1. Hike With A Partner
If you can, it’s always a good idea to hike with another person in case someone gets injured. Two minds generally are better than one, and one of you can always go back for help if there is an emergency. If you know someone in Ketchikan or back on the cruise ship or who you are traveling with but not hiking with, let that person know where you are specifically going and how long you plan to be. Give that person a time if and when (s)he doesn’t hear from you, (s)he should try contacting you, and if (s)he can’t, then to alert the police. Make sure you account for a comfortable margin of time so that you aren’t rushing just to get back to cell-coverage in order to update this person. Even if you only know someone back home in another state or country that you can text or call, that can work too, as long as they know who to contact to come looking for you, and make sure that you do the math to account for any time changes between there and here when you tell them when you are going to next check in again. If your check-in person is local, have them dial 911 and that will connect them to our local police dispatch. If your check-in person is out of town, here are the local #s to dial: Ketchikan State Troopers: (907) 225-5118. Ketchikan Police Department: (907) 225-6631.