The Wednesday Night Hikes typically occur
after work on Wednesday Evening from early June (when enough snow
melts
from the trails) through to the fall equinox (when there is
too
little daylight) with the group meeting in the parking lot at the
mouth
of Big Cottonwood Canyon at 6:00 PM with coordination typically
occurring
on the UARC 146.62 repeater. Upon gathering in the parking
lot, the group will decide on a destination for that night's
hike.
Occasionally, if there are major conflicts in schedules (or really bad
weather) a "Wednesday Night Hike" may occur on a Tuesday or Thursday
night.
While the destination is generally one of
the forks of Big Cottonwood Canyon, a destination in Little Cottonwood
or Milcreek canyon may be picked instead: For this reason, it is
recommended that you monitor the repeater on your way to the parking
lot
in the event of a change of meeting places that would better
accommodate
that night's destination.
While it turns out that most of those
going
on these hikes happen to be amateur radio operators, this is definitely
not
a requirement. While some of these hikes may be somewhat
strenuous
they are usually within the realm of possibility for almost
anyone.
There are often three groups going up the same trail, keeping in touch
via radio: Those that are fast, those that are not fast, and
those
that are half-slow. At the turnaround point (or somewhere in the
middle, if a loop is being done) the group gathers, allowing those who
aren't as fast to catch up.
These "Wednesday Night Hikes" have been
occurring
for well over a decade now and consists of an informal group of people
who have decided that they can tolerate each other for the duration of
a hike. This group is not associated with the Wasatch Mountain
club
which often meets at about the same time in the same place.
If you decide to
participate:
If you decide to participate in these
hikes,
there are a few things that you will need to bring:
You must bring
water. Bring
at
leasttwo quarts, preferably three. There's a
7-11
at the mouth of the canyon at which you can grab a couple of bottles of
water if you forgot/don't have a canteen.
Bring a small snack. Sometimes you
might
get a bit hungry along the trail, or you might simply want to nibble on
something while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.
Bring a flashlight. Often, we get
back
to the cars in the dark. Make sure that your flashlight is a bit
more substantial than a penlight - but it not need be as massive as a 6
D-cell maglight. It is common nowadays to use LED flashlights
and/or
headlamps.
Bring a jacket. At higher
elevations,
it is often windy and/or cold. While moving, you may be warm, but
when you stop, you'll want a jacket.
Bring bug repellent. Most of the
time,
bugs aren't a problem - but sometimes they are...
Bring a pack of some sort. This
should
be something that attaches to your back or waist, like a "day pack"
(resembling
a book bag) or a "fanny pack." Carrying gear with your hands
turns
out to be quite a hassle, can offset your balance, and can be
surprisingly
fatiguing.
Bring rain gear. A poncho or a
rain jacket
works nicely. Sometimes we'll conduct the entire hike in a light
drizzle/rain (which is usually fairly pleasant, if appropriately
prepared)
or we may be ambushed by a sudden storm.
Bring good shoes. Comfortable
footwear
for hiking is strongly recommended. Most participants hike in
well
broken-in tennis shoes or hiking shoes while others wear hiking boots.
Whatever
you do, do not hike in brand new shoes or boots!!!
If you have an appropriate amateur radio
license,
feel free to bring a 2 meter HT.
