{"id":6069,"date":"2023-07-11T10:39:52","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T10:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/?p=6069"},"modified":"2023-08-09T11:25:08","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T11:25:08","slug":"change-in-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/change-in-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"CHANGE IN PLANS: BE PREPARED FOR YOUR TRAIL"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo of\u00a0 July 2023 damage to\u00a0 Ashuelot Rail Trail by NHRTC Board Member Mike Kowalczyk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every Granite State outdoor enthusiast knows that Nature flexes her muscles now and then. It\u2019s a good idea to be prepared, even when your planned outing is short and local. What does that mean for someone who\u2019s exploring New Hampshire\u2019s rail trails? Be flexible about your destination, and be willing to re-schedule your visit if conditions warrant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have an alternate destination in mind.<\/b> If the parking lot at your favorite trailhead is rutted and muddy, is there another one you can try? Perhaps a different destination altogether is what you need. New Hampshire abounds with parks and natural heritage sites. Look up individual trails by checking the websites for the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition (<\/span>nhrtc.org<\/span><\/a>), New Hampshire State Parks (<\/span>nhstateparks.org<\/span><\/a>), and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (<\/span>forestsociety.org<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check recent weather and news reports about the area you plan to visit. <\/b>As this is being written, the Monadnock area including the 21-mile-long Ashuelot rail trail is reeling from heavy rainfall and flooding. Another season might bring ice storms or high winds to any area. When roads and trails in an area have sustained damage, avoid them. Let recovery crews do their job. Local residents and businesses will be happy to welcome hikers and bikers again once conditions improve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Know before you go<\/b>. Whether you\u2019re hiking on Mount Washington or riding on your local rail trail, be prepared for current conditions! Check the forecast, and pack accordingly. A rain poncho is a good thing to have in your backpack anytime. Carry a small first-aid kit, even for local excursions. Find out in advance if your chosen trail is paved or unpaved, level or hilly, icy or muddy, and choose your footwear accordingly. The <\/span>Hike Safe Code<\/span><\/a> isn\u2019t just for mountaineers!<\/span><\/p>\n

Invest in a Hike Safe card<\/b>. The card isn\u2019t just for hikers. It\u2019s for anyone who enjoys outdoor recreation in New Hampshire. If bad weather puts you in a situation requiring rescue, your Hike Safe card will protect you from liability for rescue costs in most cases. Another great benefit: revenue from the sale of the cards goes to the Search and Rescue fund administered by New Hampshire Fish and Game. Get more information at <\/span>https:\/\/wildlife.state.nh.us\/safe\/index.html<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Public Service Announcement from NHRTC Treasurer, Ellen Kolb.\u00a0 Check out her blog: http:\/\/granitestatewalker.com\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo of\u00a0 July 2023 damage to\u00a0 Ashuelot Rail Trail by NHRTC Board Member Mike Kowalczyk Every Granite State outdoor enthusiast knows that Nature flexes her muscles now and then. It\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,33,30],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6069","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-board-update","8":"category-exploring-nhs-rail-trails","9":"category-trail-etiquette"},"cc_featured_image_caption":{"caption_text":"","source_text":"","source_url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6069"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6137,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6069\/revisions\/6137"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}