Phoenix trail debate continues amid talk of expanding closures

[@CesarPerez-c7e]

Arizona has the stupid motorist law, they should do the something similar for hikers during summer

[@Jbadd48]

Unfortunately the only data the City focuses on is the number of rescues. When you look at the number of visitors to the Park, rescues go up and down in correlation with visitors. 2021 saw a huge spike in visitors due to Covid and since then, visitors have gone down each year, causing rescues to go down. In fact if they released all the data, it would show that more rescues happen during winter months than summer months. When looking at the data objectively, there is zero reason to close the trails at any time of the year.

[@sandradavis7132]

Summer rescues endanger the rescuers in a way the winter ones don't.

[@theppcdoctor]

@@sandradavis7132 Using that logic, firefighters shouldn't be fighting all fires - fire endangers fire fighters too. Some fires are caused by lack of common sense. Should we then let the fire burn ?

[@Jbadd48]

⁠@@sandradavis7132Unfortunately being a firefighter comes with dangers. Dangers they are aware of when they sign up. Dangers that they train for (or should train for). Just as certain dangers come with being a police officer, or anyone that works outside (construction, landscapers, roofers, etc). Also, as some one that was born and raised here, I don’t believe the summers to be dangerous. As long as someone is prepared and educated on recreating properly during the summer in Phoenix, it is not dangerous. We have to remember this is The Valley of the Sun.

[@sonso45]

Preparing for dangerous situations includes preventing them. Go hike elsewhere. Preferably where rescue is problematic. Only 3 parks in the valley are closed but you've got choices that will challenge you and then come tell us your story.

[@KeepPhoenixTrailsOpen]

@@sonso45 ​Those three parks (Camelback, PMP and South Mountain) do represent over 60% of all the trails in the park system. And you are right that a way of preparing for dangerous situations is to avoid them and knowing your limits. These limits aren't the same for everyone and they depend on heat acclimation, skill, fitness level, clothing, gear, water and ice and so much more. As a rock climber, you are aware of assessing the dangers and taking smart decisions. You don't need the government to tell you what route you can climb, right ?

[@foxmulder7616]

So are they gonna have police stationed at every park entrance? What's the penalty for not abiding by the closure? I'm pretty sure if someone wants to go hiking they're just gonna go, if it's not available to hike in the city park, they'll go outside the city, or wherever, further away, to more remote areas. Are they gonna close the public sidewalks during the summer too?

[@BubblesintheDesert]

Roads close temporarily in AZ throughout the year due to dangerous conditions. The hiking advocacy group's spokesperson is clearly not seeing the forest for the trees.

[@theppcdoctor]

Roads are closed when there is a weather related event, like a dust storm, blizzard or flash flood. ADOT does this because at that time, the road is so dangerous that accidents are likely - not just possible, but likely. Mountain rescues in the Phoenix Parks do happen, but there isn't a high likelihood when it is 100F or more. 3 Million people use the trails in the Phoenix Mountain Parks every year. Around 200 needed a rescue in 2024, the majority in the cooler months. You cannot compare the two scenarios, it's apples and oranges.

[@ConnerColemanMSHS]

Good! Go walk/ride the canals where at least if you need medical help there’s a nice flat road for them to drive on.