LEARN A
NEW TRAIL
Purpose
of the Program
Join us, learn a new trail, and make new friends!
In 2025 ESWA began an exciting new program for its VWRs called “Learn a New Trail." The purpose of the program is to provide our VWRs opportunities to learn a Wilderness trail they are not familiar with by hiking the trail with a VWR who knows it well.
Program Goals
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Introduce new and existing VWRs to trails they don’t already know
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Help VWRs meet and socialize with each other
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Increase the number of trails our VWRs are comfortable patrolling or trailhead hosting
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Cultivate cross-county friendship among our VWRs
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Allow existing VWRs to bring along friends who may be interested in becoming a VWR
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HAVE FUN!
Program Mechanics
Any VWR who is willing to lead such a hike should contact Mike Weeda at MikeLWeeda@gmail.com and let him know the date, trail and time during which they want to lead the hike. That information will then be posted on the Events page of this website and included in ESWA’s monthly e-newsletter.
Any VWR who wants to join the hike can simply click the RSVP for that hike on the Events page.
Any LANT hike participant who wears their uniform can count the hike as a patrol.
If there is a friend that you want to come along just note that on the RSVP page. There is a limit of 10 people per outing, and existing VWRs will have preference.
If you want to join one of our hikes, check out our Events page regularly!
Join us, learn a new trail, and make new friends!
Upcoming Hikes
No events at the moment
Participant Guidelines
Learn A New Trail hike participants can review (and follow!) these guidelines. Contact the hike leader if you have questions.
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Wearing your uniform (shirt and hat) is optional, but if you want the hike to count as a patrol, you must be in uniform.
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Be on time. Other hikers may expect to finish on time, and a late start can make that difficult.
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Some trailheads have limited parking. Be aware of parking information provided in the Event description for your hike, and allow extra time as appropriate.
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Be especially courteous to other hikers. Recall that hikers moving uphill have the right-of-way. Stay together in one or two groups, particularly when moving uphill. Hikers you meet would rather encounter one large group than a bunch of small groups strung out over a couple hundred yards.
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You have the ultimate responsibility for your safety and well being. Think about how well prepared you are for the Ten Essentials (shown later on this web page) in light of possible weather conditions, distance, elevation, and grade.
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Have a great hike!
Leader Guidelines
You will receive a list of registered hikers about two days before the hike, but other hikers might sign up after that.
At the trail head, keep track of who is hiking and whether or not they are in uniform. Provide this information to the Program Coordinator after the hike.
Wear your uniform if you want to count the hike as a patrol.
Be sure your emergency contact person knows where you are going and when you will return, just like you would for a VWR patrol.
Before departing from the trailhead, assure that everyone in the group has appropriate clothing, food and water for the planned hike and weather conditions. Consider bringing extra hats, gloves, water, and high energy snacks in your car.
Participants are hiking partly to familiarize themselves with a trail they might patrol in the future, so stay on official Forest Service (or other agency) trails.
Travel at a pace that accommodates the entire group.
If for any reason someone needs to turn around and hike out, have another person go with them.
When heading toward the destination, if someone decides to stop and wait until the group returns, have another person wait with them.
If the group decides to split into faster and slower subgroups (which isn't suggested), no one should hike by themselves. Under most circumstances, you should hike with the slowest group.
Carry your entire VWR kit, whatever it might be, with the possible exception of some ESWA literature. This is a good time to reevaluate how well your usual kit addresses the 'Ten Essentials' (see below).
Even if you are not in uniform, assist anyone who has an emergency using the same protocols you would use if you were.
At the end of the hike, make sure everyone returns to the trailhead before you leave, and report to your emergency contact person as you would for a patrol. Provide a list of hikers and whether they were in uniform to the Program Coordinator.
Ten Essentials
What you bring for these will depend upon the duration and difficulty of the hike, and the worst weather conditions you might encounter. (If wind and rain are possible, assume they will occur, and at the highest elevation of the hike.)
Navigation tools (map, compass, GPS)
Food
Water and treatment supplies
Emergency shelter (space blanket)
First aid kit
Fire-starting tools
A multi-tool or knife
Extra clothing
Sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen)
Headlamp or flashlight