Warning PA NJ MD NY! Weather -Thinking about going hiking?

[Wise Old Owl]

Tomorrow - Saturday gusts up to 50 MPH ..... Hey do what you want, but hiking under trees in gusts is more dangerous than hiking in a lightening storm. Take a break tomorrow.... seriously.

[RWheeler]

Through CT, as well. Winds are expected to be 20-30MPH with up to 55MPH gusts.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Tomorrow - Saturday gusts up to 50 MPH ..... Hey do what you want, but hiking under trees in gusts is more dangerous than hiking in a lightening storm. Take a break tomorrow.... seriously.

That pretty much describes most of my camping trips back during my boy scout days. Doing foolish things builds character!

Through CT, as well. Winds are expected to be 20-30MPH with up to 55MPH gusts.

Not sure if you know this, but Sleeping Giant park in Connecticut has one permit only campsite that can be used by groups, my old scout troop camped there every fall. One night we were struck by an unexpected thunderstorm with heavy wind gusts. All night we heard trees crashing around us, when I woke up the next morning I got out of my tent and counted 17 large trees in view of my tent that had fallen during the night. Like I said, fun times!

[Mrs Baggins]

Had an 8 mile hike on the AT set for today for 30 ladies. I just called it off. Not only are the winds here gusting hard, the temps are not really expected to climb much out of the 30's til mid-day. That'll keep the wind chills down in the 20's. I felt it was dangerous, not only because of the very real threat of falling limbs and branches, but the wind chills as well. While I know I'd be dressed for the wind and cold, many of these ladies were first timers or at least very new to hiking and I won't risk their safety. So it goes this time of year.

[Skid.]

It really didn't seem to be all that windy today, I guess it depends on your exact location, however my place is near 2,000 ft.

[Wise Old Owl]

Rugby decided he still wanted to get outside... Tormented me into submission... so lets see 25 mph and 35 degrees - I got 1000 yards from the car and had to go back a North Face 300 weight fleese wasn't enough - The Windbreaker was necessary, comfortable hike for farm fields - forget the woods.

That's 16 degrees for wind chill folks.... frostbite after 35 minutes....

[rocketsocks]

Cool pic Woo.nothing is more un-nerving to me than being in the woods with a 45 mile a hour wind gust whipping things around.The crack of trees banging and riping apart to expose all of it's potential energy is not fun hiking.Unless you like that sort of thing.I would prefer snow,rain,lightning any day.

[Wise Old Owl]

Still real windy today... uggggggh. going out anyway.

[tdoczi]

That's 16 degrees for wind chill folks.... frostbite after 35 minutes....

dramatic much? in a normal winter people are outside in 16 degree weather all the time.

[Don H]

Me and my Tarptent Rainbow held up just fine in the high winds which lasted from Friday evening until Sunday evening. I was about 100 yards from the Chesapeake Bay with a great view of white caps.

[cricket71]

rt 41 in ct. to the hemlocks shelter in mass the north side of everette sat. was brutally windy, cold and snow showers for about 4,5 hrs. sun was a picture perfect hike, just a lil tough in spots without any traction gear, but it is always worth it.

[Wise Old Owl]

dramatic much? in a normal winter people are outside in 16 degree weather all the time.

well - I not one for the dramatic - honest - but my wife cant wipe the weird surprise look from my face!

Wait - in twentyfive to gusts of 50? - how long can you grasp sideways?

[tdoczi]

well - I not one for the dramatic - honest - but my wife cant wipe the weird surprise look from my face!

Wait - in twentyfive to gusts of 50? - how long can you grasp sideways?

i dont know, but i was just referencing the temperature claims and the related frostbite risk. i dont know if 35 minutes at 16 degrees is a widely accepted figure, but i do know i've stood outside in weather at least that cold for much longer than that and have never had frostbite. and besides that, i'd think the entire greenbay packers offensive and defensive lines would be in serious trouble.

[Rif]

I went out in Fridays rain for a short day hike then again in Saturday's wind. Saturday's weather was a bit deceiving. With the bright sun and when the wind was not blowing it felt like a beautiful spring day. As soon as the winds started to pick up it seems there was just not enough clothing to take the edge off. 15 minutes later I was roasting again and peeling off layers. This went on and off all day.

While I didn't see any branches or trees coming down the forest was full of those that fell during Irene last summer. There was a lot of that spooky creaking though of trees and root systems getting a good test.

Dangerous maybe but way more fun than sitting home.

Tony

[GrassyNoel]

I stayed at the Fingerboard shelter campsite in Harriman in NY on Saturday night and all was well, albeit very cold. Gusty, for sure, but not as windy as expected. All in all, 2 beautiful days of hiking.

[Tinker]

I stayed at the Fingerboard shelter campsite in Harriman in NY on Saturday night and all was well, albeit very cold. Gusty, for sure, but not as windy as expected. All in all, 2 beautiful days of hiking.

Takethisbread (Digger) and I stayed at the William Brien Shelter - next one north from Fingerboard on Sat. night. I may have met you at Fingerboard (there was a scout troop coming in when I pulled out just after 11:00).

Digger stayed in shelter with two other hikers whose names I wrote down when I took their pictures. They just hiked up to the shelter for the night.
I stayed in my Akto below the shelter.
It was very windy. Sounded like one jet after another taking off. Temps. were in the low 20s. I don't even want to think about the wind chill factor.
We all survived.
Askus 3 met us on the trail and was nice enough to shuttle us back to our vehicle as my knee was very sore because I hadn't hiked in three months due to the cursed gout.
I'm back. At least for now.

[GrassyNoel]

Hi Tinker,

No, my girlfriend and I arrived when the Scout troop was cooking lunch and taking up the entire shelter and being generally loud and not what we were after in regards to a quiet hike. But they were respectful enough to give us some room to cook lunch. The windchill was incredible for sure. After dinner, there was not much more to do than get in the bag and listen to the wind and the trees. I loved the 3D sound of the wind, though. You could hear it, as you say, like a jet coming your way and pass overhead, only for the ground level wind to follow some seconds later to give the tent a bit of a shake.

[Wise Old Owl]

I have a personal relationship with a professional tree expert. Who I met early at the concert tonight.. 50 mph with no leaves is not as much as with leaves... After a few times "reguardless" of trees coming down around me in the recent past,- I was just the messenger here. And Tdoczi - the numbers are off the Wind Chill chart. 25-50 you can guess the rest.

[tdoczi]

And Tdoczi - the numbers are off the Wind Chill chart. 25-50 you can guess the rest.

i have no doubt. and if you stood outside perfectly still with a patch of fully exposed unprotected skin you probably would actually get frostbite. i am also positive that oodles of people go out in weather this cold all the time with nothing bad happening to them. to speak of it as if it was some especially dangerously cold weather is just being dramatic.
congrats, you were outside on a cold and windy day. wow, good job.

[Heald]

Spent Saturday night on Mary's Rock (SNP Central District), and it was a howler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-TRnY-K3NQ