Weather Warnings

Here are my three 'warnings' that are very important to living comfortably in our Arizona desert weather:

• Personal Hydration
• Sun Exposure 
• Hikers & Walkers - Beware

I will talk about each, in detail, in other topics within this category.  But, I wanted to share some first-hand personal experiences here.

Drink, Drink, Drink

To this day, I have to keep reminding myself to drink.  I have had two emergency room visits for severe dehydration.  You would be surprised how easy that is to do!  Old-timers here have learned to always take a bottle with water or other liquid with them, regardless of where they are going.  You also need to be very aware of the possible signs and stages of dehydration.

Respecting the Sun

Not only can the heat of the sun cause severe dehydration, in a short amount of time; but UV rays of the AZ sun can cause skin cancer.  In fact, the state of Arizona has the highest number of skin cancer cases in the United States.  I learned, very early on, that being out in the sun here is a whole lot different than in NY.  I got a sunburn in less than 5 minutes in the pool.  I was shocked!  But, as a cancer survivor, I took that warning sign seriously.  I hope you do also!

To help prevent skin cancer:

• Minimize sun exposure, especially between 10 am and 4 pm.
• Use a 15 SPF or higher sunscreen and reapply it often
• Cover up with a hat, light-colored long-sleeved shirt, pants, & socks, when out in the sun
• Be aware of reflecting surfaces, such as sand, water, shiny metals, and snow
• Don't be fooled by clouds. UV rays can penetrate clouds in higher altitudes.

Skin Cancer warning signs include:

• A sore that doesn't heal
• A mole that changes in color, shape, size or texture
• A mole that changes in sensation.
• Appearance of a new blue, black, brown, or pink area on you skin

Hikers & Walkers - Beware

Weather Conditions Change Quickly - I always tell newcomers who hike the story of the boy scouts who climbed Mt. Wrightson and died from lack of good preparation.  In November of 1958, six boy scounts headed out on a 'beautiful' day to hike Mount Wrightson, ascend, and spend the night at their campsite in the Madera Canyon.  Three of the six had stopped, at different points toward the top of the mountain.  They chose not to continue and went down to their campsite.

The other three boys forged ahead.  At dusk, it started to rain in Madera and, sometime during that night, the rain turned to snow.  Snow or heavy rain in Madera usually means heavy snow 'on the Mount'.  The three boys on the mountain never returned home.  The search for them lasted over 3 weeks and utilized hundreds of men and a number of pieces of equipment. This is a lesson that should be well learned by any mountain hiker in souther Arizona.  There is a huge difference in the weather conditions between the 2780 feet elevation of Green Valley and the 9453 feet elevation of Mount Wrightson.

Sun Exposure & Dehydration Can Ruin a Good Day! - You might think you are prepared for a long hike in southern Arizona, but what you really need to do is 'over-prepare'.  Make sure you have plenty of water, food, a map, extra non-cotton clothing, a flashlight and safety equipment.  And, if you are really smart, don't hike alone, hike in a group or a hiking club.  A cell phone (analog or digital) may, or may not, help you if you get hurt.  I took both types up the trail on Mount Wrightson and did not get coverage at about a third of the way up.  Hiking alone, in southern AZ, is never a good idea!