On a recent episode of the Z107.7 Up Close Show, Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Jane Rodgers and the National Park’s Emergency Services Program Manager Myles Landry discussed a number of topics and issues with host Gary Daigneault.
When asked what type of rescues that Rodgers and Landry do most often, Rodgers and Landry explained that many emergency situations were weather related, even in the winter.
Rodgers explained that as soon as the sun goes down, the weather can dramatically shift. And in the winter, the sun goes down even sooner.
Landry added,
“A large contingent of what we’re dealing with is people being unprepared like you’re saying. In the summer, the consequences can be very high and can happen quickly, but those consequences still happen in the winter time too. The layers are a key component.
Don’t just show up in shorts and flip flops.
We see a lot of visitors from Palm Springs, and there’s a ten to fifteen degree difference between there and the high desert. So it’s a shockingly different temperature.
Myles says it’s about being prepared with the appropriate footwear and having a plan.
If you need help coming up with that plan, stop by the visitor center.