This was just sent to me. This might help. Strange that I just mentioned this earlier in the post.
Tips from the trailwise
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
By JAN BARRY and BARBARA WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITERS, (Bergen) Record
North Jersey's rugged backcountry is just waiting for the athletic cross-country skier and the hardy hiker. But winter pursuits are not without their dangers.
And there will be scarce help in the wilderness if anything bad happens.
With state acquisitions of more huge tracts of open space in the last few years, there are about 400,000 acres of state parkland just waiting to be explored.
But there are only about 110 park rangers to cover the entire state, so much of the land has no patrols when there are visitors.
State Park Police say rangers are moved around, depending on where they are needed. And given their scarcity, they're the first to counsel those heading for the woods to take precautions.
"Before you make the trip, get a map from the park," said Lt. Joanne Christos of the state Park Police. "Notice whether the park is surrounded by major roadways, a river, power line - things that you can identify if you get turned around."
If not, beware: One snowy Sunday in 1996, an experienced hike leader set off on cross-country skis in Wawayanda State Park, a wilderness Highlands forest on the border of Passaic and Sussex counties.
The skier's body was found frozen in a laurel swamp two days later, despite an extensive search by park rangers, local police and firefighters and wilderness rescue experts with dogs.
"He was well off the trail," said a searcher whose dog found the first clue - a ski boot near a shrub-covered swamp where the body was discovered in a shallow pool of icy water.
"He probably got off the trail and couldn't find his way back. He got disoriented and never got himself out."
Even if the lost skier had a cellphone and called 911, rescuers still might have arrived too late at the remote location. That's because hypothermia, experts say, can be fatal within 15 minutes in such conditions.
This deadly result is unusual. But it is a vivid reminder of the wisdom of planning ahead before plunging into snowy woods.
"It's better not to go alone in the first place," said Kate Foord, a naturalist at High Point State Park who conducts wilderness survival training programs. The park off Route 23 is the highest point in a ridgeline expanse of state and federal forests that host the Appalachian Trail and a network of other trails popular with hikers and skiers.
"If you do go alone, it's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. I leave a note on the dashboard of my car," Foord said.
And if you get soaking wet, Foord added, it's a good idea to make a small fire and dry out. That means remembering to carry matches or a lighter.
Foord and rangers at other state parks recommend carrying an assortment of items, including a cellphone, a trail map, a bottle of water, energy snack bars, a compass, a flashlight and a whistle.
Almost every park has a resource specialist who provides programs or fliers about the park. Do your homework beforehand. Foord checks a Web site - sunrisesunset.com - that provides the time when twilight arrives in the area where she is going to be.
In winter, it gets dark in late afternoon.
"The park closes at 4:30, which is pretty much when the sun goes down," she said of High Point, which offers spectacular sunset views.
Although cellphones often don't get a clear signal in the mountains, sometimes walking just a half-mile will allow better reception, Christos said. Even if you get a 911 operator, you need to describe where you are - which park you're in, which trail you took - in order for rescuers to know where to look.
Rangers use all-terran vehicles for emergencies, but not every park has one, Christos said. "They are moved around as needed."
And don't forget sunglasses, "because a lot of glare comes off the snow," Foord said.
If sleet or rain is in the forecast, carry a poncho or a large plastic garbage bag that can be used as a poncho. That's in addition to wearing two layers of clothes, a winter coat, a hat, gloves and cold-weather boots.
"I always recommend layering your clothes. It can be bitterly cold up here," Foord said.
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