CHAPTER NINE

HIKING
Hiking Etiquette:

Leave No Trace Principles

● Principle 1: Plan Ahead and PreparePrinciple 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
● Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly: Pack it in Pack it out
● Principle 4: Leave What You Find
● Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts
● Principle 6: Respect Wildlife
● Principle 7: Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Basic Rules of the Road

● Know before you go. This is the first and one of the most important rules for hikers. First
and foremost you must research your destination. Find out about the terrain, the
weather, and the available facilities on the trail. Carry the 10 essentials recommended:
● Dress in layers. For example, a pair of shorts under your long pants. A tank top under
your long sleeve shirt, a vest over your jacket. A beanie under your hat. Extra socks,
gloves and undergarments. You can adjust your clothing as needed for hot or cold
weather.
● Have a prearranged plan of what to do in case someone gets separated from the group.
● Make sure someone is aware of your hiking plans in case something happens. Check in
with them at the beginning of your outing and again when you return. If you are not able
to communicate due to an emergency someone will be aware when you are missing.

10 Essentials for Hiking

● Map
● Compass
● Sunglasses and sunscreen
● Extra food and water
● Whistle
● Extra clothes
● Mirror
● First aid kit
● Fire starter (matches, chemical heat tabs, canned heat, or a magnesium stick)
● Knife

Choose the Right Path and Leave What You Found

● Protect all living things and especially the history of the place you are hiking. IF there is
something that you absolutely MUST share, take a picture or draw it to share.
● Stay in a single file line when on designated hiking trails and always try to stay to the
right when others pass.
 ● If you are walking on a roadway instead of a path, keep to the left so that you are facing
oncoming traffic.
● ALWAYS USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM. A Girl Scout NEVER goes anywhere unless there
are 2 or more people together.
● Obey all posted signs and trail signs. Familiarize yourself with trail signs in case you get
separated from your group. If you are able to leave trail signs you will be found easily.
● Never give food to any animals you may encounter, they may mistake you for food!
● Be responsible for your safety and that of your buddy! Always stay hydrated! Each pair
of buddies should monitor each other.

Minimize Environmental Impact

● Minimize your footprint on the environment. Do not leave designated trails.

● If you have to use the biffy (bathroom in the forest for you) while out, learn the proper
way to use a “cathole.” Generally a cathole is 6”-8” deep. Use this hole as your toilet and
then fill in the hole when finished. Never place anything other than human waste and
biodegradable toilet paper in a cathole. Remember to always carry a Ziploc bag for
carrying out feminine hygiene products.
● If you carry it in, then remember you will carry it out.
● Don’t build fires unless you use a mound fire. This is a small fire built on a mound of dirt.
Never build a fire on a rock as it will permanently discolor the rock.

Tips for Staying Warm

● As you hike you perspire. When it begins to get cold, and your body tries to keep warm,
the perspiration on your undergarments and socks tend to make your body cold. By
simply changing your undergarments and socks or removing them before bed, you will
stay warm.
● By placing a beanie on your head, especially while sleeping, you will also stay warmer.
Most of the heat in your body is released from your head. By wearing a hat, you help
keep your whole body warmer.
● If any of your clothing gets wet, remove it. It will dry faster spread on a rock instead of on
your body. You will also be able to get warmer faster if the clothing is removed.
● Drinking a warm liquid will also help in the warming process. It is, however, a myth that
alcohol makes you warm. It is a short term fix and is not consistent with long term
warmth.
● Remember to always wear sunblock. Although the sun feels good on your skin as you
get cold, the slightest sunburn will cause the chills in the evening hours. Sunburn is a
type of chill that isn’t easily addressed.
A Hike Is A Walk With Purpose

Note: A hike should be just long enough to be fun, but not too tiring.

Hiking Games:

ALPHABET HIKE: Look as you go for things starting with all the letters of the alphabet. If you
want to make it harder, require finding them in alphabetical order. Variation - use a word such as
"Girl Scout" or "Brownie" if the entire alphabet is a bit much.

RAIN HIKE: A wonderful activity for a rainy day. Girls must be prepared with raingear.

UPSIDE-DOWN HIKE: See what is living under rocks and logs. You turn things over to look
underneath them. You put everything back carefully so that the little animals can go on living in
their houses.

CHAIN HIKE: Especially good for one or more groups not too well acquainted with one another.
While marching in couples, blow a whistle every five minutes. The girls on the left move up one
partner. The girl in the front will need to move to the end of the line.

SEALED ORDERS HIKE: Send girls in twos or threes to carry out orders. Each girl brings a
sealed “ORDER” to exchange. Have each girl write two sealed orders to exchange and do.

NOTE HIKE: Start with 1 note such as, “Go to the oak tree by the creek.” Have a note there
saying, "Pick up rock across the trail.” Have a note under a rock saying, “If the tree at the fork is
an oak, turn left, but if a sycamore turn right.” Etc…. Notes must be laid out ahead of time.

SCAVENGER HUNT: This can be done by buddies or groups of 3 or 4. If in-pairs, suggest five
items, more for groups, a larger list such as: Fossil Acorn Weed Flat Round Burr Worm Tree
Seed Bark Needle Soft Dandelion Leaf Moss Weed Seed Pine Cone Ugly Pretty Hard

SENSE HIKE: See how many different items you can identify by using your five senses.

EXPLORATION HIKE: Explore some interesting places.

SQUARE YARD HIKE: See how many different things you can find in one square yard.

I SPY HIKE: See how many different things you can see from a resting place.

OBSERVATION HIKE: Look for birds, trees, signs of spring, flowers, anthills, cocoons, snake
skins, animal tracks or accidents of nature, such as lightning strikes, fires, etc…

TREASURE HIKE: Follow a trail laid to find a lunch, a snack or other prize.
SHARING WALK: Split the group into teams of two. One member wears a blindfold, the other
guides her into sensory experiences. The guide has a double task: to seek out interesting touch,
sound, smell and taste sensations in the surroundings, and to help the other person appreciate
them with no verbal communication. The guide can lead, manipulate fingers, hold objects up to
her friend's nose, gently move objects to and fro, cup a hand over the other's ear and snap a
twig right next to it, and so on. After five to ten minutes, switch places so that each member of
the pair has a chance both to lead and to follow.

DOOR HIKE: Look for doors to human and animal homes.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? Announce that a certain nature object is to be
described and although most of the characteristics given will be true, a few false ones will be
included. See how many can detect the incorrect ones (This can be used effectively both inside
and out).

ONE-OF-A-KIND: Each person is given a particular kind of leaf. Tell them to examine it
carefully, so that they would be able to pick it out of a whole pile of such leaves. During the next
five minutes, they look at it, feel it, hold it at different angles, etc. Then put all the leaves
together, with some identical leaves that no one has explored and have them try to find theirs.
It's one of a kind. Afterwards, ask them to explain to the group what makes their leaf unique.
Then ask them to share what makes them unique (You may want to suggest that they take their
"one of a kind" leaf and mail it in a special letter to a "one of a kind" friend).

TRACKING AND TRAILING: One group lays a trail and another follows it.

HISTORICAL HIKE: Hike to some famous landmark and look into the history.

DINOSAUR EGG HUNT: A watermelon is hidden somewhere in the camp and a group is sent to
look for it. Clues may be given in the form of "tracks" or notes to help the group narrow down the
location. The best part is the eating of the egg after it has been found.

GOLD RUSH HUNT: "Things that glitter could be litter." Groups are sent out with trash bags to
collect litter. The group with the heaviest "nugget" (bag of litter) wins.

PASSING IT BACK: Pick up something that is interesting and pass it to the person behind you.
She passes it on, and so forth, to the end.

WALKING BACKWARDS: Especially effective where there is a natural "hallway" such as a deer
run. Just turn around and walk for a while facing where you have been instead of where you are
going. It slows down the pace and changes the vantage point.

LOOKING FOR A COLOR: Ask everyone to watch for a specific color (pick any color!) and try
to point out things that are that color. This can also be done with patterns and shapes.
ANIMAL TRACKS: Say, "From here to there (specify there), we'll all walk like different animals."
Each person chooses what animal he wants to be, maybe an animal that might live in the area.
Then, each person walks like his animal, thinking about what kind of tracks that animal would
make.

SENTINEL HIKE: The leader is followed by his group in single file, as they move along a trail.
The leader then asks questions about things observed. She may ask, "We just passed an
animal home, can you find it?" If the first person (No. 1) in line answers correctly he stays in his
position. If he cannot answer correctly, he moves to the rear of the line and No. 2 attempts to
answer the question. Each player who fails to give the proper response goes to the rear of the
line. The object is to stay in the No. 1 position, as long as possible. Variation: Have different
group members be the leader and ask the questions to others