I was piddling around with some Go Pro footage from a past trip and decided put together this quirky How To Video. Enjoy!
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TRIP PLANNING
Two weeks ago, I received a random message on Facebook of lost hikers in need of help. A father and two sons went missing in the Ouachita Mountains, they only told their family where they were goin and nothing more. They promised to call but there was only limited cell service and the only text the sent out was "we are LOST." My frequent posts of the pictures helped a friend of their family locate me which I helped them initiate a search for them. They were later found safe and sound after being lost for 2 days. To make a long story short, a hiker found them along the trail and led them back to their car. That was a story of luck, but when we venture into areas we are not familiar with we risk the possibility of something going south. With cell phones being unreliable in most backcountry areas, a solid plan left with a friend or family could be a last hope if something did go wrong. I have been asked several times what one of my trip plans look like. So below is the contents and a real example of one that we distributed to persons that have both a level head and trust.
12 things you should have in every trip plan:
Names and contact info of the traveling party (this should also include sat phone number or locator becon if traveling with one)
Destination
Duration of trip
Location of your transportation
Starting point & end point
Hazards along the way
Forecasted camp locations, daily mileage, direction of travel, etc.
Alternate plans
Local contacts, guides, groups
Local authorities
GPS way points or route of trail, river, camps, etc.
Links to any important info (river gauges, local weather forecasts, etc.)
You want to communicate you plan in an easy way to understand. If cell phone coverage is limited or non-existent, renting a satellite phone or purchasing a GPS locator beacon is an effective but not always reliable way to reach out for a rescue or help.
Here is an example of a trip plan we used on one our river expeditions:
To Whom It May Concern,
We will be embarking on a river trip on March 20 – 25 down the Pecos River
Attached are GPS coordinates for the trip we are headed out on this week and can be loaded on google earth to review. We have outlined our camps by each day and have several alternate camp grounds marked as backup plans. We have also marked several points of interest and hazards that we will be exploring or facing. Our put in location and take out locations are also markeed. We are utilizing a shuttle service and they will be keeping are vehicles at there house and will be available if need be. The contact information is at the end of this email along with other resources.
There will be Four Persons in our group and here are their names and contact info:
Daniel Underbrink
Mike Kulbeth
Luke ******
Dan *****
Local Person Contact and shuttle: ******************
We will have a satellite phone but it will not always be on. The canyon walls can affect the reliability of it but we take multiple hikes to the rim during the trip so this will be the best time for us to receive and communication or contact you. Please Store this number and Answer immediately or you need to reach us. This phone does accept Text messages and this will be the best form or communication.
Satellite Phone Number is (863-***-***)
The Drainage area for the river is very large and we will be taking every precaution necessary for our safe return. There is rain in the forecast but I feel it will be safe as it is only isolated in a small area of the drainage area.
The following links are as described:
We need to be contacted immediately if any Flood Watches or Warnings are in effect for any of the Gauge points or areas these gauges are located
River Gauges – There are always uptick with any amount of rain please use your best judgement not to alert anyone unnecessarily as false rescues can be very expensive and the stress of waiting for a no rise in water levels can be tough on persons. If water levels are expected to rise let us know via text and we will contact you all to discuss. I am thinking any Amount in a rise Past 300 CFM or a 1-3 foot Rise (pending Gauge, see details Below) will need to be of low concern but still would be nice to know so we don’t wake up in a puddle of water
Pandale Gauge – This is where we are putting in- This link will forecast if any Flood warnings or watches are in affect for the area. It will be shown as a dotted line. We need to be Contacted immediately if any Flood watches or warnings are in effect.
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ewx&prob_type=stage&gage=pdat2
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Gauge2/detail/id/33920/
Panda Gauge Info and Descriptions - these will tell you what we will face at different water levels
27
(8.2 meters), Life threatening major flooding occurs below Sheffield downstream to Amistad Reservoir. Flow at Pandale Crossing is over one third mile wide and two hundred thousand cfs. Flow inundates the channel bottom above Pandale to Amistad Reservoir and is life threatening to campers and river recreationists.
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(7.0 meters), Major flooding is well into the flood plain and can wash campers, vehicles and gear downstream. Roads and crossings in the Pecos River flood plain and tributaries are extremely dangerous to motorists. The Pecos River at Pandale Crossing is near 1/3 mile wide.
19
(5.8 meters), The Pecos river at Pandale Crossing is over one quarter mile wide and extremely turbulent. Campers, river recreationists, and RVs camped near the river can easily be swept downstream as the major flood wave moving downstream causes very rapid rises.
15
(4.6 meters), Major flooding makes low water crossings along the Pecos River and tributaries potentially deadly. The flood wave moving downstream causes rapid rises dangerous to campers on the low banks below Sheffield to Amistad Reservoir. Autos and gear can be swept downstream.
10
(3.0 meters), Moderate flooding is well into the flood plain making secondary roads and crossings along the Pecos River and tributaries very dangerous to travel. Swimmers and tubers should leave the river as flow is dangerously turbulent. Campers vehicles and gear in the flood plain can be swept downstream.
7
(2.1 meters), Minor lowland flooding is a significant threat to swimmers, tubers and campers on the low banks of the Pecos River above Pandale to above Langtry.
5
Lowland flooding makes low water crossings at Pandale on the Pecos River and tributaries flooded and impassable.
Sheffield gauge – Upriver Gauge from Pandale Use Above Link to navigate to it – Important Gauge
This gauge works off and on and needs to be monitored, as it’s a good indicator of what is going to happen at the Pandale Gauge.
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=maf&gage=spct2&prob_type=stage
Independence Creek – This Is a major Drainage area for the Pecos if this is forecasted to Flood. We need to be notified of the extent of flooding or water rise. The gauge typically does not Work but if the area is in a flood warning or watch, we need to be contacted.
Girvan Gauge – This is quite a distance upstream from our put in site this will be an indicator of what the river will do downstream and we will need to be notified of any Forecasted Water rise or floodwarnings or watches are in this area.
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=maf&gage=givt2&prob_type=stage
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Gauge2/detail/id/78645/
Local Rescue Personnel – Border patrol
http://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/border-patrol-sectors/del-rio-sector-texas
We will be in limited Contact with Our Wives and family and will alert everyone in case of an emergency. In case they are predicting minor Flooding or a drastic water rise please do everything you can to contact us through the Satellite Phone ( text message and Calls)
I would be very careful who you send this information to, they will need an understanding of many things including river Gauges, Water levels, forecast, weather, and local area all play huge factors in predicting what a river will do. Small upticks on a river gauge graph can look like a massive flood but only be an inch or two. The projections are showing no forecasted rise in water level, things can change very quickly and we need to be notified and prepared. This is not to scare persons but these are the realities to spending time in the remote wilderness and needs to be said and understood.
Thanks for keeping an eye out for us see you in a week!!!
Daniel
I send these plans to my Father only, for I feel he will not alert anyone unless completely necessary and will stay calm and be very calculated in his decisions. If rain was not in the forecast, I would still only send this to him. You too will need to choose people that will stay controlled in there thinking but know when a danger may present itself that could lead to a situation out of your hands. If you want to know how a well planned trip turned bad but survival was possible due to a prepared and well executed plan continue here
Expectations are high, that moment of no return, your headed out. It is one way in and one way out, miles need to be covered, elements endured, and the end goal has no exceptions. But is your expectation the same as your adventure bud’s? Are your ideas aligned? Do you want the same out of the trip as they? Do you ask these questions during planning? We plan logistics, mileage, days, gear, and food. Yet, how many times have you discussed the goals of the individual?
You send out a group text that reads, “ITS ON, LET THE TRIP PLANNING BEGIN.” The next series of texts roll in with aligning of dates, checking in with your significant other, coordination to and from, and a few sights you may see while out. Then as time inches closer, you begin discussing gear and food. Then you discuss that some more. About a week out, you realize you need more gear and start hitting up your personal gearhead at backcountry.com and convince them to ship everything overnight for free (yes you can do this, don't tell anyone.) You send pics of the new pack and whatever that thing you thought you need but will never use.
Departure day comes with anticipation and the high of the unknown is in full effect. The nervousness kicks in and you are stepping into the point of no return. You have planned for months, have every detail outlined, and now it is just that age old saying, one foot in front of the other. Everyone is full of energy, invincible, talking of what lies ahead, and knowing nothing can get in our way. This is "Day One" in a nut shell
The first few steps into the wild the groups ultimate goal is aligned, there is a start point and an end point, daily mileage goal, approximate camp locations. Why does it matter anyway, we are all in this together and that’s is all you need, right? Well no... Not exactly…
Wide awake I begin to break my camp, it was the 2nd night of a 3 night trip and we still had a ways to go. With many miles and a few major obstacles a head of us I knew we needed to get on the water to make our destination. I had work in a few days and could not miss it. This was my first problem. I was in my head. We had a long way to go and I had no flexibility in time. I knew we had to make certain amount of mileage for me to be able to complete the trip. We had to get on the water, waste no time, and paddle. My idea and the group’s idea where the same with the exception of when to start and when to end each day. I wanted to get on the water and go, they liked the morning to be relaxed and feel alive with that freedom of today. Though not one way or the other was wrong, it was just misaligned. We never discussed it, there was no plan. So there should be no expectation. Right??? But there was, it was my expectation, and mine only. It was never discussed so it was never aligned.
There are always differences to the path that we discuss in the planning stages. Though the ultimate goal may be aligned with the group, it is the individual’s goal that are the most important. I like to call these “the hidden dimension or micro goal.” These are the individual goals of each team member that may not be inline with our own. There is the guy that wants to climb that peak on day 3, the person that want to spend a day fishing, or one that wants to put in a PR (personal Record) mileage day, or just a lazy day to work on their bushcraft skills. There is nothing wrong with these things, but they are the hidden dimension. These are the things that propel a team to accomplishment, fulfillment, or even failure.
Though in my situation it worked out to make the trip that much more pleasurable for me, and I am better because of it. I learned a lot about myself on that trip but It doesn’t always work that way. We must be open and honest with how we feel, our abilities, and speak of our micro goals. If we do not it can make ourselves or others feel left out, demoralized, exhausted, or just completely unsatisfied.
So what do you do? How do you do this? What questions should we ask? How accommodating should we be? I don’t have the ultimate answer for you but I have a few things that might help make a great trip better and build a stronger bond with your friends along the way.
What activities do you want to pursue?
On our river trips, Mike is a diehard fisherman, he always wants one more cast no matter how many there were before it. On the other hand, I want to explore as many miles as I can. Don’t get me wrong, I looooove fishing, but not the way Mike loves fishing. I know when we plan a river trip we each take this into consideration. I am typically the logistic guy. I will plan a long hard day (me the mile man) to get to a good camp site that has a big productive fishing area (Mike the die hard). We fish along the way yet keep a pace of our aligned goal. It is a give and take.
Little paddle jam session on our 100 mile stand up paddle trip
Know when to split up
Not in the sense that you leave your buddy unsolisited in the bottom of a canyon, which i am sure people want to do to me sometimes. I mean, split up in a positive and communicated way to pursue each micro goal with the ultimate goal intact. When out paddling I am known to paddle just to paddle, not a problem if you know me, though it could be if you have never been on a trip with me. Mike understands this and he knows I will be waiting at the next hazard staying put until he arrives. He will hang back slowly working his way towards me fishing the nooks and crannies of each passing rock. This works well for us as a team. I stop explore, fish a little, take pictures, and he will fish till we need to move on. If we are behind schedule he will pick up an push on to that next honey hole. This works well in a river where the hazards are done together and flat water are done individually. They are like solo trips with a team. If things seem out of place I will double back with no issue and move on if things are fine.
Luke taking an uncommon spill after entering a large rapid
Hone in on the camp fire chat.
This is where you need to put lots of focus. This is where feelings come into play. If your buddy is sitting at the end of a hard day hike talking about blisters, heart rate, dehydration, or even illness, this is when we scale back tomorrows hard day or utilize a built in rest day to improve our health, scout, or do that thing we wanted to do. There are times and places to push people beyond their limit (future blog post) but for this conversation it’s a time to focus in and listen.
We were on a 7-day river trip when a fellow team member ran into a series of misfortune. A near miss in a rapid, daily mileage that was hard, bad water, and multiple portages that resulted in a leaky boat. Time was not on our side so we pushed him beyond his limits. In retrospect, an extra day to regroup, a solid repair to the kayak, and time to regain some confidence would have resulted in the same outcome to the common goal but a happier group of campers.
Mike pondering the evening bite on the pesos river
Group Size
More is not always merrier when it comes to wilderness travel. The more people the more hidden dimensions (micro goals.) We sometimes too often invite everyone and their dog for multiple reasons. We do it to bring down cost, don’t want to leave a friend out, share the weight, or just to introduce friends to your passion. Though it is the most fun to share an experience, it is not always fun when goals become misaligned. I personally feel that even numbers are best. This allows for safe travels on a “no man goes alone policy” if there is an emergency. Odd numbers work but the individual micro goal becomes even more important as there could be some things that can’t be pursued such as rock climbing with a bunch of fishermen, Fishing with a bunch of through hikers, lounging around on a time limited mileage pursuit. Though having friends along make for a rich and fun experience It is always an option to leave your buddies at home and take on the underutilized solo trip.
Daniel on a 5 day Solo SUP Trip down the Devils River
In the end, an extended stay in the back country is a fulfilling endeavor that takes knowledge, skill, and a lot of communication. We see the destination as the goal, but deep inside we find our own goals. They are different for each person, the are special, and they our our own. Communicate these in your planning, plan for them as a team, and be okay to set them aside for the ultimate goal.
- Daniel Underbrink