It’s easy to hear about wildfires on the news and freak out. While wildfires are a real danger and should be taken seriously, with a bit of planning, you can avoid hiking near dangerous wildfires and smoke.

Thankfully, I’ve never encountered a wildfire on a hike. But recently, I talked to a fellow hiker who had to evacuate from the Skyline Trail during the 2024 Jasper National Park wildfires. Between my research and her boots-on-the-ground experience, I’ve put together lots of resources for hiking in wildfire season. This post includes:

• Tips on where to check wildfire and smoke conditions before you go
• How to make a safe hiking plan including trail choice and emergency preparedness
• What to do if there is a wildfire nearby – tips for how to escape and how to shelter in place
• How to prevent wildfires – Most of this is common sense, but I bet you could still learn some things.

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

Check Conditions Before You Go

Check conditions before you go so you know what to expect. The sources you check will depend on where you plan to hike, but in general, they fall into a few categories. I’ve got details on each below.

State and Provincial Wildfire Agencies

Look up the local state or provincial wildfire service to see if there are any fires in the area you plan to hike. Most agencies have an official website that lists wildfires, often with a map, fire bans and other resources to help you decide if it’s safe to go on your trip. Many also have official social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (now X) to announce breaking news.

I like to look at these official map sources to figure out how big the fires are, and what trails or roads they have burnt or threaten to burn. Looking at where the fire actually is helps me plan.

Some official maps don’t have enough detail for hikers, so I often use Gaia GPS. It has two helpful layers you can add. The “Wildfires (Current)” layer pulls data from official government sources and the “Wildfires (Satellite Detection)” shows a matrix of dots over an area where satellites have detected heat.

This lets me overlay the fire maps on top of the trails and roads in the area I plan to hike. I’ve also heard that CalTopo has a good “Fire Activity Layer”.

State and Provincial Wildfire Agencies I use often:

• British Columbia Wildfire Service, especially their Wildfire Situation Map.
• Alberta Wildfire Status website and Wildfire Status Dashboard
• InciWeb Wildfire Map shows the status of major wildfires across the U.S.

Park and Trail Websites

If there are trail closures or alerts, you’ll find them on official park and trail websites. Sometimes they are on the home page, but in other cases, you’ll need to look for current conditions pages or things marked “advisories” or “important bulletins”. You can also check their official social media pages.

If you don’t see the info you need on a park website, you can try calling them. This works best with National Parks and National Forests – provincial and state parks often do not have the resources to have phone lines. If you call, try to ask for the backcountry ranger office. People answering general info lines usually are unfamiliar with backcountry trails and are not helpful.

Don’t rely on All Trails, Google Maps, or other apps. However, the info in these places is often crowd-sourced and might not be officially verified. So a trail that is listed as open on All Trails or Google Maps might actually have a fire nearby.

Park and Trail Websites I use often:

Government Transportation or Highway Websites

In wildfire season, roads are often closed in dangerous areas. Check your travel route to the trailhead to make sure it is open. If your trip is multi-day, be careful if the road is open now but if a fire is close – the road might close while you are backpacking, trapping you.

Transportation websites I use often:

• Drive BC
• 511 Alberta
• Washington State DOT

Weather Forecasts

There might not be a fire near where you are hiking, but the upcoming weather could change wildfire conditions. Check the weather forecast to see if thunderstorms are on the horizon. I also check to see if the forecast calls for hot, dry weather with high winds since that’s a situation where fires could spread quickly.

My guide to weather apps for hiking has details on where to find the best weather forecasts.

Air Quality Reports and Smoke Forecasts

Even if there isn’t a fire nearby, hiking in smoke is really bad for your health. It’s also really unpleasant. In recent years huge fires in northern Canada have blown smoke as far away as the Eastern United States, so wildfire smoke can affect hikers anywhere.

I use FireSmoke to check the smoke forecast. It uses computer models to predict the ways that fire growth and winds will push smoke around. In my experience, it is usually pretty accurate.

It’s also important to check air quality reports. Many states, including Washington, have an air quality map, sometimes with a smoke forecast. There is also a national U.S. air quality report. Canada has a local air quality index, but it only covers major cities and towns.

I also like PurpleAir’s Real-time Map. It uses citizen science air quality monitoring stations so it has data from smaller towns. (We have a Purple Air reporting station at our house.)

Make a Safe Hiking Plan

After you’ve checked to see where the fires are and what the smoke is doing, it’s time to make a plan for your hike.

Choose Your Trail Carefully

Checking conditions to see if fires are nearby is just one way to stay safe while hiking in wildfire season. Look at the trail you plan to hike. Does it head into forest fire danger terrain like thick dry brush or ridge tops? (More on danger zones in the Shelter In Place section below.) Is it a dead-end with no escape routes if a fire crosses the trail?

In the months/weeks/days leading up to your trip it’s also important to have a flexible mindset and a backup plan. If fire and smoke conditions aren’t right when it’s time to leave for your hike, switch to your backup plan or postpone your trip.

After you’ve chosen your trail, make sure you familiarize yourself with other trails in the area in case you need to hike out another way. Also look for places where you would be safe in case of wildfire such as lakes, meadows, or marshy areas. (More on these in Shelter in Place below.)

Bring a paper map or extra batteries for your GPS so that you can navigate on the fly in an emergency.

Inform Your Emergency Contact

Make sure you have an emergency contact who knows your trip plan including what trail you plan to hike and when you expect to be back. That way if you don’t return as scheduled, they can call Search and Rescue to look for you.

Your emergency contact should also be proactive about finding out fire info for you. If you have to contact them during an emergency, they can tell you which directions are safe(r) to hike to get away from a fire.

Register Your Hike

In some areas, wilderness permits or backpacking reservations are required. In other areas, there are optional trailhead registries. They often have a spot where you can fill out emergency contact information. Make sure your emergency contact person knows where you are going and has your trip plan.

In the devastating 2024 fires in Jasper National Park, rangers called the emergency contacts of backpackers to see if they had evacuated on their own and to get a handle on how many people still needed help in the backcountry.

Write Down Key Phone Numbers

Some parks have an emergency phone number you can call if you need help or info. Having this number could be crucial in an emergency. If the park doesn’t have an emergency number, having the phone number for the park info centre or backcountry ranger office is also great.

When I talked talked to Carol May, a hiker who evacuated from the Skyline Trail during the 2024 Jasper National Park fires, she said when they got to the trailhead and had cell service, they didn’t know which way was safe to drive. She says she wished the park had a dedicated emergency phone number to call like others she had visited. Instead, they flagged down a passing ranger on the road who gave them info.

Pack the 10 Essentials

You already bring the 10 essentials on every hike, right? Right?? These are key items you should pack for every trip in case you get lost or have an emergency situation. Your version of the 10 essentials doesn’t have to be heavy, bulky, or expensive – mine isn’t.

My guide to the 10 essentials explains each of the 10 items, plus one more I always carry. I also have specific gear recommendations.

Carry a Satellite Messenger

There is often no cell service on hiking trails. A satellite messenger could be the difference between life and death. I carry a Garmin inReach Mini 2 so I can check in with my emergency contact each night to let them know I am safe. They can also message me if there is any new fire info I need to know.

In the past, I’ve turned my inReach off each night to save battery. Now I’ve realized that I might want to leave my inReach off overnight in case I need to receive an emergency message. (But I’ll reduce the tracking frequency and turn off Bluetooth temporarily to save battery.)

Newer iPhones (iPhone 14 or later) have texting via satellite. I’ve tried it in the backcountry and it seems to work pretty well. However, my iPhone battery drains quickly and the inReach lasts for days, so I’m going to continue to bring my inReach on long trips.

During the Jasper wildfires, park rangers contacted hikers’ emergency contacts. Those people then messaged the hikers on satellite messengers. The hikers who received messages were crucial to spreading the word in campgrounds and on trails that they needed to evacuate.

Carry a Battery Charger

In an emergency you are going to want a fully charged phone so you can call for help. Even if you don’t have cell service on the trail, once you get back to the trailhead, you are going to need a phone to figure out which way to drive. It’s also good to have a way to charge your satellite messenger and headlamp.

Carol told me she was glad her phone was charged because during her evacuation, they stopped at a cafe near the trailhead at 4:30 am. It was closed, but they were able to access the wifi from outside to look up info on the fires online and decide whether it was safe to keep driving to continue their evacuation.

Bring a Reliable Headlamp

I often pack an ultralight headlamp on backpacking trips because I typically only need it to light the way to the outhouse in the middle of the night. I’m not worried about how long the battery will last or how charged it is.

But Carol recommends bringing a fully charged headlamp with a long battery life. She was glad her headlamp was charged when she had to evacuate at 2 am. She said charged headlamps were “absolutely critical if evacuating in the middle of the night. We needed them for hours.” She told me that other hikers they met were having trouble with theirs and she was lucky that hers was charged.

In a wildfire evacuation, you may have to hike in the dark for hours, so a fully charged headlamp with a long battery life could be crucial.

Pack a Mask

An N95 mask weighs a few grams and could make a huge difference if you end up hiking in thick smoke. Thanks to the pandemic, they are easy to source at pharmacies or online. In a pinch, putting a bandana or buff over your nose and mouth can also help.

What To Do If There is a Wildfire Nearby

If you’ve done your research before a hike, you shouldn’t be hiking anywhere near an active fire. However, fires can start quickly, so a new fire could pop up while you are on the trail.

Wildfires Spread Quickly

Wildfires can spread incredibly quickly. According to sources, fires often spread at up to 10 km/6 miles per hour. They can move even faster if they are going uphill or if there are strong winds. You can’t outrun most wildfires.

As well, large fires make their own weather with high winds that spread the fire faster. Fires can also cause pyro-cumulonibmus clouds, which create thunderstorms, and therefore more fires from lightning strikes. For an informative (but terrifying) read, I recommend the book Fire Weather by John Vaillant about the devastating wildfires in 2016 in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

That means that if you spot a fire, you need to get away from it fast!

Which Way to Run?

Try to figure out where the wildfire is, then get away from it. That will be easy if there is smoke (or flames) in the distance. But if you find yourself surrounded by smoke, it’s a bit trickier – try to see if you can see which way the smoke is flowing.

Since fires travel uphill faster than downhill, avoid the tops of ridges and peaks. If there is smoke in the distance, assess which way the wind is blowing. If it is blowing towards you, the fire will be coming towards you too. Travel over recently burned land if you can. Just watch for falling trees and hot ash, which can melt your shoes.

Use your GPS and paper maps to assess the trails near you and decide which ones will take you to safety away from the fire.

Take enough supplies with you to stay safe. If it seems like speed is essential, you might want to ditch some gear so you can travel faster. Be sure to take the 10 essentials including food, water, water filtration, first aid supplies, a jacket, your phone, your satellite messenger, and and some form of shelter.

During Carol’s evacuation she says she wasn’t sure whether to leave her pack. “We took a few minutes to filter water and get snacks ready because we really didn’t know what the next hours or days would bring,” she said. She hiked the 12 km trail out to the parking lot in about 2 hours, but says some inexperienced hikers took substantially longer. Having the snacks and water definitely helped.

Get Help

If you have a cell service or are carrying a satellite messenger, use it. You can message your emergency contact if the fire looks like it is far away and have them look up info about the fire to help you decide how to proceed.

If the fire hasn’t been reported yet, report it by calling 911. You will need info about where you are and where you think the fire is. If possible, give the names of trails and geographic landmarks nearby. GPS coordinates are ideal.

If the fire is close, skip right to pressing the SOS button or calling 911 for help. You can also try signalling to passing planes and helicopters – they will be looking for hikers in the backcountry. This is also a good technique if you have been in contact with Search and Rescue and they are looking for you.

Direct a signal mirror or flashing headlamp at the aircraft. Move to an open area and use bright colours (especially red and orange) to attract attention. You can spread out your tent fly, tarp, or several bright jackets to attract attention.

I hate to say this because I hope it’s obvious, but don’t start a signal fire to help rescuers find you. You might just start another wildfire by accident.

Work Together With Other Hikers

Group up with other hikers to share information and supplies. During the 2024 Jasper National Park wildfires, hikers with satellite messengers alerted other hikers that the fire was getting closer (even though in some campgrounds it wasn’t smokey yet) and told them they had to evacuate even though it was 2 a.m.

If possible, try to keep track of how many hikers are with you and their names. You can give this info to park rangers after you evacuate. That park staff will know which hikers evacuated and which ones they still need to locate.

Shelter in Place

If the fire is close, you will need to shelter in place. In general, get low to the ground to avoid the smoke. You can dig a hole in the dirt for your face. Hide behind something big (like a rock) that won’t catch fire.

Here are some tips on good places to shelter versus bad places to shelter.

Good Places to Shelter:

• Places with less vegetation like rock fields, swampy areas, and meadows – but avoid these areas if they are next to a place with dense vegetation
• Flat areas
• Lakes – you can get into the water and hide behind rocks or islands. Murky water is better than clear water because it is better at blocking radiant heat.

Bad Places to Shelter:

• Thick forests
• Steep areas (because fire travels uphill)
• Chutes, ravines, and saddles (low spots on a ridge) – these are natural travel paths for fire
• Ridge tops (because fire travels uphill and you won’t have an escape route)

How to Prevent Wildfires

Unfortunately, humans cause many wildfires – in BC about 40% of wildfires are human caused. Most of the time, people don’t mean to start a fire. With a bit of knowledge and preparation, you can avoid being part of this statistic.

Skip the Campfire

With frequent fire bans, I rarely have a campfire anymore. I know many people feel like they have to have a campfire when camping to have the full experience, but if you skip it, you might find that you’re not missing out on much.

On hot summer days, campfires aren’t needed for warmth. Compared to a camp stove, campfires are unreliable for cooking (everything comes out charred or raw when I try it!). The smoke gets into everything – your clothing, hair, and eyes – and the stink lingers. And spending tons of time chopping firewood and tending the fire takes away from time you could be hiking, swimming, or relaxing.

Instead of campfire, I like to bring a simple battery powered lantern to gather around. Card games or portable board games can be fun too. And you can make s’mores in a skillet on your campstove.

If you must have a campfire-like experience, invest in a propane fire pit. They allowed during fire bans in most jurisdictions are are much easier to use and safer than a campfire.

Check for Fire Bans

Before you have a campfire, check to see if it is allowed. Many provinces and states have websites that show where campfires are allowed and not allowed. However, you should also check park and local municipality websites since some areas have stricter regulations about fires than the province or state. For example, Garibaldi Provincial Park, near where I live, bans fires year round since the park has a sensitive alpine ecosystem.

State and Provincial Fire Ban resources I use often:

• BC Fire Prohibitions and Restrictions
• Albert Fire Bans
• Washington Burn Restrictions

Have a Safe Campfire

If you do have a campfire, check the weather first. Avoid having a campfire on windy days when embers can blow into grass, trees, or buildings and ignite them.

Keep your campfire small. Small campfires are less likely to get out of control.

Use a metal fire ring to keep your fire contained. If you build your fire on bare ground, you can ignite underground root systems, which can spread the fire to the surrounding trees and bushes. Underground fires can smoulder for days or weeks, emerging into flames much later.

Only build a campfire if there is a reliable water source nearby. If your fire gets out of control, you will need a lot of water to put it out. The water in your water bottle won’t be enough. You’ll need running water or a nearby lake or stream to put it out.

Make sure your fire is out. Many people let their fire burn out and think that is good enough. It isn’t. Coals and embers can ignite hours later. When you’re done with your fire, douse it with water, then stir. Keep dousing and stirring until the coals are cool to the touch.

Be Careful When Smoking

Cigarette butts and other smoking materials can cause wildfires, especially in dry and windy conditions. We recently had a fire about 1.5 km from my house in Squamish. The local rumour is that is was started by mountain bikers smoking weed on a dry grassy section of trail.

Dispose of cigarette butts and joint roaches safely. My friend used to smoke and had a fireproof ashtray pouch to pack out cigarette butts. You can also use an Altoids tin or similar.

Drive Cars and ATVs With Care

Hot mufflers and sparks from vehicles can ignite dry grass and other flammable natural materials. Ensure your vehicle is properly maintained to avoid throwing sparks from dragging parts or chains, which can throw sparks. And avoid driving in tall grass, which can catch fire when it touches a hot muffler or exhaust pipe.

Final Thoughts

While it can be devastating to have a trip you’ve planned for a long time get cancelled due to wildfires or smoke, the forest will grow back and you can hike it another time. Don’t risk your life (or your lungs) and the lives of first responders by hiking near wildfires.

READ NEXT:

• The Best Weather Apps for Hiking
• Tips for Hiking in Hot Weather
• How to Find Trail Conditions
• The 10 Essentials: Things You Should Bring on Every Hike
• 16 Things to do Before a Hike

The post Tips for Safe Hiking in Wildfire Season appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

I wish I had one easy answer for you. Wouldn’t it be great to say, “Oh, you just check this magic website called…”. I’m sorry, it doesn’t exist. Instead, you have to check in a bunch of places.

I’ve got tips for where to find trail conditions for hikes all over Canada and the United States. I’ve also got some general tips on how to prepare for a hike.

In this post you’ll find:

• How to find trail conditions: eight places to check
• Why is checking trail conditions important? What will happen if you don’t?
• What should you do if you can’t find up-to-date trail conditions? Should you hike anyway?

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

How to Find Trail Conditions

Check Park Websites

Many, national, state, provincial and regional park websites have a trail conditions section written by a park ranger. Some parks may update their conditions less frequently than others, but it’s often worth looking anyway.

Look up which park the trail you plan to hike is in, then head to the park website. Finding the trail conditions section can be tricky on some parks’ websites. Look for a pinned advisory at the top of the page or click through to the “hiking” or “planning your trip” sections.

If you can’t find the info you want on their website, some parks (especially National Parks) have visitor centers or ranger stations you can call or visit before your hike.

Read Trail Reviews on AllTrails

By far the most popular hiking app in North America is AllTrails. Lots of people use it to find nearby hikes, but you can also use it to leave reviews for hikes. If you scroll through the recent comments, you can often find valuable trail conditions info.

However, keep in mind that, unlike park ranger-generated trail conditions reports, regular people with a variety of hiking experience levels write AllTrails reviews. That means that you should take these reviews with a grain of salt. Some reviews might overstate the hazards while others might downplay them.

Check Instagram

You might be using Instagram to find hiking inspo. But I also find Instagram really helpful for checking trail conditions since it is so visual. Use the in-app search function to find the area you want to hike and be sure to check both the location tag and hashtag feeds. Choose “more recent” rather than “most popular”.

Be sure to check the date the photo was posted AND the caption to make sure you are looking at a current photo, not a throwback shot. And keep in mind that most people post photos of the beautiful parts of the hike, not the hard stuff or the ugly stuff, so you likely aren’t getting the full picture.

The Instagram community is quite friendly so if you see a recent photo from an area you want to hike, go ahead and ask for more info about trail conditions in a comment. You might get the best info that way, and make a new online friend.

Scroll Through Facebook Groups and Subreddits

These days there is a regional Facebook group or Subreddit for hiking pretty much everywhere. To find a local one in your area, search “[name of your city/region] hiking” on Facebook or Reddit. (On Facebook you will also want to filter by groups.)

Backcountry skiing or mountaineering groups can be helpful too since they often share the same approach trails as hikers. Some bucket list trails or national parks also have their own Facebook groups or sub-Reddits.

Before you add a post to the group asking for trail conditions, scroll through the most recent posts or use the search bar to see if someone else has already added info about the trail you are looking for.

Just like with Instagram or All Trails, keep in mind that the responses you get about trail conditions will come from people with various levels of experience and risk tolerance.

Check Web Cams

Webcams can be really helpful to judge current snow conditions, especially in the spring and fall when snow cover can be hard to predict. Very few trails have live webcams, but you can often find webcams close to trails. The most useful webcams are ones at roughly the same elevation as the trail you plan to hike.

Ski area and highway webcams can be a great resource. Google ski areas near where you want to hike or visit state or provincial highways websites to find them.

Look at Recent Aerial Photos on Copernicus Browser

One of my favourite ways to check snow cover is to check Copernicus Browser. It provides up-to-date satellite images from around the world. (FYI: This site used to be known as Sentinel Hub Playground.)

But keep in mind that when the snow is melting, the forests can often look green in the photos but there is snow hiding under the branches! Be sure to look for clearings, roads, and lakes to see if there is snow there.

The interface for Copernicus Browser is not intuitive. But if all you want to do is navigate to a named place and look at a recent satellite photo, it’s pretty easy to use.

You can scroll around to find the location you want or use the search bar to find named locations. You can also use the calendar to see when the most recent satellite photo was taken. Or you can adjust the date to find satellite photos from dates in the past. The calendar also shows which dates have photos with clear skies and which ones are obscured by clouds.

Look Up Smoke and Fire Info on FireSmoke

Unfortunately, in many places, summer is forest fire season for hikers. Even if no fires are burning near your hiking destination, winds can push smoke for hundreds of kilometres, making for an unpleasant hike or dangerous air quality.

I like to check the smoke forecast map on FireSmoke before my trip so I know what to expect. It uses an easy-to-understand animation that overlays the boundaries of nearby fires on a map along with a projection of where the smoke will blow. Colours show you how “bad” the air quality will be. You can also toggle between an hourly forecast, daily average, and daily maximum.

I’ve got a whole guide to safe hiking in wildfire season with more tips.

Check the Avalanche Forecast

Snow + slopes = avalanches. Hikers and snowshoers need to know the avalanche forecast to stay safe. In the United States, use Avalanche.org. In Canada, check the forecast on Avalanche.ca.

Posted forecasts will give you an idea of the snow conditions as well as what types of terrain are the most susceptible to avalanches.

There are no avalanche forecasts in the spring and early summer, but there can still be lots of snow in the mountains. You need to know how to recognize and avoid avalanche terrain when you hike. That means avoiding travelling on or below steep, snow-covered slopes. I like to use the slope angle overlay on Gaia GPS to help identify slopes that could slide.

Why is Checking Trail Conditions Important?

There’s nothing worse than getting halfway up a mountain to be stopped by snow. Or getting eaten alive by bugs because you didn’t bring bug spray and a long-sleeved shirt.

If you research the trail conditions ahead of time you have a higher chance of having fun since you’ll be able to pick an appropriate destination for your abilities, the weather and the current trail conditions. You’ll also bring the right gear and give yourself enough time to complete your hike.

More importantly, you’ll have a much higher chance of staying safe and avoiding getting lost. The first principle of Leave No Trace is to plan ahead and prepare, and checking trail conditions is an important part of that. Search and Rescue gets called out nearly every weekend for someone who didn’t check trail conditions. Don’t let it be you.

What Should You Do if You Can’t Find Up-to-Date Trail Conditions?

If you can’t find up-to-date trail conditions you have two choices: 1) Pick a different hike, or 2) Go anyway but bring lots of extra gear. Consider bringing gear for safe snow travel, such as an ice axe, trekking poles, microspikes, or snowshoes. Bring extra clothing for cold and wet conditions. Pack extra food and water in case it takes longer than you think.

Once you are on the trail (or even on the access road to the trail), be prepared to turn around if you face conditions that you aren’t prepared for. Flooded trails, slippery snow, washed-out bridges, blowdown trees obscuring the path and undrivable access roads are all good reasons to consider turning around.

It’s also a good idea to have a backup hike in the same area so you can do another nearby hike if the one you picked doesn’t work out.

Final Thoughts

I’ve definitely had some mishaps when I failed to check trail conditions. I remember one early summer hike when I didn’t check trail conditions and ended up post-holing into knee-deep snow for hours…. while wearing shorts. My shins got so cut up and my feet were soaked. Lesson learned: check the trail conditions!

What’s your favourite place to find good info on trail conditions? Tell me in the comments.

READ NEXT:

• 16 Things to Do Before a Hike
• The 10 Essentials: Things You Should Bring on Every Hike
• How to Leave No Trace (And Why it’s Important!)
• The Best Weather Apps for Hiking
• Tips for Safe Hiking in Wildfire Season

The post How to Find Trail Conditions appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

But I don’t want to scare you off winter hiking and snowshoeing adventures. They can be so much fun, as long as you’re prepared.

In this post, I’ve partnered with a Search and Rescue expert to lay out all the ways you can get into trouble when snowshoeing or winter hiking. But we will also tell you how to prevent these issues AND what to do if something does go wrong despite your prevention efforts.

This post includes info and advice on:

• Hypothermia
• Slip and Falls
• Getting Lost
• Getting Caught Out After Dark
• Frostbite
• Falling Into Water
• Avalanches
• Glissading Injuries
• Tree Wells
• Dehydration
• Blisters
• Getting Caught in a Storm
• Cornices
• Your Ego

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Thanks for supporting my website! -Taryn

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Expert Advice

To really make sure I was getting the most expert info when it comes to snowshoeing safety, I chatted with Michael Coyle, a Search and Rescue volunteer with over 20 years of experience.

You’ll find advice from him throughout this post. Michael has been on countless rescues in the Vancouver area, and many of those rescues involved snowshoers. I’m so grateful that he shared his expertise on this subject.

Why is Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing More Dangerous than Summer Hiking?

At first glance, snowshoeing might seem pretty similar to summer hiking. You strap snowshoes on your feet, wear a few more clothes and set out on the same trails, right? Well not exactly. As Michael put it:

“Winter reduces the margin for error: Winter has shorter days. Travel in the snow is always slower than walking. Snow creates more problems route-finding because it blocks trail markers and landmarks. The combination of those three factors turns a winter expedition into a more serious thing because you’ve got less time, you’re moving slower, and you’ve already got a challenge navigating. And of course, cold weather reduces survivability. Somebody who gets lost in the winter is automatically in a life-threatening situation.”

– Michael Coyle, Search and Rescue volunteer in Coquitlam, BC

That’s why being prepared and knowing the basics of snowshoeing safety is so important.

Here are 14 ways you can get into trouble snowshoeing, how to prevent them, and what to do if they happen.

Hypothermia

What is hypothermia?

There’s feeling a little chilly, and then there’s hypothermia. A person is hypothermic when their core body temperature drops too low (35°C/95°F). It’s easy to get hypothermic when it’s really cold out, but it can also happen in wet and windy weather that isn’t below freezing.

People with hypothermia shiver, slur their speech, lose their balance, get clumsy, and generally act a bit “slower” than normal.

In the later stages of hypothermia, they may have shallow breathing, a weak pulse, and may lose consciousness. If left untreated, hypothermia can lead to death. Knowing the signs of hypothermia is an important part of snowshoeing safety, and hiking safety all year round.

How to prevent hypothermia

Prevention is key when it comes to hypothermia. Ensure you bring lots of warm clothing. Avoid sweating since it will cool you down when you stop. Pack dry clothes to change into if you do get sweaty.

Dress in layers so you can easily regulate your temperature. Read more about what to wear winter hiking and snowshoeing.

Check the weather forecast before you go out and make sure you have the right gear for the temperature and wind. And keep an eye on the weather as you snowshoe. If it looks like it’s getting worse, it might be a good idea to turn around early.

What to do if someone gets hypothermia

Hypothermia can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages, and the sufferer may not even think they are hypothermic since their mental capacity is diminished. Make sure you check in with your friends so you can recognize the symptoms of hypothermia in each other.

The only treatment for hypothermia is warming up the victim. First, get out of the cold. That may mean setting up a tent or just finding a sheltered spot and wrapping the patient in an emergency blanket.

Cuddling can also be really helpful. Remove any wet clothing and have them put on something dry and warm. Have the patient drink and eat lots of warm things. Bringing a stove on a winter trip can be the difference between life and death! Call Search and Rescue for help if necessary.

Slip and Falls on a Steep Slope

How do slip and falls on a steep slope happen?

Falls on steep slopes are actually one of the most common ways for snowshoers to injure themselves. In Michael’s experience, in places with steep and icy conditions, such as the mountains near Vancouver, slip and falls are far more common for snowshoers than avalanches.

Snowy and icy conditions make things more slippery in the winter, leading to more falls. A few other factors also come into play:

First, when you slip on ice or snow, you are much more likely to slide a long way down, possibly bumping into things along the way. This means that the consequences of a winter fall on a slope are often high.

Second, on a slippery slope, you need lots of traction, and snowshoers don’t usually have it.

How to prevent slip and falls on a steep slope

The first thing you can do is try to avoid steep slopes. Michael says snowshoers need to be careful in any steep terrain since the chance of a slip and fall will have more of a consequence.

Look for gentler, more gradual slopes to travel on. In particular, he says side-hilling and going steeply up or down a slope are the most dangerous.

1. Snowshoes don’t provide good traction

If you need to travel on a steep slope, make sure you have traction. Snowshoes are primarily intended to help you float on top of the snow. They have cleats underfoot for a bit of grip, but in general, snowshoes aren’t very good at biting into the snow. (Read more about how to choose snowshoes.)

Snowshoes can be particularly dangerous when you are traversing across a slope since, in that orientation, the cleats under the snowshoes aren’t biting into the snow at all! Going down is also problematic since the cleats aren’t designed to grip well in that direction.

2. Take your snowshoes off, then kick steps or use microspikes

On steep and snowy slopes you may want to remove your snowshoes entirely and kick steps into the snow using your boots.

If the slope is icy, I find using microspikes to be really helpful and Michael highly recommends them too. They are spikes that strap to the bottom of your shoes and give you a great grip on ice.

Michael recommends you change your footwear “earlier rather than later. Transition on flat terrain if you can or if you know you’re coming up on a steep area. And don’t be afraid of backtracking a bit.” Balancing on the side of a hill is not the best place to be fiddling with straps!

Read more about the differences between microspikes, crampons, and snowshoes.

3. Use trekking poles

You also need to add traction with your hands. I always bring trekking poles when I go snowshoeing. They add extra security on steep slopes.

Michael recommends removing the baskets or flipping the poles upside down so you can “plunge them deeper into the snow to get stability”. He says most people use poles as a balance tool, but that when you plunge a pole deep into the snow, you are essentially creating a self-belay to anchor yourself to the slope.

Another option he recommends is to “shorten the poles, then grab them above the basket and use them like little daggers.”

4. Use an ice axe

Mountaineers use ice axes for even better security. Many snowshoers don’t carry one, but it’s a good idea if you’re getting into steep backcountry terrain.

Michael recommends that you “get an ice axe and learn how to use it” to self-arrest. Take a mountaineering course to learn how. And definitely pick up a copy of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, the mountain travel bible for hikers and mountaineers.

What to do if you do slip and fall on a steep slope

If you do start to slide on a steep slope, I hope you’ve got an ice axe. Doing a self-arrest maneuver with an ice axe, is the best way to stop a slide. If you don’t have an axe, you can use your hiking poles or try to dig into the snow with your hands, elbows, knees, and boots.

Getting Lost

How do snowshoers get lost?

It’s a lot easier to get lost in the winter since the snow can obscure summer trail markers. If the weather is good and you lose the trail, you can follow your footprints in the snow to backtrack. But that doesn’t work when it’s snowing.

Another way snowshoers get lost is when they lose the trail, they head downhill and end up going down a slope that is too steep to climb back up.

How to prevent getting lost while snowshoeing

In some areas, park rangers mark winter routes with long reflective wands. This makes it easier to find the trail. However, in a snowstorm, even the wands might be hard to find.

If you hike or snowshoe in the winter, you should brush up on your navigation skills. Carry a map and compass and know how to use it. A stand-alone GPS or GPS app on your phone like Gaia GPS is also a good idea. But make sure you pack extra batteries, especially if you use your phone since you’ll need it in an emergency.

What to do if you get lost snowshoeing

If you do realize you are lost, don’t panic. Stop and think. See if you can remember any landmarks you may have passed. If the weather is good, turn around and follow your footprints back the way you came. Look at your map or use your GPS to see where you are and where you might have gone wrong.

If you really aren’t sure where you are or how to get back to the trail, stay put and call for help. Don’t keep moving as it will be harder for rescuers to find you. And DON’T start blindly descending the mountain. Many snowshoers have been injured or died this way.

When you go downhill, you can get into very steep gullies that are hard to get out of or slip and fall off cliffs. Michael says that his Search and Rescue teams have rescued many people in these types of situations where they have gone down a slope and can’t get back up.

Getting Caught Out After Dark

How do snowshoers get caught out after dark?

Many snowshoers forget that there are fewer hours of daylight in the winter and don’t leave enough time to get back to the trailhead. They often also forget to pack a flashlight or headlamp.

How to prevent getting caught out after dark

Look up the sunset time for the day you plan to hike. If your hike takes you into a valley or is in a forest, keep in mind that it will be dark on the trail earlier than the forecasted sunset time.

Research the trail you want to snowshoe. Give yourself enough time to complete the hike before it gets dark.

And remember that snowshoeing can be MUCH slower than hiking. As well, travel times on snowshoes are very dependent on the snow conditions. I like to start my winter trips as early as possible to give myself a buffer of a few hours just in case it takes longer than I think it will.

I always pack a headlamp on every winter hike, just in case. You never know when you’ll end up hiking in the dark. A headlamp or flashlight is much brighter and will last longer than the light on your phone. And you should save the battery on your phone in case you need to call for help.

What to do if you have to hike out in the dark

Try to avoid using a light until you really need it to save batteries. Your eyes can adjust well to the dark. If you brought a headlamp or flashlight, use it once it gets really dark.

Be extra vigilant to make sure you stay on the trail – it’s a lot easier to get lost at night.

If it’s really dark and you don’t have a light, don’t keep hiking. You’ll just get lost or fall and hurt yourself. Stay put and call for help.

Frostbite

What is frostbite?

Frostbite happens when your skin and tissue get so cold that they freeze. Frostbite can cause permanent damage.

The most common way to get frostbite is when skin is exposed to cold air. The first symptoms of frostbite are numbness or a pins-and-needles feeling. As it gets worse, frostbite will start to feel painful and the skin will change colour and feel firmer.

How to prevent frostbite

Bundle up! Protect all your exposed skin from the cold winter air. Wear layers, warm gloves and a hat. (Read more about what to wear winter hiking and snowshoeing.) Consider bringing backups in your pack so you can add a layer or swap damp gear for dry.

In very cold temperatures you may want to wear a balaclava and ski goggles to make sure you have no exposed skin.

Check the weather. If exceptionally cold temperatures or high winds are forecast, stay indoors. The risk of frostbite increases greatly when temperatures are below -15°C/5°F.

What to do if you get frostbite

Frostbitten tissue is very sensitive and vulnerable. Don’t try to rub it to warm it up, as you can damage it. Get out of the backcountry and to medical attention as soon as possible to have professionals rewarm the affected tissue.

Falling Into Water

How do snowshoers fall into water in the winter?

Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to accidentally fall through thin ice on lakes or streams. Or you might be crossing when you think is a depression in the snow, that turns out to actually be a creek bed. You could crash through the snow bridge over the top of a creek and end up in the water.

Being wet and cold in the winter is dangerous. It can lead to hypothermia and frostbite. No bueno.

How to avoid falling into water in the winter

Know your surroundings! Use a map or GPS app to figure out if you’re actually walking on a frozen lake or stream.

Ice needs to be at least 4″ (10cm) thick to safely walk on it. However, keep in mind that ice is usually not the same thickness across an entire body of water. It may be thinner in some areas, especially where there is moving water.

Keep an eye out for hidden stream crossings as well, especially early and late in the winter. If there’s a trench in the snow, it’s likely there’s a creek flowing underneath. You can use hiking poles to probe the depth of the snow to see if it is thick enough to cross. If in doubt, turn around.

What to do if you fall into water in the winter

If you fall through ice into deep water, try to remain calm and get out of the water as soon as possible.

Try to hoist your torso onto the ice, then use your feet to propel the rest of you onto the ice. Once all of your body is on the ice, roll towards the shore. If you get up, you risk breaking through the ice again. After you are onshore, begin treatment for hypothermia (see above).

If you plunge your feet or lower body into a creek by falling through a snow bridge, climb up out of the creek as soon as you can. The sides of the creek bed may be very steep, so consider taking off your snowshoes so you can kick steps.

Once you are out, remove your wet boots and socks. Try to get as much water out of your boots as possible before they freeze. Change into dry socks if possible. Get out of the backcountry to somewhere you can warm up and dry off as soon as possible. Watch for signs of hypothermia and frostbite.

Avalanches

What is an avalanche?

Many people associate avalanches with skiing, but avalanche knowledge is also an important part of snowshoeing safety. An avalanche happens when snow slides down a slope.

Michael says it’s easy to recognize avalanche terrain: “If it looks like you could ski it – it’s avalanche terrain. For snowshoers, if it looks like you could butt-slide down it – it’s avalanche terrain.”

Another thing Michael says is important to keep in mind: “avalanches are most often triggered by people... most of the time people are on the slope when the avalanche starts.” Avalanches can bury people, causing them to suffocate to death.

Even if people aren’t buried, avalanches also cause grave injuries since they carry people downhill, banging into trees and rocks along the way.

How to avoid getting caught in an avalanche

1. Take an avalanche training course

Every snowshoer should take an avalanche training course. You can find course listings and more information on Avalanche.ca or Avalanche.org. When you snowshoe keep the terrain in mind.

Michael says “steep terrain means more exposure to avalanches.” Avoid steep slopes and the area directly below steep slopes until you have avalanche training and can evaluate the risks.

Summer hiking trails often travel right through avalanche terrain. Just because somewhere is safe in the summer doesn’t make it safe in winter.

2. Check the avalanche forecast

If you don’t have avalanche training and the forecast is rated anything except “low”, don’t go. Michael says “Avalanche accidents don’t happen when the forecast is ‘extreme’, ‘considerable’, or ‘low’. They happen when the forecast is ‘moderate’. When the forecast is ‘extreme’ it’s obviously dangerous, and when it’s ‘low’, it’s obviously not dangerous. At ‘moderate’, people say ‘I think it’s okay’…” but then it isn’t.”

3. Bring avalanche safety gear

If you plan to travel in avalanche terrain (or if you’re not sure if it is avalanche terrain), you should bring avalanche safety gear. That means an avalanche transceiver (also called a beacon), a probe and a shovel. Everyone in your group needs their own gear and training in how to use it.

What to do if you get caught in an avalanche

If you are in an avalanche, try to grab onto something to avoid being swept downhill. If you are swept away, try to stay on the surface of the slide by “swimming”. When the avalanche slows down, try to push yourself towards the surface.

If possible, try to get part of your body sticking out of the snow.  Make an air pocket in front of your face so you can breathe. Try to relax and stay calm as you wait for rescue.

Rescuers will use their transceivers and probes to locate you under the snow, then dig you out using shovels. Take an avalanche class to learn the best way to locate and recover a person buried by an avalanche.

Glissading Injuries

How do snowshoers injure themselves glissading?

Glissading is just a French word for sliding down a snowy slope on your butt. Mountaineers use this technique to descend a mountain quickly and snowshoers often do it for fun. However, it’s easy to injure yourself by going too fast, sliding into something, or catching on something.

How to prevent glissading injuries

Assess the slope before you slide. Make sure you can see the run-out and there aren’t rocks, trees, etc. you will hit along the way. As well, don’t glissade on the main trail. You could hit other people and it makes the path icy and dangerous for others who choose to walk. Be mindful of avalanche conditions. Glissades can cause avalanches.

Remove your snowshoes or microspikes before you glissade. Having a spike catch on the way down is the most common way people injure themselves glissading. When you catch a spike it can send you flying head over heels, break bones, or sprain your ankles and knees.

Use an ice axe or ski pole as a brake to keep your speed under control.

What to do if you injure yourself glissading

Assess the injuries and administer first aid. Call search and rescue for help when necessary.

Tree Wells

What is a tree well? Why are they dangerous?

A tree well is a hollow area at the base of a tree. The branches above the hollow collect snow, causing an empty area of powdery snow to collect near the tree trunk. The same phenomenon can occur in a boulder field where gaps between the rocks get covered in snow, hiding the openings beneath.

When a person falls into a tree well, it can be difficult to escape since the snow is so powdery. Usually, people fall into the tree well headfirst. People have suffocated to death in tree wells when no one was around to help them.

How to avoid tree wells

Use caution when snowshoeing or hiking near trees. Assume all trees have tree wells. They may be well hidden. Always snowshoe with a friend and keep an eye out for each other. Clip a whistle on to the strap of your backpack to use to call for help if you do fall in.

What to do if you do fall into a tree well

Don’t panic. Keep your breathing steady and try to find an air pocket. Try not to move too much. If you move, it will just cause the loose snow to pack in around you. If you can, grab part of the tree and hang on to keep from falling in further.

Use your whistle to call for help. Friends can help dig you out, being careful to keep your airway clear.

Dehydration

How do snowshoers get dehydrated?

When it’s cold out, it’s easy to forget to drink. As well, water bottles can ice up and hydration pack hoses can freeze over, making drinking impossible.

Dehydration doesn’t just make you feel thirsty. It can cause muscle cramps, dizziness, headache, and nausea. It can also make you feel so fatigued that you can’t keep hiking or so disoriented that you end up lost.

How to prevent dehydration when snowshoeing

Start by camel-ing up. Chug water in the car on the way there. Remind yourself (and your friends) to have a drink each time you stop for a break.

Pack your water in an insulated bottle to keep it from freezing. If you’re using a regular bottle, store it upside down to prevent the lid from icing up.

If you use a hydration pack get a tube insulator for it. Another pro tip: each time you take a drink from your hose, blow air back into the tube to force the water back into the reservoir and out of the tube. It freezes faster in the tube.

Bring a thermos of warm tea, coffee or hot chocolate to enjoy during your lunch break. Or pack a stove and make a hot drink or some soup.

Get more advice in my tips for winter hiking

What to do if you get dehydrated

Drink and rest until you feel better. Don’t try to eat snow – it actually takes more heat from your body to melt the snow than it’s worth. If it’s serious, call search and rescue for help.

Blisters

What causes blisters? Why are they a problem?

Blisters form when your skin gets irritated or damaged from friction or pressure. Blisters and other foot problems can be severe enough to make snowshoeing difficult or impossible.

Snowshoers and winter hikers are especially susceptible to blisters for a few reasons: They are often wearing heavy socks that can bunch up or cause your feet to get sweaty. Snow dripping into boots can cause blisters. The increased rubbing of snowshoe or microspike straps can cause blisters. And finally, the uneven snow surface causes your feet to be less stable in your shoes, causing more foot movement and rubbing than on the bare ground.

How to prevent blisters

There’s actually so much to know about this topic that I wrote an entire post about how to prevent blisters. Head over there to read it.

But here are the main points for snowshoers: Keep your feet dry, both from snow and sweat. Pay attention to the way your boots, socks, snowshoes, and microspikes fit. If it doesn’t feel good, change something. Don’t wait until a blister has formed.

How to treat blisters

There’s a whole section on blister treatment in my post about blister prevention. But in a nutshell, carry bandaids, medical tape, and blister dressings on every hike. Treat your blisters early so they don’t get worse.

Getting Caught in a Storm

Why are winter storms dangerous for snowshoers?

Winter storms can bring exceptionally cold weather and high winds. Swirling fog and snow can also reduce visibility, making navigation really difficult.

Winter storms often combine with other dangers on this list such as hypothermia, getting lost, avalanches, and frostbite, sometimes with tragic outcomes. Michael says: “when it’s actively snowing the visibility is bad, your tracks are getting buried, and the snow is becoming less stable, which makes avalanches more likely.”

How to avoid getting caught in a storm

Check the weather forecast before your trip and plan to go another time if it looks bad. Keep an eye on changing weather conditions as you snowshoe and be prepared to turn back. Carry extra warm clothing, navigation gear and an emergency shelter like a space blanket just in case.

READ NEXT: The Best Weather Apps for Hiking

What to do if you get caught in a storm

Bundle up in warm clothing and keep exposed skin covered. If you can stay on the trail and hike out, do it. If not, find a sheltered spot or dig a snow cave and settle down to wait it out.

Cornices

What are cornices? Why are they dangerous?

A cornice is a mass of overhanging snow that wind forms on the top of a mountain or ridge. They can break off unexpectedly, sometimes well back from the edge, causing anyone standing on them to fall.

In 2017, five snowshoers fell to their deaths when a cornice collapsed on Mount Harvey, near my home in Vancouver. Michael says that cornices are something that doesn’t get talked about often when it comes to snowshoeing safety, but more people should know about.

How to avoid cornices

Know how cornices form and be careful to stay well back from the edge on slopes where cornices can occur.

What to do if you are in a cornice fall

If you are on a cornice that collapses, you are essentially now in an avalanche. Follow the advice for surviving an avalanche above.

Your Ego

Why is your ego dangerous for snowshoers?

Accidents aren’t usually the result of one big mistake. Instead, a cascade of small mistakes or bad decisions builds up to cause a dangerous situation.

Our egos often make us push forward to the summit when it’s safer to turn around. Or they make us keep going when we are lost, instead of backtracking. Our egos also make us afraid to tell our adventure buddies that we aren’t confident in the situation since we don’t want to look weak.

We can also fall victim to confirmation bias. Essentially, confirmation bias makes us think that since we’ve done something like this before and nothing bad happened then, nothing bad will happen this time.

A lot of people don’t realize the potential dangers of a situation until something goes wrong. Sometimes that just means getting a little bit lost, but other times it can be far more tragic.

How to keep your ego in check when snowshoeing

Keeping your ego in check is a key component of snowshoeing safety. Stay humble. Be okay with turning around. Check-in with your snowshoeing buddies and make sure you are all okay with the conditions periodically.

Your number one goal each time you go into the wilderness should be returning safely. Summiting a peak, reaching a viewpoint, or getting a killer shot for Instagram are all lower priority.

In Michael’s experience, “intermediates get into trouble” most often, not beginners. That’s because people with an intermediate level of experience have enough skills to get themselves into more challenging situations, but they don’t always have the knowledge to assess the risks of those situations. In Michael’s words “they don’t know what they don’t know… and confirmation bias is kicking in.”

What to do if your ego gets the best of you

Try to take a step back and assess the situation with a clear head. The bravest thing to do is admit you made a bad decision and take steps to reverse it.

Final Thoughts

So there’s all the ways you could get into trouble snowshoeing and winter hiking. I hope you never find yourself in any of these situations, but if you do, at least now you’ll have a better idea of what to do.

And honestly, the wilderness gets the best of us sometimes, even if we think we are super-prepared and know about snowshoeing safety. Have any of these situations happened to you while snowshoeing? Leave a comment and tell me about it.

More snowshoeing and winter hiking advice:

• How to Choose Snowshoes: A Complete Guide
• Microspikes vs. Crampons vs. Snowshoes: What’s the Difference?
• The Best Boots For Snowshoeing
• Best Gifts for Snowshoers (20+ Ideas)
• What to Wear Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing
• 9 Tips for Winter Hiking (You Don’t Have to Freeze!)
• How to Stay Warm in a Tent: Over 40 Tips

More outdoor safety advice:

• The 10 Essentials: Things You Should Bring on Every Hike
• How to Prevent Blisters When Hiking
• 16 Things to do Before a Hike

The post Snowshoeing Safety: 14 Ways to Get into Trouble and How to Prevent Them appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.