Fairfield Glade Hikers
The Group The Fairfield Glade hiking group is not really a club but rather an informal group of people who like to get together weekly and hike on the beautiful trails in Tennessee. There are no dues, no elected officers, and no charges for the hikes except sharing in the gasoline expense. We invite you to join us hiking in the great outdoors. The Hikes All hikes begin in the parking lot closest to the 4-way stop sign in Fairfield Glade at 8am sharp unless otherwise noted. The hikes vary in rating from easy to strenuous depending on length and elevation gain and loss, as well as the ruggedness of the terrain. Hikes vary in length from about 3 miles to as long as 10. Descriptions of the hikes are published in the weekly FFG papers and also on the sign up sheet for each hike in the Village Green Mall on the bulletin board across from the FFG Post Office. Hazzards and Liability Hiking has risks, and safety is a high priority on every outing. Hazards include uneven trails, drop-offs, slippery rocks, stream crossings, wildlife encounters, and even auto accidents. Participants are expected to be able to safely negotiate the trails that they choose to hike. The hiking group assumes no collective or individual liability for any mishaps. Hiking is at your own risk. Level of Fitness Participants in the hikes should be in good physical condition. Walking on paved and level surfaces does not compare with hiking on uneven trails with elevation gains and losses. You should be able to hike 5 miles in 2 hours for easy hikes. Moderate and strenuous hikes require progressively greater conditioning. A hiking group is only as fast as the slowest participant. Please assess your level of fitness to the difficulty of the hike so that you can keep up with the group. If you experience any difficulties during a hike let one of the hike leaders know. Hike leaders may, at their discretion, ask a participant to skip a hike or to turn back for the safety of the group and the participant. Rating of Hikes As a general rule hikes up to 5 miles in length and elevation gains less than 1000 feet are rated as easy. Hikes of 5-8 miles in length with elevation gains less than 1500 feet are usually considered moderate. Hikes over 8 miles or those with substantial elevation gains or rough terrain may be strenuous. These ratings are subjective and will depend on the physical
conditioning and mental readiness of the participant. An outing participant will sometimes find
their own assessment of the difficulty of the outing to differ from the posted rating. Trail etiquette We hike as a group for safety and enjoyment. Experience has taught us that bad things can happen when individuals get separated from the group. Every hike has a leader in front and a sweep at the rear and these individuals usually have 2-way radios to keep in contact. If you hike outside the leaders you risk taking a wrong turn or an injury. A lost hiker puts the whole group at risk or at least inconvenienced. Each hiker should be able to maintain eye contact with the hiker in front of them. Equipment Hikers should have the following equipment: Water. Never hike without adequate water to prevent heat stroke or dehydration. Sturdy hiking boots. Tennis shoes offer little protection on rocky trails. Insect spray. Ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes and flies live where we hike. First aid supplies. Band-aids, blister treatment, personal medicine, Epi-pens, etc. Sunscreen. Raingear. Rain can unexpectedly show up anytime. Be prepared. Food. Power Bars or snacks are recommended, and we often eat lunch on the trail. The hiking sign up sheet will indicate if lunch is needed. A hiking stick, or dual hiking poles, while not required, are helpful in reducing stress to knees and in helping balance on rocks or crossing streams. Car pooling We attempt to take as few cars as possible on hikes. Besides saving gas, some trailheads have limited parking available. Car pooling is also a great way to meet your fellow hikers. Driver reimbursement If you ride with someone else to and from the hike, it is
our policy to reimburse the driver for gas as well as wear and tear on their
vehicle. The sign up sheet for each hike
will list the amount to reimburse drivers.
Each person is expected to have the correct amount to pay your
driver. The amount is based on the
length of each round trip and is approximately 4-5 cents per mile per rider, depending on the price of gas. Items available There are three items available for purchase to make the
hikes more fun. Ask about these items at any hike or call Marion Miner at 456-9265.
Backcountry bathrooms There are bathroom facilities at some trailheads, but not all. If nature calls while hiking it is important that we leave no trace of the event. If paperwork is involved you must either bury the paper in the earth or under rocks (not just under leaves) so that it will not be seen by others enjoying the beautiful outdoors, and so that it can decompose in the ground. Those who truly care for the environment will double zip lock bag the paper and carry it out to the nearest garbage can. |
