[pct-l] storm/lightning prediction

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Rebecca is right on. I have the watches and devices as well. Those that are barometrically dependent are a waste of time and money when you're constantly ascending or descending. Constant recalibration is not why I'm in the mountains.

Now, what does work is between your ears! Before you go out on your next trip, learn how storms, both systemic and local, work, where they come from, and the signs of their coming and going. When you get into the mountains, while you're enjoying the scenery and looking all around all the time, pay attention to what is going on above you, the clouds, their types as they change, and the wind direction and strength. "Look Up," we teach our students. "Pay attention to the environment you're going through," topographically for navigation, environmentally for personal impact, and atmospherically for weather concerns. 

Why are you out there? Most people head out into the wilderness to get away from civilization and soak up the natural rhythms and cycles of basic living, sun-up to sun-down, lots of exercise, and so forth. Do you really want to be relying on and spending a lot of time fussing with electronic devices in light of this? I don't. I carry the watch, but don't count on any of its features other than the time and air temperature. (The barometer only works reliably if I stay in place for awhile). I carry a GPS to verify where the trail is when buried under snow or where it goes at some poorly marked intersection, but trust the map and a learned ability to "see" the topography in three dimensions from it so that I know which canyon I need to go down, which lake I'm looking at based on its shape and setting, and which creek I need to follow based on its curves and course. 

As for lightning, the clouds will tell you when to watch out and your own knowledge not to be caught up high and exposed after the skies go black. 

The early explorers understood their mountains and how to travel in them safely because they paid attention to the way things work there. So should all of us! That's why I'm there.



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
1106A Ski Run Blvd
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
    P: 888-996-8333
    F: 530-541-1456
    C: 530-721-1551
    http://www.mountaineducation.org