Every year, hundreds of hikers go missing, sometimes with tragic results.
The Valley is no stranger to this problem, and two Valley men have come up with an online service they think will help.
The service, called
TrailNote, was started by the men after hearing the story of a hiker forced to cut his arm off to survive.
Similar to a flight plan for planes, hikers will now be able to file hiking plans online.
TrailNote is described as an auto-notification system that stores your travel details and if you do not make it back the system alerts your contacts.
The website instructs hikers to put together a ‘TrailNote,’ complete with start and end times of your trip, your destination and the names and contact information of people you would like contacted if you do not return.
Rich Visokey, the website’s creator, says, “If you get stuck somewhere and can’t figure out where you’re at and your cell phone doesn’t work, you may be there for a long time.”
The service is free to use and is designed to be used during a variety of activities – hiking, biking, climbing, jogging and skiing are just some of the activities TrailNote is recommended for.
