[pct-l] Weather Conditions from The Weather Channel

[Scott Williams]

Yes, you're right Ate Tuna.  Hike the hell out of those conditions if at all
possible.  Two incredibly strong wind storms, one above Pioneer Mail, and
the other on the San Felipe Hills, drove us to keep hiking until we were off
the exposed ridges.  The reports of the winds on the San Felipe Hills storm
were above 60 MPH.  A number of people behind us didn't feel good about
hiking further in those conditions in the dark, and tried to pitch camp on
the ridge.  Several tents were torn up or blown down, and a sleeping bag
went airborne off the ridge, never to be seen again.  Sometimes you're stuck
with it, but if at all possible, get the hell into some shelter.

When taking a storm hike on Mt. Diablo in late fall of '09, the news reports
were for 100 MPH winds on the ridges.  Diablo is the highest ridge anywhere
on the coast, so I assume that was what I was hiking in.  It picked me up
and knocked me out of the trail at times, and I had to hike bent over
whenever I was in an exposed place.  But, what I learned was that there is
an incredible amount of shelter from the wind, even in low, but thick
chaparral.  The higher the better, but none of it broke, and I remember
thinking that if I needed to pitch a tent, right in the trail in deep
chaparral would have worked.

Find shelter.

Shroomer