Читать книгу Trinity Alps & Vicinity: Including Whiskeytown, Russian Wilderness, and Castle Crags Areas. A Hiking and Backpacking Guide онлайн
67 страница из 134
Some pot farmers may arm themselves and may not appreciate your presence should you happen to stumble upon their illicit plantations. (Aside from the presence of marijuana plants, signs of illegal pot-growing activity include water lines, PVC pipes, generators, or water pumps—anything out of place in a wilderness setting, for that matter.) So check with the Weaverville Ranger Station (530-623-2121) about current conditions, and beat a hasty retreat if you stumble upon any suspicious activity.
Staying Safe
Hiking in the Trinity Alps and the other areas covered in this guide should pose no special problems that you wouldn’t encounter in any other wilderness or backcountry area in the West. However, some precautions and pretrip planning can certainly save you some discomfort. Foolhardiness or panic can easily get you into trouble here, as is the case in any outdoor area.
For instance, during the very hot and dry summer of 1981, a youth group led by two adults started up the notoriously steep and exposed trail from Portuguese Camp to the crest of Sawtooth Ridge late in the morning one hot summer day. Two-thirds of the way up to the ridge, one boy became ill with flulike symptoms and was unable to continue. The unfortunate boy was left alone in the hot sun while his companions, who were in only slightly better shape, climbed over the ridge to seek help. By the time they were finally able to secure help and climb back over the ridge, the boy was dead.