclockwise by going right/north onto it.

The trail loops northeast past several ponderosas destroyed by wildfire and into open prairie. Bison often can be spotted in the grasslands to the north, but don’t worry about them charging you. A fence separates them from the campground.

And though difficult to see in the distance, there’s also a prairie dog town about 600 feet across the fence. A spur trail takes you to a tree near the fence for a better view of it and the bison.

The main trail next swerves southwestward, heading back toward the campground then into the ponderosa forest. It loops south, crossing a creek that runs out of the foothills toward the park road. The high point west of and nearest the campground is Elk Knob, rising to 4,752 feet above sea level.

September's elk show
Elk usually can be spotted near the trail. The native subspecies, Eastern elk, disappeared from the area in the 1800s, and the Rocky Mountain subspecies was introduced to the national park in 1914.

They are an impressive sight. Bull elks can grow up to 1000 pounds and five feet high. An average set of antlers on one can weigh 30 pounds.

If hiking in late spring or early summer, those antlers might not look like much. Elk shed them each spring and grow a new rack. By mid-September, however, the antlers are immense, and you may be treated to two bulls sparring as the mating season begins. You’ll also likely get to hear the bull elk bugling, a series of screams that can be heard for miles.

Elk feed on grass and forbs, which are abundant in this area. Because only wolves hunt elk and there are none of the former anymore in the park, the latter’s population is large.

While elk don’t mind you watching them from a ways off, you shouldn’t approach or try to interact with them. At best, you’ll simply scare them off, spoiling the main reason for hiking the trial; at worse, they will defend themselves, and that can be deadly.

Pets welcomed
The trail, after heading east through the forest, swerves north for its last leg, ending at the amphitheater.

Nine interpretive signs can be found along the trail, offering the opportunity to learn more about the ecosystem. Leashed pets also are allowed on the hike.

Be aware that sometimes prairie rattlesnakes cross the trail, so you may want to instruct children in advance about how to avoid snakes and familiarize yourself with what to do if a bite occurs.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Who takes the lead on hike with children?

As soon as you hit the trailhead, many kids want to run ahead. You let them bound off, excited by their enthusiasm at discovering nature’s wonders and knowing that they’ll stop along the way to look at something, allowing you to catch up.

Bad idea.

There are too many dangers in the wilds, from rattlesnakes sunning themselves on the trail to missing a turn resulting in them getting lost. It’s all right to allow older teens who’ve done a lot of hiking to take the lead, but preschoolers and elementary age kids simply won’t be alert enough to all of the dangers. Perhaps they can walk a few feet ahead of you, but they should be keeping your pace – not running ahead – and they always should be in your sight. I often find it’s best to walk side by side with my little one. We talk to one another more that way.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Always go over hiking safety with kids before taking your first step on the trail

It’s best to review hiking safety rules before leaving the house – but just before hitting the trailhead, a gentle reminder is a good idea. Through repetition, they’ll get it. Even my son at the age of three could tell me after a couple of hiking trips what to do if he saw a snake.

Some ground rules you need to cover include:
g Stay in sight of an adult at all times
g Only drink water we bring in
g What to do if they get lost
g Watch for poison ivy/oak/sumac
g What to do if they see a snake
g Where they should not go (also what not to climb, no stepping into water, stay away from cliff sides and other drop offs, etc.)
g Stay on the trail, no shortcuts

Cover anything else you feel is necessary.

As kids get older and have done several hikes, they probably don’t need to go over every item on the list or you can review the rules quite quickly.

Now herd the kids onto the trailhead!

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

How to avoid and treat snake bites on hikes

Some snakes, such as the cottonmouth or water moccasin in the Southeast and the diamondback rattlesnake in the Southwest, are extremely venomous, killing within an hour of a bite.

Fortunately, poisonous snakes don’t always inject venom when they bite, and some only spew a small amount that is survivable.

You can avoid snakes by staying out of tall grass. Don’t stick hands into dark holes and rocky crevices, don’t turn over rocks, and don’t hike at dusk or night when many snakes hunt. While climbing rocks, be careful where you stick your hand as a snake may be sunning itself.

If you see a snake, slowly back away from it. If you hear a rattle, stand still. In both cases, the snake usually will scoot away. Don’t try to get a closer look, as it invites attack, especially from a rattler, because it then feels cornered. A snake can strike at about a third of its body length, so you’ll probably be just far enough away that it can’t attack. Also, don’t mess with baby snakes for they too will bite.

Carry a snake bite kit if you walk through an area that has a high count of poisonous snakes. First learn how to use it before heading into the wilds, though. You can do more harm than good if you misuse the kit, which usually involves suctioning the venom from the bite area.

Sometimes hikers walking through grass don’t even realize they’ve been bitten (this is why staying on the clear trail is vital), and sometimes you stumble a little too close to a snake. Symptoms include pain and burning at the bite site followed by swelling and blistering. Nausea and vomiting, with numbness and tingling about the mouth, fingers and scalp also are indications. If the bite is severe, the victim also will grow faint and dizzy and have a weak pulse and cold, clammy skin. They may go into shock.

To treat a snake bite, lay the child down and reassure him to control his panic. Place a light compression bandage above the bite, as this can slow the spread of venom. Do not use a tourniquet, however. Then call for help and seek medical attention immediately.

Finally, if at all possible try to identify the snake so the right anti-venom can be used when the victim receives medical treatment.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

How to best cross water with hiking kids

When hiking with children, you want to avoid crossing water. Still, sometimes to reach a destination you’ll have to go through small streams, or in the case of a tide or a recent flashflood you may be cut off from your vehicle. With children, it’s usually best to avoid a water crossing by properly timing your hike – don’t walk a beach at high tide, for example – or simply turning back when the trail ends at a waterway, such as when a bridge is washed out.

If you must cross, do so where the water is calm and no higher than hip deep, which probably will be too deep for young children, meaning you’ll need to put them in a baby carrier. You’ll typically find calm spots at a bend in the river or stream, mainly because the waterway widens and slows at the turn. Look ahead for any deep water. It will appear dark or greener than the rest of the waterway. Before crossing, check the far bank to make sure it isn’t undercut or steep, as climbing out of the water will be difficult for children or for you if they’re on your back.

One kind of water crossing you may face is rock hopping across a stream that at worst runs only a few inches deep. Approach any rock hopping cautiously, for the stones will be slippery. You want to keep your feet dry and don’t to want to risk falling – children can drown in just three inches of water. First, select your rock, looking for those that are wide enough to support one of your feet and that can be reached with steps rather than jumps. Always test each rock’s stability with your trekking pole before committing to it.

If you lose your balance, don’t fret about stepping into the water to stay upright. It’s almost always better to have one wet foot than to fall.

Waterlogged ground, such as marshland and swamps, ought to be avoided. More than your feet will get wet as you sink into mud, which makes stepping very difficult if not impossible for children. Should children fall, they might land in pockets of deep water. In addition, snakes and insects can abound in such environments.

Read more about cross dangerous terrain when day hiking with children in the guidebook Hikes with Tykes.