The worst weather you have encountered
What was the worse weather you have encountered when on the trail? Let here your story?
Maybe not THE worst, but two of the most memorable.
First day of Spring, 1981. Climbed Whitetop Mountain north of Damascus. Day started out pretty nice, stopped in for some Trail Magic at a forest service cabin part way up. Weather was deteriorating, but continued up Whitetop. Soon we were in blizzard conditions, being blown sideways off the trail, very limited visibility. Our group stopped for a brief break in some conifers, just below the summit. Upon exploring the summit, found an old cabin, front door padlocked with a sign "US Government Property - NO TRESPASSING - Violators Will Be Prosecuted To The Full Extent Of The Law". Around back, the door was only half hanging on it's hinges, standing ajar. A group of about five people was already in the cabin, we joined, making the total thus far at nine, with several tents set up inside. Before nightfall, another four people joined us. We stayed the night (got down to 12 below), the next day, and the following night, waiting for the blizzard to pass. We melted snow on our stoves for water. The next day's hike out was beautiful.
Years later, a friend and I also sat out a blizzard in November in the Gravel Springs Hut in Shenendoah. Very unseasonable for November. Sunshine (no shirt weather) followed consecutively by Rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow. Trees breaking all around us due to ice and wind. Next day hiking out found the trail under 1 1/2 feet of snow, with branches bending down to within about 2 feet of the trail. Went to the Skyline Drive to hike to Tom Floyd Wayside, found it closed down with frequent 12 foot drifts. After the night at Tom Floyd, the sun came out and the woods was transformed into a fantastic ice sculpture - most beautiful hike I've ever had!!!
Skyline drive didn't re-open for two days after we were out. Had to stay with a friend until we could get back to our car which was parked near Bearfence.
Close third would have been the flooding in PA in 2006.
Not AT, but Estes park in Colo.
In about 1980 with a friend. We got caught above the treeline in a freak summer thunderstorm with heavy lightning. Probably about 10-11,000+ feet. We were both flat on the ground and I remember peeping out and seeing lighting bolts hit all around us. Lasted only about 45 minutes but scared the crap out of us.
Temp dropped to about 35dF and we both got soaked and hypothermia, but not too severe. It took me 3 hours in a down sleeping bag and eating everything I could find to warm up.
That is what a poncho will do for you in extreme weather.
How about the entire 2009 AT hiking season?
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
gotta agree
May's rain was pretty much a bummer, but the worst I've ever seen was the blizzard in the Smokies April 2 of 2005.Originally Posted by icantsleep
Earlier it was awful, but we have had sunshine for more than a week in New England and another week of great weather in the forecast. It usually all evens out.
Ponchos work, but they aren't as foolproof as just putting on a set of raingear. Specifically, one has to take into consideration the issue of undergarments (thermals), and also keeping the legs warm and dry.
Like other lightweight equipment, they require a greater attention to detail, and should only be recommended with a requisite amount of training and experience.
what: snow, gale force winds, lightning 2007 & 2008
where: Webster Cliffs, Mt Washington, Wildcat MT all in the Whites. I don't believe I will be going back to the AT in the Whites any time soon.
Passing Roan Mountain and Hump Mountain on the trail this year. I used to live in Boone so I was used to the bad weather on Roan, but the wind this time was ridiculous. Everyone that was wearing a pack cover lost theirs. The wind litterally blew them off the pack (luckily they went into the blackberry bushes at the edge of the clearing). You could not walk, you had to "scrunch" down and between gust take steps. I have to admit, I also had to walk on the side of the trail because the wind was blowing you back and forth so much that if you tried to stay in the trench created by the trail you would not be able to stand. All in all, it was a good time, but I was glad to be back undercover.
At that point, I had used a poncho for about 10 years. Never had any problems, but no amount of training will keep you dry in gale force winds and heavy rain in a poncho if you are trying to stay as flat as possible.
If the training included a weather radio, which we did not have, bingo.
Well, it's not over yet but so far it doesn't even begin to compare to 2003 if you're measuring continuous days of precip.
Last year in maine it rained 24 of 29 days in maine .I can say toward the end all I could do was quack when I put my hiking cloths on in the mourning.The continuous water was torture after a week.You can't dry out and you have to march on.
That's my story as well. The "Appalachian River" was ever flowing.....ugh!!!
I also remember hail storms near Avery Peak heading over to the Bigelows in the summer of 2007 or 8. I thought the winds would blow us clear off the mountain.
Happy Lifetime Sectioner!
Stuck at Overmountain shelter for two days with bad wind and rain, unable to cross the humps and ran out of food.
Miserable time.
The worst I've ever experienced is -20 degrees with a 40 mph. wind at Kinsman Pond with the wind whipping spindrift into the shelter (this was in the 1980s before I learned that tents are better in extreme weather). We woke to a dusting of snow on the sleeping bags (my bag was rated to -70 so I was fine, my friend's bag was rated to -40 and he was ok, too. Cooking breakfast was interesting as my fingers stuck to the legs on my Whisperlite stove and I had to blow on them to get them unstuck (lesson learned - use glove liners).
Scouts were camped below us at Lonesome Lake under the closed-for-the-season hut. They were out of the wind and safe, but they looked miserable the next morning. All survived to tell the story of being "out there" and not adequately equipped (mentioned in another post lately). Lucky for them and an experience for me and my hiking buddy.
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
Hurricane Hugo sucked.
geek
May 8th this year above Carver's Gap, near Roan Mtn. From my journal:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=272512
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. -Kahlil Gibran
Presidential range north of Mt. Washington. Around Christmas in the mid seventies we were stuck in a screaming whiteout for two days. Couldn't even go outside at all. The days before and after were beautiful, though.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
Winter 1995 in VT
While winter hiking the Long Trail, I got hit with the storm of the Century. End up being snowed in 3 days – complete white-out tempters ranging from -50, -40, -20 and 5 feet of fresh snow. I saw a break in the weather, I went for it. It was only 4 miles to the road but that was one of the toughest 4 miles I ever did.
Wolf
Rockfish Gap
Back in July, 2003, I underwent the awfullest rain & loudest thunder I ever did experience. Ran into a guy the next day covered in bandaids & small scrapes all over his body. He told me that lightning hit a tree near him & he got showered with splinters from the exploding tree!
Be Prepared
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