4 Instances When You Should Turn Back On A Hike

Whenever I go on a hike, my intention is to finish the hike in its entirety. I’m motivated by challenge, and my challenge is finishing each hike I set out on. Never do I plan for turning around before I reach the summit. However, there are times when it is necessary to turn back around no matter how badly you want to finish what you started. In fact, it’s statistically proven that most hiking accidents on mountains are because hikers and climbers refuse to turn back when weather and other circumstances are not in their favor.

Below are four times when you need to cut your losses and head back to the trailhead.

1. Weather

Even diligently checking weather reports before a trek sometimes can’t mitigate unforeseen circumstances. Despite being adequately prepared, weather forecasting is an imperfect science and Mother Nature can change her mind in matter of minutes. The last thing a hiker wants to have happen is to be caught in the midst of a thunderstorm just minutes from the highlight of the hike, whether it be a waterfall, a mountain summit, or a misshaped rock. This is when a tough judgement call must be made. Should you proceed forward and hope everything will work out in the end, or do you literally take a rain check?

The general rule of thumb is if you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable on the trail due to weather, your gut is probably right and you should turn around. The process may feel demoralizing — having invested so much time and energy into the hike already — but in the long run, as the old adage goes, it is better to be safe than sorry.

2. Hydration

It happens to even the most experienced hikers — you think you’ve packed enough water until you go hiking in the scorching hot desert and find you’ve nearly consumed half your supply quarter of the way into the journey. Many hikers have died from heat stroke, brought on by dehydration. The deaths happened on different trails, mostly during summer, but can still take place at any time if you are not properly hydrated.

Make sure to carry enough water with you on one day and multi-day treks. Or, ensure you have proper filtration devices necessary, know 100% a reliable water source is available on your journey, and pack enough water to get you to that water source.

If you find yourself in short supply of water on a hike, take note of your surroundings and seriously evaluate your situation. If there is no water supply nearby and you do not have the means to properly filter backcountry water, turn back around. Make clear decisions with a clear head — avoiding the part of you that wants to trudge forward.

3. Nightfall

In July 2011, a man returning from The Wave in south Utah died when he accidentally fell 100 feet from a cliff when he was attempting to return back from his hike in the dark. There isn’t a marked trail on this hike with deep slot canyons in the area. After investigating his death, it was found his flashlight was defective.

If you find yourself in a similar situation where you are running out of daylight and you don’t have a flashlight, building a shelter and staying put until sunrise may be your best bet. With that being said, always carry a flashlight, headlamp, and extra set of batteries with you at all times — even if you only plan for a day hike. Unforeseen circumstances can extend and delay your trip, forcing you to hike past your initial planned end time.

While turning back is the option people hate most, I can promise you it will never be a bad idea. It is definitely better to error on the side of caution so you can enjoy many more hikes to come.

4. Trail Conditions

There are some trail conditions that are too arduous to move forward. During a trip to Sedona, AZ in the peak of winter, snow was especially prevalent on a trail to Cathedral Rock. The rock face was extremely slippery and difficult to climb, prompting many hikers to give up and turn back around. Sure it would have been easy to preserve and get to the top, however when that happened how hard would it be to get back down?

With that being said, there are other instances where part of the trail just isn’t passable. Whether it be a fallen rock, a steep drop, or weather elements that prevent you from moving forward on a trail, don’t try to navigate around these roadblocks. The mountains aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and can always be explored again under safer conditions.