I hike trails a lot but usually stick to trails I’m familiar with and well marked. I also use the Road ID app on my phone. It tracks where you’ve been but also sends a text to who you want to know where you are. You set the time you’ll be out and it will send a text with your location. Also the person you’ve notified can track where you are. I highly recommend it, especially on less populated trails.
It doesn’t help with a dying phone but it is good with a good battery and gives some peace of mind.
Today it’s going to be in the 50’s with rain, the snow was short but fun while it lasted.
@NorthMinnesota , PLEASE download Road ID or something! That is too, too scary!
iPhones do NOT like the cold. They can literally drain in minutes from full to empty in the cold. I’ve had it happen. I always bring my phone with me when I’m out but have learned in the winter the phone has to either be in a pocket or in a pouch I have on my waist. The other day I realized I didn’t have a pocket I could run with it in and didn’t have my pouch so I ended up holding the phone and covering it with one of my gloves so it didn’t die!
Great idea on Road ID! The cold was, indeed, why my battery drained. My cold weather hiking has really demonstrated how quickly phone batteries die! I was also surprised that the trails didn’t show on my GPS.It showed that I was in the park but not other details. I did some orienteering by the position of the sun but trails weren’t very straight! My biggest concern was getting stuck on the trails after the sun set. The kindness of strangers is amazing!
Thanks, Sabaray! I was in therapy and on anti-depressants for a while and they helped but running seems to be my most effective therapy.
I didn’t realize the cold drains the phone! NorthMinn – did the trees have blazes so you could follow one path? If no markings, I would get lost immediately.
I would be panicked! There is one park here that it seems no matter how many times I run it I get confused on a certain loop - nothing compared to your experience!
What is you also carried one of those phone charger battery boost thingys? I’ve never actually used one but does that automatically give you a phone boost? Or might that boost lose it’s charge in the cold?
If you carry the “booster” battery in a pocket closer to the body to keep it warm, it will work. They are small and very portable. Just make sure to buy a reputable brand.
I ran 16 miles on Saturday. It was hard and there were definitely had plenty of times when I was wishing that I was training for a half marathon and not a full. This is going to be a low mileage week, though, with just too many things going on to be able to get the running in.
NMinn - your experience sounds terrifying! I am so glad that it had a happy ending. I agree that you need to keep your phone on your body when you’re out in the winter. I wear a flip belt and my phone stays plenty warm during the coldest of runs. Really important to maintain the battery life, but I also wonder if you always have cell reception on your hikes? Please come up with a plan to stay safe!
I was surprised last summer when we did a lot of hiking in the Tetons at the number of single women (of all ages) hiking and backpacking alone. I really admire them.
Classof2015 - great job with your race! You are really fast! I am reasonably competitive in the small local longer distance races (like half marathons) but not so much in the 5Ks and shorter distances.
Holy smokes, @NorthMinnesota – scary stuff indeed. It’s so easy to get completely lost, even if you’re not all that far away from “civilization.”
Hmmm – not sure about the admiration part. I’m a firm believer in the buddy system for activities like this. S has gone scuba diving at various places around the world. IF he tells us about it ahead of time, I always say, “You won’t be diving alone will you?”
There was a woman hiker on the Appalachian Trail in ME, who got off the trail to go to the bathroom, got lost, and died. No cell service where she was; searchers came within 100 years of her; she survived for 4 weeks after she went missing. She had started out with a partner, but due to a family emergency, the partner had to leave. The woman kept hiking solo. Heartbreaking.
4 mile run this morning. For a while I’ve been doing 3.7 or 3.8 miles, and today I just decided that’s ridiculous; I should even it off to 4.0 miles.
16 miles takes a lot out of you, C3Baker. I remember the long training runs – not a lot of laughs in those miles. I appreciate your kind words! I feel like I do better with the shorter distances. Fortunately the NY Road Runners has 2-3 races a month with a variety of distances.
Yes when I hear of young people hiking alone, I wonder how much they assume they can always call 911 or get help. Once your phone dies, you’re on your own (or as in NorthMinn’s case, lucky to find a kind stranger).
Yes! I was shocked at how fast the cold drains a phone battery! I had that happen a few times while my phone was in the car while I ran.
5 miles of the planned 4 for my last Nevada run for awhile. It was gorgeous outside. Clear blue skies and mountains in the background. Long downhill (not steep) and a climb back up.
I’m starting to bond with a couple of other running groups on RunningAhead since I’m banned from the women’s group. I’ve been warmly welcomed to the Masters’ group.
I live very close to the Appalachian Trail and there are a number of groups that have formed specifically for women who want to hike the trail either solo or with another female partner - how to do it, ways to check in, safety, that type of thing. CBB, I recall the story of that woman - it was very sad and quite a few missed signals. I’d be fearful of hiking that distance alone - just so many things that can go wrong.
Glad to hear you’ve found your tribe, MOWC. Just don’t leave us. You’ve been a terrific mentor to me and I selfishly don’t want to lose that. I was talking with one of my running partners about how fractured our group has become and she said to me - “It’s a big group of women! What did you expect?” (jokingly). Too bad things turned out the way they did but it’s their loss.
I use an external battery for my phone, including one with a solar panel so it can recharge that way.
I hike a lot, but usually with my husband. The last couple business trips he took, to Palm Springs and Las Vegas, I did some hiking on my own. I was very very cautious. I chose well marked trails, in well-traveled areas. The one more wilderness hike I did I took photos along the way to mark my path - but I turned around well before the end because it was so poorly marked and I got very nervous. I will hike by myself, but I am on-edge almost all the time. I know my sense of direction is horrible and I could very easily get lost.
Glad you found your way home, NorthMinn.
Switching up my schedule. Supposed to run tomorrow, but it’s sunny now and rain is expected tomorrow. So I think I’m off soon for a run today.
Wow, I missed a few days because I was off doing dog agility things and came back to a million (it seems) posts. I’ll give up on the idea of responding to all of them…
Me, I hike alone and I run alone. I have a RoadID, a physical one, that attaches to my shoe. Mostly I don’t take my phone (I don’t listen to music or podcasts and I wouldn’t answer the phone–I do take it if I plan to take photos). If I didn’t go alone, I wouldn’t get a chance to go. My daughter biked across the country, mostly alone, at 24. No, it’s not as safe as going with a buddy, but a lot of things aren’t that safe. I do take physical maps when I’m hiking in an unfamiliar place.
@fireandrain — if you’re hiking in Palm Springs, pay the fee and hike in the Indian Canyons, which are maintained by the Cahuilla Indians. Gorgeous well-marked trails. I feel very safe out on my own there.
@dmd77 Indian Canyons is one of the places I went. I felt safe there. Another other place I went by myself and felt fine was the Coachella Preserve. In both places the trails were well marked.
Thanks for the Road ID recommendation, Deb. I don’t walk or run on trails (except the ones I know in my neighborhood) alone. I’m just afraid. That’s one more reason I am trying to get H to start walking with me again.
