Cold, Wet and Miserable

[Newzy]

I call these Ground Hog days, where I prefer to stay buried in under the covers and am not in a hurry to greet the day (or gray overcast). So if your out on the trail and it's cold, pouring down rain and in general too miserable to hike. How do you whittal away the time? Me, I take along a paper back, cards and my hamonica (to anoy the general populous and wildlife within ear shot).

[olzeke]

I will be watching this thread, as it has never happened to me in 40 yrs of hiking. I have hiked on in some bad weather, but usually when I knew something nice was a day away, like a hot springs, or the car. I no longer hike in cold weather, and my destination of choice is the SW desert, so not too many day long rains there. Even in the Sierra mts, I find it is either cold and snowy, or sunshine. Sometimes a passing shower of an hour or so interrupts my day. Now that I am hammocking, I could see myself hunkering down with a fire, or a book, except I do not carry a book.

[Fig]

I dream about days like that. Had many in my youth, but nothing like that lately, and actually would love now to lay somewhere and be bored to death.

[Old River Rat]

In my 4X4 camping days I never bothered planning around weather and never got stuck in bad weather. I think I would enjoy it now. I plan to bring my Kindle and would love the opportunity to lay back and read through the day, between naps.

[Law Dawg (ret)]

So if your out on the trail and it's cold, pouring down rain and in general too miserable to hike. How do you whittal away the time?

Why wait for a nasty weather day...why not just decide to lollygag for the sake of lollygagging (the Shug is my HF hero there)? I see folks setting goals to cover distance for the sake of distance or physical challenge as OK but sometimes we need to simply put our minds and bodies into recharge mode. For me that is a quiet day where the time is taken to smell the flowers in many a different way. In a hammock it could involve a book, my harmonicas (good choice BTW), or maybe just sit and pay real attention to the view...between naps that is.

Sometimes I relax by breaking out the whetstone and knives for a leisurely sharpening session. Others I get out the gun cleaning kit and the mini arsenal to do a cleaning. I dunno why but it is relaxing though it probably wouldn't be in a hammock.

[pgibson]

I have been caught twice since starting to hammock on rainy cool days. Unfortunately due to timing once and prep on the part of others in the group they were both days that ended up being days we had to hike on. My preference would have been to hand tight, take a nap, sit around a fire, drink a warm drink, as LD said Lollygag the day away and hope for better weather to roll in.

Instead we ended up needing to pound out miles to get out. Last year on a 2 day hike that started on a beautiful warm October day turned to a steady drizzle overnight.


The lake on Saturday Afternoon:


Near the same spot Sunday morning:


We were only back in about 4 miles that trip, but ended up needing to put on any rain gear we had and pack up with a light but steady drizzle coming down as the sun came up. I had hoped to day hike to the second lake and do some fishing in the morning but ended up cutting that out when I woke to the lite patter of rain on my tarp. If we had not needed to be home that evening we probably would have lounged the day away or even done a little fishing in the rain.

[hang um high]

You can be cold wet and miserable, or you can choose to just be cold and wet.

[Joey]

I spent 2 days in wet and cold and had the sun come out on the 3rd day of a simple 4 day, 3 night trip. After enduring and hiking on through the first 2 days, that 3rd day was oh so enjoyable. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything!

Besides, setting my tarp up then my hammock and crawling in above the wet cold ground makes it all good! So hike on, weather be damned!

[OneThing]

You can be cold wet and miserable, or you can choose to just be cold and wet.

If you're doing one of the big 3 long distant trails, you have no choice, but to try and adjust your attitude.

On the AT in 2004, I seemed to get hit everyday with thunder storms and close strikes. (Even worst for those who hiked the AT in 2003) It took me months to begin to accept it, live with it, & even enjoy it at times.

I think all of us has a "Fair Weather" hiker in us. And while I came to accept it, in 2005 on the AT, if a major storm was to last more than 3 days, you would find my butt at a motel, hostel, or hanging.

We're getting our 1st storm for the winter here in Northern California. As I sit and type this, I'm at war with myself to go for a hike or watch it from the comfort of my home.

[ringtail-THFKAfood]

Ya gotta hike in the rain if you want to be out for the rainbows.

Day hikers and fair weather hikers miss a lot. Most professional pictures are taken near dawn or dusk and a lot feature unusual weather.

I can stay warm easier when I am moving. Staying dry when you are vertical is easier than when you are horizontal.

Hey, quit moping around and hike.