I was reading in the paper that West Virginia is in a severe drought condition right know and Kentucky is in an extreme drought condition. I was wondering if other's had heard anything or experienced any of this:-?
Cookerhiker
10-19-2008, 10:15
My GF lives in South-central KY. While last year's drought was much worse, her area experienced virtually zero rain from about August 1 through most of September. The last few weeks have seen more rain. I can't cite statistics but I see the difference in the landscape between this year and last year. Re. West Virginia, the part close to where I live doesn't look too drought-stricken but I'm not sure about the southern or western portions. However the colors in Monongahela NF are brilliant, suggesting adequate rainfall.
Tipi Walter
10-19-2008, 10:24
Compared to, say, the 1970s and 1980s, the southeast is definitely in a severe drought. My backpacking world(mountains of NC/east TN)has changed radically from when I started camping in the late 1970s. In those days it was common to be out during a 96 hour rainstorm, with no let up, and my old trail journals recorded such deluges regularly. More snow, too. I can't remember the last time I really had to use my rain jacket.
Now, conditions are brittle and tough, living outdoors without frequent rains produces a sort of hornet-like consciousness, a mean inner mood and a cranky dry heart. It's easy to feel this when sitting in a tent in prolonged dry conditions, and once a big rain does hit, there's a glorious relief spread out all along the trails, into my tent, and into my heart and into my starving brain. Hard to put into words what a drought does to a person, and it's hard to describe how a fresh rain can renew a man's spirit.