trails of the whittier hills - safety and courtesy

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the guidelines at right are designed to protect native flora and fauna as well as visitors.</div> <div> Remember that the Whittier Hills wilderness presents certain dangers.  Although these dangers are inherent to all wild places, visitors can minimize risks on trails by being informed, prepared, and alert, and by always following the rules posted at Habitat trailheads and along trails.</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=398 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="537" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#006633" BORDERCOLORDARK="#006633" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 125 ><NOBR><bR> <bR> <bR> <div> image coming soon . . .</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <bR> <bR> <div> image coming soon . . .</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <bR> <bR> <div> image coming soon . . .</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> habitat authority rules and regulations</div> <bR> <div> The Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority posts rules and regulations at every trailhead leading into the preserve (see lefthand photo above).  There are nine points:</div> <bR> <div> • Preserve closed:sunset to sunrise.</div> <div> • No smoking or fires.</div> <div> • No alcoholic beverages.</div> <div> • No littering or dumping.</div> <div> • No unauthorized vehicle use.</div> <div> • No defacing, destroying, or removing property.</div> <div> • Stay on designated trails at all times.</div> <div> • Dogs must be on leashes and cleaned up after; <I>no dogs </I>in sensitive wilderness areas.</div> <div> • Possession of firearms, bow and arrow or compressed air guns prohibited.</div> <bR> <div> Trails are officially closed in adverse conditions, such as during extreme fire danger or 48 hours after heavy rainfall.  For information or emergencies, call (562) 695-1448.</div> <bR> <div> safety</div> <bR> <div> One of the key things visitors can do to ensure their safety in the Hills is to stay on designated trails. Visitors who choose to forge their own paths greatly further the erosion of hillsides by tramping on foliage that maintains the integrity of loose topsoil, thereby significantly damaging sensitive habitats within the wilderness preserve (see <A HREF="#courtesy" TITLE="trails of the whittier hills safety and"><U><B>courtesy</b></U></A> below).  Moreover, "trailblazers" put themselves at great risk.  Off-trail, where foliage is thickest, it is far more difficult to see dangers like poisonous plants and animals before one is right on top of them.  Additionally, away from designated pathways it is a very simple matter to get injured and/or lost. </div> <bR> <div> A safe visit to the Whittier Hills is a matter of being prepared and alert.  There is not a general overview of safety on this site, but some<I> </I>of the things visitors can do to meet risks safely include:</div> <bR> <div> • Making sure to have enough water to drink;</div> <div> • Dressing appropriately, depending on the weather and activity;</div> <div> • Knowing where one is going to be traveling;</div> <div> • Letting someone know where one plans to be and when one plans to return;</div> <div> • Being aware of trail conditions and one's surroundings;</div> <div> • Knowing first-aid;</div> <div> • Knowing one's own and others' limitations, based on conditioning and experience.</div> <bR> <div> Finally, although every visitor needs to be alert on trails and aware of his or her immediate environment, the onus is really on us mountain bikers to announce ourselves to others, never speed around blind corners or over blind acclivities, and always make sure we travel at safe speeds that allow us ample stopping distances.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#006633" FACE="Arial" >courtesy</FONT> <A NAME="courtesy"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <bR> <div> In his seminal book <I>Trails of the Angels: 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels</I> (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 1995), John W. Robinson writes,</div> <bR> <div> Traveling a mountain trail, away from centers of civilization, is a unique experience in Southern California living.  It brings intimate association with nature—communion with the earth, the forest, the chaparral, the wildlife, the clear sky.  A great responsibility accompanies this experience—the obligation to keep the mountains as you found them. Being considerate of the wilderness rights of others will make the mountain adventures of those who follow equally rewarding. (17)</div> <bR> <div> Just like the San Gabriels, the Whittier Hills wilderness is an environment that is singular in its natural beauty and its wildness.  As such, we are bound by the same obligation to which Robinson refers—to keep the Hills as we found them and to be considerate of other visitors' rights.  Here are some of the rules of wilderness courtesy Robinson outlines for the San Gabriel Mountains that are equally applicable to the Whittier Hills:  </div> <bR> <div> <B>Trails  </b>Never cut switchbacks.  This practice breaks down trails and hastens erosion. Take care not to dislodge rocks that might fall on hikers below you . . . Report any trail damage and broken or misplaces signs to a ranger.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mountain Bikes  </b>Mountain bikers need to respect the rights and the safety of hikers and horseback riders, and to follow sound conservation practices.  Yield right-of-way to other trail users.  Control your speed.  Stay off muddy trails, and do not shortcut switchbacks.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Fire</b>  Fire is the greatest danger in the Southern California mountains; act accordingly. Report a mountain fire immediately . . .</div> <bR> <div> <B>Litter  </b>Along the trail, place candy wrappers, raisin boxes, orange peels, etc. in your pocket or pack for later disposal; throw nothing on the trail.  Pick up litter you find along the trail . . . More than almost anything else, litter detracts from the wilderness scene. Remember, you can take it with you.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Noise  </b>Boisterous conduct is out of harmony in a wilderness experience.  Be a considerate hiker . . . Don't ruin another's enjoyment of the mountains.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Good Samaritanship  </b>Human life and well-being take precedence over everything else—in the mountains as elsewhere.  If a hiker . . . is in trouble, help in any way you can. Indifference is a moral crime. Give comfort or first aid; then hurry [to get help]. (18)</div> </td> </tr></table></body>