Arizona’s tireless heat makes it difficult to get outside and stay active while still taking proper precautions, which begs the question: at what point is it too hot to recreate outside?
Although fall temperatures have finally dropped to a bearable range, we all know this comfortable span is fleeting, and before we know it temperatures will be on the rise again. Preparation is our best defense against the terrors of heat exhaustion.
Arizona is known for its beautiful hiking trails, but the peak summer months make it difficult to enjoy the outdoors without risking serious injury. According to the Arizona Search and Rescue, “about 600 Search and Rescue Missions (SAR) are conducted in the State of Arizona each year.”
Arizona State University sophomore Megan Mathews grew up hiking and running outside in Cave Creek, and now as a college student, she still enjoys finding new places to stay active outside in the Phoenix area. Because she has experience recreating outdoors in Arizona, Megan is trained to be active in the heat.
“I grew up in Arizona and I ran cross country. They made us do heat acclimation training so I usually draw the line at 105 degrees,” Mathews said.
Megan loves to stay active year-round, so she is taking advantage of the fall weather, but she says, “even when it’s cooler it’s important to stay hydrated.”
Parks and mountain ranges are some of her favorite spots to run and hike but her number one defense against the heat is keeping hydrated before, during and after spending time outside.
James Ritter, Public Information Specialist for Phoenix Parks and Recreation, said that the Fall months bring lots of unprepared hikers that think they can get away with less water, but “being prepared is a year-round thing and you always want to over-prepare with water,” Ritter said.
He mentioned that “being prepared is not just about the temperature, it’s a lot of the time about if you are acclimated.” Since all hikers have their own range of abilities and acclimation experience, the best measure of preparedness is a hiker’s capabilities.
Ritter said that their main goal at Phoenix Parks and Recreation is just to educate.
“If you say here is the line and everything above this is unsafe and everything below this should be safe, what that actually does is it creates the potential where you now might be giving someone, where that’s not safe for them under that line, encouragement to go do something for them that’s not correct,” Ritter said.
When hiking Phoenix trails, the best way to prevent injury is to know your own boundaries. The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department preaches the philosophy that if you are going to “take a hike, do it right.” This means knowing your limits and knowing when to turn back or stay inside.
Courtesy of the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation and Fire Department
Although personal judgment is necessary when hiking most days, certain more rigorous trails close during the peak heat of the day when the National Weather Service issues Excessive Heat Watch.
A pilot program launched in July to test how hiking heat-related injuries improve when certain trails, like Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon Trail, Cholla Trail and all Piestewa Peak trails, closed between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on days when an Excessive Heat Watch was in effect. After a successful pilot period, the rule was unanimously voted on to be implemented as a year-round guideline.
The pilot period of the program ran from July 16, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2021, and out of the 77 days, partial trail closures were enacted on 8 of them, according to the pilot program review from the October Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board meeting.
Mountain rescues were particularly high this year compared to last year. With an increase of seven June Camelback Mountain rescues from 2020 to 2021 and an increase of nine rescues in July, the year already had an unusually high rescue count, but with the pilot program in place, rescues decreased to four in August for the same trail. The total number of mountain rescues on trails where the pilot program was in effect decreased by 13 rescues from July to August.
Courtesy of Phoenix Fire Department
“When temperatures are extreme, a mountain rescue which started due to a particular type of medical emergency (e.g., sprained ankle, leg injury, etc.) may also result in a heat-related emergency due to the amount of time necessary to complete the rescue,” according to the board meeting pilot program review.
Ritter said that the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department works very closely with the Phoenix Fire Department and our first-responders to combat these heat-related injuries.
“It’s going to be up to each person to know their limits,” Scott Douglas, a Phoenix Fire Department captain, said. “There are times throughout the day in the summertime that we’re responding to 2-4 heat-related mountain rescues in a day and then multiple other heat-related emergencies.”
When a 9-1-1 call is first received, the nearest fire truck responds with a crew of trained paramedics, emergency technicians and a separate technically trained rescue crew. “Our level of customer service is second to none and we’re happy to be there,” Douglas said. “But if they can help prevent some of those emergencies from happening—even better.”
A rescue requires a lot of specially trained crew members, and prevention of heat-related injuries helps keep not only hikers safe but also those first responders that risk their own safety to help others.
“For first responders, the risk is further elevated as they are required to wear 40 pounds of emergency medical equipment, personal protective equipment and communication equipment,” according to the board meeting pilot program review.
Douglas said that they get a lot of heat-related calls during the summer months, but the fall months are just as important to be prepared for.
“As the temperatures cool down, people go outside and they recreate even more,” Douglas said. “It is important for people to realize that just because the summer months have passed and we feel like we’re in the fall or even the winter, the temperatures can still be summer temperatures for other parts of the country.”
With a particularly warmer fall season, this year and day-time temperatures that consistently stay in the 80’s, Arizona’s average fall temperatures are comparable to summer temperatures in much of the country.
Decreased temperatures give the impression that being outside for prolonged periods is safer, and it’s easy to let your guard down and take fewer precautions, however, as temperatures lower, it is just as important to be cautious and hydrate and protect yourself from the sun before, during and after recreating outside.
“We want people to enjoy the valley of the sun and the recreational opportunities that are here for us to be able to partake in, and we want people to do that, we just want them to do that safely, and we want people to know that we’re there for them if they need us,” Douglas said.
Prevention is the best means of avoiding heat-related injuries, but if you ever find yourself in a situation that requires emergency services, call 9-1-1.
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