When hiking in the great outdoors, don’t forget your manners

Ask Larimer County Park Ranger Steve Gibson the golden rule of trail etiquette, and he pauses for a while before answering:

“The biggest thing is just respect,” said Gibson on a recent hike to Horsetooth Falls. “That’s the biggest word — respect for nature and respect for other people.”

Most people hit the trails to get away from cell phones and noise. Others, however, keep in contact no matter whom they disturb.

“Longs Peak is a good example,” said Barry Sweet, Rocky Mountain National Park’s backcountry office manager.

“You’ve hiked 14,259 feet, you’ve done this great summit, and people are up there, saying ‘Hey, guess where I am.’ It’s kind of not what you dreamed of.”

On their way down from Horsetooth Falls on Tuesday, Steve and Jodi Maurus met a group of about 20 children from Bright Horizons summer camp. They patiently stepped just off the uphill side of the trail and let the children pass.

“Those folks are doing the right thing,” said Gibson.

Most people who hit the trails use common sense and do the right thing, he added.

“We all love the forest,” said Leslie McFadden, visitor information specialist with the Canyon Lakes Ranger District.

“We just want to try to make it a good experience for our fellow visitors as well as protecting the resource for future visitors to see it and enjoy it the way we did.”

Rangers and specialists with Larimer County, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests offered the following advice:

Heed the golden triangle: Hikers yield to horses. Mountain bikers yield to horses and hikers. Horseback riders always have the right of way. (Cyclists yield to everyone, but it is sometimes polite to let them pass because it may be more difficult for them to stop.)

Downhill hikers should yield to those going uphill.

Step to the side of the trail and let faster hikers pass.

Let other hikers know if you are coming up behind them with a friendly “on your left” or similar remark.

Do not pick wildflowers.

In areas that allow dogs, pick up their waste and pack out the poop. Larimer County ranger Zachary Cook said he and his colleagues often find abandoned waste bags along the trails.

Don’t make too much noise. “A lot of people are out there to enjoy the solitude, so carrying on is not a trail-friendly thing,” said Leslie McFadden, visitor information specialist with the Canyon Lakes Ranger District.

Stay on the trails to protect wildlife and plants.

Keep your dogs under control, making sure they do not chase wildlife or jump on other hikers. Some trails require leashes, while some require only voice control.

Turn off your cellular phone, using it only in an emergency.