What to Bring

To insure you have the best experience and maximum safety possible on your tour we offer some guidelines below. Some of our tours are very easy, such as Mill Creek Falls- you ride in the van to the site and then walk on a level trail for less than ¼ mile. Other tours involve more serious hiking and require you to have adequate equipment such as a good pair of lug sole hiking boots.

The Bring list will let you know the minimum clothing, shoes, food and other items you will need to bring for that particular tour or hike, for both safety and comfort. Some things may surprise you. For instance, if we are visiting an underground cave, though it may be 100 degrees in the hot sun on the surface, in the cave it will only be in the low 50's, so you'll need to bring warmer clothing despite being in the middle of summer.

Here's the Key to the Icons telling you what to bring that you'll find on the description of every tour as appropriate:

Camera      Day Pack      Hiking Boots      Long Pants

Mosquito Repellent      Rain Gear      Sack Lunch      Snacks  

  Sun Glasses      Sun Hat      Sun Screen      Trekking Pole   

  Warm Clothing      Water       Layers of Clothing

As you look at the various tours in the Our Tours section, you'll notice that in addition to a Description, each tour will provide you the Challenge Level, which tells the degree of difficulty as well as give you an idea of the physical condition you should be in in order to participate in the hike.

Each tour will also let you know about the available Sanitation Facilities. Some tours will have flush toilets available nearby, others will have outhouses, and wilderness tours will have secluded spots behind trees off the trail. Be sure to be prepared for the tour you are going on.

Along with making sure you have a fabulous experience on your tour, safety is a primary concern of ours. We will drive you and guide you safely, but you'll still need to be aware and prepared for hazards and irritations you can encounter, especially when you are on a wilderness tour.

Here are some of the common things to watch out for:

Critters: The further out into the wilderness your tour is the more likely you are to encounter animals and creatures that could pose a danger. Though it is very unlikely you will ever have an encounter, know that it is possible to come too close for comfort with bears, cougars, rattlesnakes and porcupines. Before your tour begins we will give you instructions on how to act should any of these encounters occur. Insects can also be a slight nuisance at certain times of the year in some locales. Primarily mosquitoes and ticks.

Plants: The most painful plant that may be encountered is Thistle, particularly Star Thistle on certain tours, which is great at sticking needles in unprotected lower legs. It's easy to avoid as long as you stay on the trails. More diligence is required on some tours where it grows, to avoid Poison Oak. On tours where it is found we will point it out to you, and continue to point it out every time we see it on the trail, but ultimately it is up to you to avoid contact.

If there are any other commonly found dangerous plants you should be aware of, we will point them out to you as we progress on the hike. As a basic rule, don't touch plants you do not know, and don't put any plant or berry in your mouth that you are not sure of its identification.

Natural Hazards: By far the greatest risk on wilderness hikes are from the hiking environment itself rather than the plants or animals found within it. We will give you additional instructions when appropriate at various locals, but in general be very cautious on steep slopes of falling rocks, especially if there are people above you that may knock a rock down. If you knock a rock down, even a small one with your foot, and there are people below you, loudly yell out “ROCK” to warn the people below. If you're one of the people below and you hear someone above you yell “rock”, press up tight to the hillside so falling rocks will sail over you. If a large tree or boulder is near you can dash behind that for safety as well.

Some hikes such as Pilot Rock also have large, steep talus slopes of loose rock. In these instances you not only need to be cautious of rocks falling from above or knocking rocks down on people below, but also simply slipping on loose rocks yourself and falling to the ground. Again, when we are out on the trail, we will give you additional instructions appropriate for the area to help keep you as safe as possible.

Hiking Restrictions: Each tour will also be marked for AGE. This is the minimum age to go on the tour. Some of our tours are suitable for families with children as young as 8, while other are for adults only, and several with various ages in between. Please note the age requirement for the various tours and choose one appropriate for your group.

Some tours also have EQUIPMENT requirements. If you do not have the proper equipment to go on certain wilderness hikes we will not be able to take you. For instance, it may be noted “Hiking Boots Required”. That actually means lug-soled hiking boots, not lug-soled tennis shoes. For the your safety and everyone else in the group you must have real hiking boots. Other hikes may specify “Low Profile lug-soled shoes”, in which case it could be any shoes or boots with small lug soles or better. Some tours footwear may be irrelevant and this will also be noted. Hats may also be required for certain hikes. Other items such as trekking poles are optional and you are welcome to bring them if you find them helpful.

Smoking: Smoking of any kind is not allowed on our tours, inside or outside.

Water: You will need to bring your own water on all hikes. You must assume that Guardia is present in any natural water bodies.