A Safety Warning For Hikers in Maine

If you are anything like me, the moment that sun peeks our and the temps hit 50 degrees and above, you are absolutely itching to hit the trails and get your hike on.

However, listen up, because early season hiking in Maine does come with some warnings and challenges.

Here are a few important rules to remember, according to Maine.gov.

First off, this is easy, make sure to respect all the trail signs. Because listen, I get it, they are so tempting to ignore, but trails are usually protecting sensitive areas.

And you always want to make sure you are protecting the protected areas.

Walking on soft, muddy trails can cause damage that takes a long time for the trail people to fix. We want the trail people happy.

Also checking the forecast is important and then also check it again. Spring weather in Maine can change fast and rain, snow, even ice are still real possibilities in the early season.

It’s also always smart to tell someone where you are going, pin your location or share it with someone you trust. This is just incase something happens, at least someone knows where you are.

As Maine.gov points out, even if you are just heading for a “quick” hike, call service can be spotty and a little planning goes a long way.

If you're heading on a new hike, take some time to research the trail before you go. It’s super important to know the trail, before you charge it like the hero you are. So before you claim that peak, learn it a bit.

Getting lost in on a mountain in Maine isn’t just a scary thought, it’s a real thing. It's even a book and also a movie.