MARCH 30, 2014 SUNDAY EVENING
THE LAST WEEKEND IN MARCH
AFTER SATURDAY'S and SUNDAY'S
RAIN AND SNOW A WONDERFUL WINDY SUNSET
After all the rain there was about an hour of intense snow before the weather cleared.
ANOTHER GREAT SUNSET!
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VERY HIGH WINDS ON SUMMIT!
NEVER BELOW 40 MPH gusts over 60 MPH. HARD FOR ME TO JUDGE BUT MAY HAVE BEEN PERIODICALLY 80-100 MPH FOR TEN SECONDS AT TIMES. HIGHEST OLD RAG WINDS I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED BY A FACTOR OF TWO TO FIVE TIMES. KEPT MY FEET BUT I WAS BLOWN EIGHT FEET ACROSS AN OPEN SLAB OF ROCK AT ONE POINT.
MY PACK WAS PULLED AWAY FROM MY BACK AT TIMES. BASED ON THE PULL ON THE STRAPS IF I HAD NOT BEEN STRAPPED INTO IT THEN IT WOULD HAVE BLOWN AWAY. A HIKING POLL LEANED UP AGAINST A BOULDER WAS PICKED UP AND BLOWN 20 FEET AWAY INTO A BUSH! I HAD TO DROP TO MY KNEES AT ONE POINT FOR FEAR OF BEING LIFTED OFF MY FEET. I WAS NEARLY KNOCKED OFF MY FEET SEVERAL TIMES.
I FEEL REALLY BAD ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:
I NEVER SUSPECTED IT MIGHT HAPPEN UNTIL IT DID. A RESCUE BLANKET TUCKED DEEP DOWN AN OUTER SLEEVE OF MY PACKK BUT WITH ABOUT TWO FEET STICKING UP ABOVE THE SLEEVE WAS SUCKED OUT OF THE SLEEVE AND OFF MY PACK. WITHIN A SECOND IT WAS PULLED OVER A HUNDRED FEET UP INTO THE AIR ABOVE THE SUMMIT AND THEN BLOWN AT 50-60 MPH TOWARDS ETLAN.
LESSON
IF YOU THINK YOUR GOING TO BE IN 50 MPH OR HIGHER WINDS EVERTHING NEEDS TO BE INSIDE THE PACK. IF THE WIND GETS STRONG ENOUGH THINGS MAY NEED TO BE TETHERED TIGHTLY TO SOMETHING. LOSE YOUR GRIP ON A GLOVE, HAT, OR GLASSES AND THEY WILL BE GONE. IF YOU COUPLE THE WINDS WITH RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, OR SNOW YOU ARE GOING TO WANT GOGGLES MAYBE EVEN A HELMET.
LESSON
HIGH WINDS ARE A LOT OF FUN UP TO A POINT. ONCE THEY ARE HIGH ENOUGH THEY ARE VERY HUMBLING, SCARY, LIFE THREATENING. THINK OF LARGE HEAVY OBJECTS YOU NEVER THOUGHT COULD BECOME AIRBOURNE FLYING AROUND AT 50-60 MPH.
LESSON
WHILE HIKING IN HIGH WINDS BE VERY VIGILENT OF POSSIBLE FALLING TREES AND BRANCHES. ON MY WAY DOWN THERE WERE THREE TREES, MANY LARGE STICKS, AND MAMY BRANCHES IN OR ACROSS THE TRAIL THAT WERE NOT THERE ON MY WAY UP. THERE HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST 20-30 PIECES OF TREES 3-6 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND 1.5 to THREE FEET LONG AND A POUND OR TWO IN WEIGHT SITTTING ON THE TRAIL THAT WERE FRESH.
THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS WERE ADDED MOSTLY TO ATTEMPT TO SHOW THE WINDS. THEY DO NOT COME CLOSE TO REPRESENTING HOW HIGH THE SUMMIT WINDS WERE AT TIMES. INTERNET EXPLORER SEEMS TO HAVE MORE TROUBLE THAN MOZILLA OR FIREFOX PLAYING THESE VIDEOS.
