The biggest dangers are hypothermia and injury, the wildlife is extremely mild around here. Venomous snakes and dengerous spiders/insects are almost unheard of. I would make sure to bring a compass and paper map as backup navigation (and know how to use them,) and some emergency warm clothes in case you unexpectedly have to spend the night. I would also recommend hiking on remote and seldom used trails rather than just cutting cross country (the kind of trails with a handful of people per week.) It helps protect our wild places from human impact, it provides more safety, and you will probably only spend a few seconds in proximity to others durring the rare times you pass eachother on the trail. People in the PNW usually understand the need for alone-time and won't try to say more than a quick "hello" as they pass.
MassiveHemorrhage t1_j84nb55 wrote
Reply to How dangerous are western Washington's woods for a chronic forest wanderer? by cinderings
The biggest dangers are hypothermia and injury, the wildlife is extremely mild around here. Venomous snakes and dengerous spiders/insects are almost unheard of. I would make sure to bring a compass and paper map as backup navigation (and know how to use them,) and some emergency warm clothes in case you unexpectedly have to spend the night. I would also recommend hiking on remote and seldom used trails rather than just cutting cross country (the kind of trails with a handful of people per week.) It helps protect our wild places from human impact, it provides more safety, and you will probably only spend a few seconds in proximity to others durring the rare times you pass eachother on the trail. People in the PNW usually understand the need for alone-time and won't try to say more than a quick "hello" as they pass.