Andrea Lankford has lost count of how many lost or injured hikers she helped during her 12 years with the National Park Service. Her rough estimate is in the hundreds.
Lankford, 59, worked in some of the country’s most popular — and, by extension, most accident-prone — national parks, including the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. One year, her Grand Canyon division handled 285 emergencies. She said Yosemite’s caseload is comparable.
The two parks are also high on the list for number of deaths; more than 2,000 national park visitors died between 2014 and 2021, according to the National Park Service. The most common “unintentional” causes were motor vehicle accidents, drowning and medical incidents.
“Working at Yosemite and the Grand Canyon in particular is pretty intense,” she said.
Lankford spun her national park stories and experiences into two nonfiction books that are mixes of intrigue, heroics and survival lessons.
“I wanted people to know the truth about the hazards in national parks and wilderness areas, hoping that it would prevent people from getting hurt, lost or killed in the outdoors,” she said of her books “Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks,” which was published in 2010, and “Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail,” available Aug. 22.
In the introduction to “Trail of the Lost,” Lankford recalls a Grand Canyon mission with an inconclusive ending, a memory that haunts her. “Parker’s case taunted me like a critic,” she confesses, referring to 20-year-old Gabriel Parker, whose body was eventually discovered by maintenance workers. She wonders whether she could have done more, pushed harder.
With the national parks’ busiest season upon us, we spoke with Lankford, who distilled a career’s worth of knowledge into several morsels of sage advice on how to stay safe in the outdoors and what to do if you lose your way. During the week of our conversation, the headlines were dominated by reports of a missing hiker in Olympic National Park in Washington state and four Colombian children lost in the Amazon jungle after their plane crashed. All five were found alive.
Readers will hopefully carry these lifesaving tips with them the next time they step onto a hiking trail.
Yes, you can be too hydrated
A golden rule of hiking is to stay hydrated, especially in scorching environments. But Lankford warns about drinking too much water.
In the Grand Canyon, she once assisted a pair of hikers with heat-related illnesses. One visitor was diagnosed with heat stroke and required liquids. The other had consumed too much water and was suffering from hyponatremia, which is when there’s a dangerously low amount of sodium in the blood.
“We learned that we needed to change our message a little bit,” she said. “Drink water, but not too much. Keep your pee ‘mellow yellow,’ not clear. And eat salty snacks.”
Lankford said heat can affect all ages and fitness levels. “We’ve lost teenagers and children from heat stroke and the super fit,” she said.
Prepare for dramatic drops in temperature
Hikers need to be equally aware of cold temperatures, even in the warmer months. Some destinations experience multiple seasons and weather systems in one day. “In an alpine environment like the Sierras, somebody can get hypothermia in the summer, because they’re up in altitude, and it snows or rains and there’s cold weather.”
To prepare for every possible scenario, bring rain gear and warm layers, including a jacket that can double as shelter in case your day hike turns into an overnight camping trip.
Pack backup snacks — in a durable bag
And don’t forget the snacks, such as energy bars, trail mix or tuna packets. For hike-friendly foods, check for suggestions from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“Most trips should be planned with the seriousness of an expedition,” Lankford said.
Lankford reminds visitors to dress for the terrain as well as the weather. She has witnessed an array of inappropriate footwear and backpacks, including flip-flops, high heels and plastic shopping bags.
“There used to be a grocery store near the Grand Canyon called Babbitt’s. We called them Babbitt’s backpacks, because hikers were carrying their stuff in a weak plastic bag,” she said.
In addition, don’t stuff your rucksack with unnecessary or heavy items. Stay light and streamlined.
“People carry way too much weight for what they’re doing,” she said.
To illustrate her point, she shared a story about a hiker who abandoned a two-burner stove at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. “They hiked it into the canyon but couldn’t carry it out. So they left it there,” she said.
You can’t outrun a flash flood
In nature, hazards are everywhere. One small slip or dip can end tragically.
Park officials are anticipating high water this year, because of the prodigious amount of snow melt. For instance, this spring, Yosemite temporarily closed most of Yosemite Valley because of swollen rivers and flooding. Though a stream or river might look calm on the surface, surprisingly strong currents can pull swimmers underwater or push them into rocks. Meanwhile, cold water can cause hypothermia.
“This is not the time to get in the water,” Lankford said. “It’s still cold and still too fast.”
Also be cautious around waterfalls. A misstep can send you over the thundering curtain of water.
“At Yosemite, you have the upper waterfalls. When you’re at the top of them, you see a nice little pool,” she said. “People get in there and lose their footing and go off the edge. It’s tragic.”
Flash floods are also a serious threat, as we saw last summer when Yellowstone experienced unprecedented flooding. Lankford said she has recovered the bodies of people who were caught in a canyon during a flash flood. If you see the water rising, head for higher ground.
“Don’t try to outrun it. Go vertical rather than horizontal. Climb a wall, climb a tree. Just get high up,” she advised.
You can leave your safe perch only after the water has receded.
Share your itinerary with a friend or family member
Some heartwarming news: According to Lankford, about 97 percent of missing hiker cases are resolved within 24 hours, and most of the people are found alive.
“It’s a really rare instance where the person isn’t found and a search is initiated,” she said. “And it’s even rarer when the search is initiated and it goes on for days and the person is never found.”
To ensure a safe return, she suggests hikers share their itinerary with a friend or family member. Include the time and place you expect to exit the park. If your emergency contact does not hear from you at the scheduled hour, they should contact the national park, police department or sheriff’s office immediately.
Cellphone service is spotty in many parklands, so consider investing in a handheld GPS device. Choose a model that includes an emergency call button or texting capabilities.
Stay put
If you find yourself in a precarious position, take a few minutes to assess the situation before venturing off in search of help. Lankford recommends following the rule of threes: You can survive three weeks without food, three days without water, three hours without shelter in a harsh environment and three minutes without oxygen. If you have shelter and water in your current position, it’s wise to hunker down.
“Being on the move is sometimes worse, because then you’re vulnerable to other challenges,” she said.
Leave a trail
If you decide to leave, drop clues along the trail, such as scraps of clothing, food wrappers or pages from a journal or book. Draw marks in the dirt or build cairns. If possible, attach a note about your predicament and plans on a tree or rock. These signs are invaluable, as Lankford learned on a recent Death Valley case involving a man who had left a note in his abandoned car that he had run out of gas.
“If you leave a note, say: ‘I’m headed south to look for water. I hurt my arm,’” she recommended. “They’ll know where to look for you.”
How to help find lost hikers
If you live near a park or are visiting an outdoor recreational space, you can join a search for a missing hiker.
You can find details about lost hikers at trailheads, on community boards in hiking outposts and at outdoor outfitters. The Fowler-O’Sullivan Foundation, which is run by two families whose loved ones went missing on the Pacific Crest Trail, provides advice on how to help a missing hiker, including volunteer opportunities. If you become aware of a missing hiker, check Facebook: Families and friends often create a page seeking tips and assistance.
“These people could use help sharing content, getting tips and posting fliers, so you don’t necessarily have to be trained,” she said.
Volunteers can also join search parties on the trails, adding another pair of eyes to the effort.
“The more warm bodies you have looking at the ground and helping could be meaningful for a lot of people who want to help the family and give back to the community,” she said.
