As a Hike it Baby Hike Host it is up to you to set the tone for your hike and insure a positive experience for hike participants. We ask that anyone interested in leading connect with their local Branch Lead first. We have a certain style and guidelines for our walks and hikes that is important to share so everyone has a good experience. Please read through this carefully!
Once you have talked with your Branch Ambassador, you can fill out the Host a Hike form. Also, it’s important if you are leading a hike that you recognize that you are simply facilitating the Hike it Baby experience, and we are not trained guides. Hike it Baby simply provides a platform to help families gather together. This means you need everyone on the hike to sign a waiver. If they have not signed the online waiver you can have them sign it on your phone by going to our page and clicking on the link or they can do it on their phone at the hike!
Responsibilities Pre Hike:
- Talk to your Local Branch Ambassador. Not sure who your Branch Ambassador is? Check the pinned post in your Facebook room or email them from the Find your City page.
- Fill out hike details in HOST A HIKE form. Please be as accurate and detailed as possible.
- Make sure you read the legal disclaimer and sign (this is the same as the waiver, so if you’ve already signed that then you’re good).
- Provide full details of hike including Activity (Park & Play, Hike, etc.) and Difficulty Rating (Green, Blue, Black) HiB Hike Rating Guide.
- Review Hike it Baby Website Calendar to insure accurate posting of activity (your hike doesn’t get posted immediately after your submission, check back later in the day).
- Promote activity to fellow parents and on Hike It Baby Facebook Page but do not create a Facebook event for your hike.
- Best Practice: Post a reminder with a link back to event on Hike it Baby’s Website on your branch Facebook Page the day before your hike!
- Familiarize yourself with Hike it Baby Code of Conduct below.
Responsibilities Day of Hike:
- Arrive early enough to be ready to hike at the start time.
- Welcome hikers as they arrive.
- Be sensitive of late arrivals, do a quick check of the parking lot to see if there are any hikers who may be joining your group.
- Do a welcome circle. Introduce yourself and your child/ren, say how old they are and what part of town you live in and invite the other participants to introduce themselves and their child/ren.
- Discuss the hike difficulty and assess the groups ability, scale back if needed.
- Briefly review the community guidelines of Hike it Baby – be safe, take care of yourself, be mindful, “No Hiker Left Behind”, etc.
- Request a confident hiking volunteer as the “caboose” to help keep the group together.
- If you have a large group split the group down the middle and let people know that there’s a slower group and a faster group and ask that people join the group that is best for them. Often naming these groups “kid-paced” and “adult-paced” helps with breaking into groups.
- If Hike it Baby has any upcoming events please promote them at this time.
Hike Code of Conduct
- Make sure that you are aware if a Member is feeling slow or left behind. Hike it Baby walks and hikes are only as fast as the slowest hiker.
- Be polite and friendly to people. Be aware that we are often a large group and we dominate trails and when we go into coffee shops, stores, park bathrooms. Make sure to be considerate of other people out there who weren’t expecting to run into a large group.
- If you are on a trail and there is an emergency, stop the hike and ask that everyone remain until the situation is under control. We might need statements so it’s important that we have everyone there if this should arise.
- Make sure to adjust based on the weather. If a hail storm starts or snow is coming or the wind is howling, don’t go into the woods! Be smart about the weather. Remember we have babies with us.
- If a group is breaking apart due to someone being slow or another issue, halt the whole group and break into two or ask one of the regular Hike it Baby people if they can stay with that hiker.
- Should a hiker have a baby with a blow out or needing to nurse/eat, halt the hike. Give them a chance to try to stay with the group. A lot of hikers will say “no, you go ahead.” Don’t go ahead. Wait for that hiker.
- If someone is having an asthma attack (this has happened on a hike!) or anything that could be a medical situation, make sure that someone walks that hiker back to her car, waits with them until they feels okay, and then get their number and check in with them later in the day.
- Keep trail talk positive and avoid controversial topics. Instead talk about what a beautiful hike you’re on/what amazing people you’re hiking with/etc.!
