PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — With warm weather weekends within sight and more hikers hitting the trails and waterways, Cal Fire urged people to practice caution around rivers and trails.
Mary Eldridge, the Cal Fire public information officer, said the river might look good but people should think twice before jumping in.
"That is pure snow runoff," Eldridge said. " A lot of people come up and they don’t realize we have really swift currents that are coming through those rivers that can sweep you down river before you even know it."
Eldridge, who works within Cal Fire's Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit, said there were around 100 trail and river rescues just between last spring and fall of 2020-- sometimes three in a day.
"So we encourage people, yes, it’s a beautiful weekend, hanging out at the river is great, just don’t go in the river," Eldridge said.
Eldridge said trails shouldn’t be taken lightly either. In Auburn in particular, while there were plenty of shorter, less strenuous hikes, some could get pretty rugged. She advised that a day trip to a hiking destination should start before people even hit the trailhead.
"So that day before, you should be hydrating," Eldridge explained. "If I were you, I would not imbibe in alcohol because it can dehydrate your body and your tissues."
People also shouldn’t hike alone, especially with little experience.
"If you're not going out with someone, make sure that someone knows where you are and what you're doing and is checking in with you," Eldridge explained.
On hot days, she said starting off early was a good idea and bring plenty of water. Also, people should check in with themselves and know what their bodies could handle.
"If you're getting down the trail, think about you’re halfway of wherever you're going," Eldridge said. "If you stop and think, 'if this is my halfway, am I going to be exhausted if I stop and turn around now? Would I be better off stopping than to keep going?'"
