It made me realize that, if I’m going to hike in the backcountry, I have to do it in a safer manner.

Tom Setterlund is a retired safety engineer who spends his time backcountry motorcycling, mostly on fire roads in the San Bernardino National Forest.

To prepare, the Forest Service asks participants to follow all safety guidelines for enjoying the National Forest system and cutting their own tree — navigating icy roads and elevation gain, dipping in and out of cell service and wielding a saw deep in Department of Agriculture backcountry can be a bit more intense than grabbing a plastic tree at Target.

Park officials also reminded visitors that pets are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.

The efforts may be working: The number of national park search and rescue operations — which can entail anything from a child who becomes separated from their parents to a hiker who disappears in the backcountry — have ticked downward nationwide, from 5,395 in 2016 to 3,308 last year, even as visitation has continued to rise.