Who Needs An Experienced Leader
By Terri Rengstorff

Reaching the summit at 5,000 feet it was still raining, but the group rode for a couple hours before the group leader decided it was probably a good time for them to head for home. The younger, less-experienced group wanted to stay and hit the jump they had worked so hard at building. Since they weren't far from home or on a dangerous peak, the three original members of the party probably didn't think twice about leaving part of their group.

The rain continued to pour down all day, which ultimately must have drained the kids energy. When they finally decided to go home, hypothermia was beginning to set in, and darkness reduced their ability to see in the woods. They had eaten all their food, drank their water, and had no way to build a fire. One member who was wearing cotton clothing under some snowboarding gear, kept falling behind and stopped shivering, a sign that the later stages of hypothermia had set in. Apparently, he told them he was going to sit down for a while and rest, then he would follow behind them, so the other two headed home.

Unfortunately he never got up again, and died of exposure.

This story illustrates the importance of staying together and having a group leader, whether your hiking close to home or in extreme terrain. That person is responsible for planning the trip as well as making final decisions, which are determined by the goals, ability level, equipment, and experience of the entire group. The group leader does not necessarily have the most backcountry experience, but can communicate well with the ones who do, think clearly at all times, and delegate the responsibilities to skilled members. He or she must also be aware of each individuals location and performance throughout the day. Group members are responsible for bringing the necessary equipment, communicating ideas and abiding to the group leader decisions.

QUESTIONS
By asking the following questions you begin to gain the experience needed to travel in the mountains. Most questions can be addressed at a pre-trip meeting, while others can be answered in your head. Does your group have the same level of interests, riding ability, and endurance? Sure they can ride all day at an area, but can they hike, climb, jump, and hike back out of the woods? Will someone whine about hiking after ten minutes? If something does go wrong will they have enough mental and physical strength to stay in the mountains for an extended time? Does anyone have diabetes, allergies, or other minor ailments, but possibly life threatening conditions? Are they going to be drinking or smoking pot? How will that affect their endurance and reasoning ability? All these questions should be asked before the trip in order to plan what kind of equipment will be needed.

CLOTHING
When traveling in snow it is essential to have the right clothing layers. Will clothes breathe or will they be soaked with sweat? One little known fact about backcountry wear is that Gore-Tex on the outside of cotton long johns or a cotton T-shirt can elevate hypothermia. Unless the temperatures are below freezing everything is wet by the end of the day when the sun disappears, so bringing an extra polar fleece, hat, and gloves is a good idea.

FOOD AND WATER
Plan on snacking throughout the hike as opposed to reaching the summit for lunch. This way you can take short breaks without getting chilled, allow slower members to catch up, and keep a high energy level. Candy is okay, but only in addition to more endurance foods like energy bars, fruit, and gorp. Bring additional water bottles, you can always leave then in the car if everyone has one. Should you bring a little stove to melt water for hot drinks and soup? A stove can be invaluable in many emergency situations, besides it is lighter than carrying enough water to replenish your system through a strenuous day.

HIKING IN
Traveling to an area usually takes a lot longer than people estimate, especially in deep snow. Will you travel by foot, with snowshoes or ski's? Does everyone have the same gear? If one member gets far behind the group or an incident occurs do you have radio equipment? Will the cell phone work in the ravine you are traversing?

AVALANCHE AND FIRST AID KNOWLEDGE
If you are traveling on snow with slopes steep enough to ride, there is avalanche danger. Does everyone have transceivers, shovels, and probes that are compatible? Have they practiced with this equipment? Will the group leader make the call on the slopes stability or is there another member with more avalanche experience?

Find out who has the most knowledge with first aid, rescue and radio communication. Who will you call for help and how will they get to you? The avalanche conditions will change throughout the day? Will you bring forecast numbers to hear updates or continue to monitor as a group? If no one in your group has backcountry experience, you need to change your goals dramatically to suit their interests and ability level.

A good leader encourages the group to make decisions together, but steers them through the process rationally. Taking on the responsibility of a group can be a difficult job, but the rewards of pulling off a safe trip in the backcountry is better than the sickest cliff you've ever dropped! Use these questions as a starting point to plan day trips and build up your experience with realistic goals. Get to know other people in your area that have backcountry skills. Take mountaineering classes and figure out all the essential details before racing up to Devil's Tooth Peak. If you don't take these precautions you or your best friend may not return.