Got caught in a surprise storm on the Rae Lakes Loop last summer

Was about 8 miles past Arrowhead Lake when the sky just opened up. No warning from the weather report I checked that morning. Had to hunker down under a tarp for 3 hours while lightning hit ridges all around me. Made me rethink how I plan for afternoon thunderheads in the Sierra. How do you guys check weather on multi day trips where cell service is gone?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana61727d ago

Honestly, is a surprise storm really that big of a deal out there? I've been caught in plenty of afternoon thundershowers in the Sierra and just waited it out under a tree or my tarp. Yeah, lightning is sketchy but 3 hours under a tarp sounds like you were way more worried than necessary. People act like every summer storm is a death sentence, but half the time it clears up in 20 minutes and you're fine.

nathan90127d ago

Friend of mine got caught in nearly the same spot two years ago. He was coming back from Sixty Lake Basin and had the same thing happen, no cell service, no warning. He ended up hiding in a boulder field for an hour while hail pounded everything around him. Said the worst part was watching his tent fly away down the canyon because he didn't stake it down well enough before the storm hit. Now he carries one of those tiny weather radios that picks up NOAA stations, even in the backcountry. Also checks satellite images before he leaves town and talks to rangers at the trailhead about afternoon patterns. Told me the key is just accepting that summer storms in the Sierra will happen no matter what you plan, so you gotta have a backup plan for shelter and lightning safety every single day.

wesley_jones27d ago

Did you ever see that article from a few years back where a guy had a similar story but ended up getting hypothermia because his gear got soaked before he could set up? I read that thing and it really stuck with me. For me, I've learned you gotta check the NOAA forecast for the whole area you're hiking in, not just the one town near the trailhead. The Sierra weather changes SO fast, especially in summer. I also started talking to rangers more before I go, they usually know the local patterns from the past week. And honestly, I just plan my hiking day to be done by 1 or 2 PM in summer, no matter what. That way I'm already in camp with my tarp or tent set up solid before the afternoon thunderstorms even start thinking about rolling in.