Rained Out? Your opinion wanted

“For a couple months I've been looking forward to hiking this weekend at Baxter State Park with the Twigster and my 16 y/o son (everyone else has already bailed). The thing is the weather forecast keeps getting worse... rain, rain and more rain - those little dark storm cloud icons on the on-line weather report for Millinocket are reproducing like bunnies. It's at least 12 hours of driving (6+ each way)... all trails to the peak of Katahdin are closed last I heard. There are a lot of other places to hike in BSP - spring moose sightings are very possible, and reservations are hard to come by.

The drive out can be broken in two parts, Twig has kindly offered to put us up and she is about 2 1/2 hours from BSP. It would be great to hike with Twig again and be in BSP - but its a lot of driving to hang out in the rain.

I've hiked in the rain for days at time when I was doing longer trips (AT sections).

I'm going to talk to my son about what he wants to do. Should I head up anyway, even if he doesn't want to (he can stay with his Mom)? Should I tell him to go if he leaves it up to me.

My girl friend is definitely hoping I'll cancel (her ex takes the kids every other weekend and this is a free weekend ' til Sunday evening).

What would you do?”

“Sue the weatherman.”

“I cancelled an overnight trip this past weekend and did a dayhike instead, because it was supposed to rain on Saturday. It didn't, and I'm glad I at least went on the dayhike. It might rain, it might not- The question is, will everyone still enjoy themselves if it does?”

“It's all about fun, Ped. If you think you'll have a good time with your son, even if it rains cats and dogs, by all means - GO! If not, though, snuggle up with your girlfriend and enjoy some ALONE time ;>

In the same situation, I think I would go, just because once I plan a trip, I hate backing out more than going and coming back early if I need to. But that's just me.”

“man, what a delima....i would probably back out, because i get the idea it's pretty severe. i can handle a lil rain, but bad storms don't do it for me at all. let the boy decide.”

“I'm heading out for a 3-nighter and the forecast for Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon calls for showers, rain, showers and few showers, respectively.

For some odd reason, trips in adverse weather seem to stand out from others. Kind of like...the worse the weather, the more you remember the trip. I think you should still tread forth...rain or no rain.”

“Normally I don't care if it rains or not. but I've only done two trips this year where it didn't rain. I was thinking of doing a little one nighter last weekend and so with rain in the forcast, I backed out.
If your as sick of rain as I am then I wouldn't blame ya if you bailed out of the trip.”

“This is a tough one, Pedxing. I think that no one can decide this one but you. Six hours each way isn't bad, I used to do that all the time when my best friend lived in Richmond. But your girlfriend and son are involved, so you have to weigh their interests. I think that a trip involving Twigeater would always be a blast no matter what.”

“I wussed out on the Lost Cove trip because I couldn't see driving 10 hours one way to hike and camp in heavy rain.
The heavy rain didn't happen and I was sorry I didn't go.”

“It's not just the rain. Temps will be in the 40s and 50s in town most of the time and in the 30s and 40s in the park.

My son, who was out sick Tuesday, says he doesn't think he feels up to it. I don't want him backpacking in cold wet weather if he is feeling crappy. Since he can stay with his Mom, that doesn't keep me home for sure... but its another obstacle.”

“I keep forgeting you guys are way way up North where it's still cold.
It's been into the mid 80's here.”

“It was cold and rainy here today. My allergies have developed into bronchitis. If you decide to go, have fun, and if you decide to not go, snuggle up in front of a fireplace anyway.”

“I would hike, I love the rain!”

“I have a few more days to decide then you but it looks like four days of cold rain.

YUUUCK!

Ill take snow over cold rain any day.”

“go! It can't always be nice. what messege does that send to your kids? only do things when it is just perfect?”

“Well it's 43 degrees and raining here in Augusta, and it's not gonna get any better. The forecast has been getting steadily worse all week.

I might not be inclined to drive all that way on a holiday weekend to hike 10 miles in the cold rain. You won't get Katahdin in anyway cause it's still in snow. It would be the traffic thing for me though, I HATE traffic.

I sympathize with your son, I'm out of breath coming up two flights of stairs after this cold and flu I've had.

Girlfriend with no kids? I wouldn't blame you if you bagged the trip. I could always try and transfer these reservations to another weekend and stay with a friend of mine at Abol this weekend.

As far as the message you'll be sending to your kids - just my experience, but people know I go no matter what, and basically - adult or child - they're less likely to say they want to go on a trip with me for fear I'll make them camp out in the cold or rain, LOL!

Whatever you decide ped is fine. I was thinking of hiking in Saturday and out Sunday anyway. Not much hiking we won't have already done if we're backpacking in and the Hunt Trail's closed.

My four dollars worth! :)”

“Thanks for the input - I'm going back and forth on this a bunch.

If it was a two hour drive and little or no Memorial day w/e traffic, or warmer weather - it would be an easier decision.

I'm mixed on what message it would my kids, because we've gutted out some pretty tough conditions once we were on the trail before. I do want them to be able to gut out tough things, but I also want them to have some sense of caution and common sense - I don't want them to get too stuck on a goal. This is sort of an in between case, it certainly wouldn't be reckless to go - but the cold, rain, drive, traffic and the things I could be doing for the weekend here are significant.”

“You've planned a weekend with your 16 year old son. Backpacking is secondary. The weekend with your son is primary.

My suggestion: Find some alternative things* to do with your son during the weekend. Then let him make the decision, to backpack, do something else, or wait until another day. If he allows you the opportunity, make it his weekend!

Good luck.

*movies, shows, museums, concerts, sports events, fairs, art show, a boat trip, fly to some event or location that might be exciting for him, drag races, car races, car camp, visit historic sites, search the internet together for something, visit and/or participate in a martial arts class, go workout and/or swim at a health club, etc.
---------------------
(I wish I could recover a weekend to spend with any of my children at age 16.)”

“Pedxing, go backpacking just change your destination. A 6 hour drive in another direction should be enough to get you some sunny days. Or take the weekend that you have with yor son and do something else.”

“PS - Let him practice driving the car. Driving under adverse conditions might be a valuable experience for him. If you can combine this with a goal, a destination, then there can be a feeling of achievement when the location is reached.”

“Pedxing where in Mass are you?”

“Thanks everyone for lots of good input and food for thought. While I had planned on the trip first and then encouraged my sons to come (only one bit), Nowslimmer has a point about keeping my son at the center of my plan.

This son had been living with me full time for 1 1/2 years, but recently went back to splitting his time 50/50 between my home and his Mom's. I'm really glad that things are better with his Mom (she's been much better this time around), but the change is still a little difficult. I put Nowslimmer's points together with SirPete's point about the message it sends to my kids, and the message I want to send him at this point, is that he comes first.

At 16, if the lure of Backpacking in Northern New England is gone, he might just want to hang with his friends - but if he still doesn't feel up to BSP, I will talk to him about other plans... maybe a day hike in the Whites if he feels better by Sunday - it will be raining, but we will be closer to home and can take others and won't drive home in rainy day Mem day traffic. Maybe music or a movie.

I'll also look at the regional weather map and see if there is someplace reachable that is out of the rain (as Lt. Hiker suggests).”

“Seems like you got it figured out, Ped. If it was me and I had it all planned, I'd probably just go. But if your son isn't feeling well and doesn't seem too enthused, I'd probably either consider some place closer to home to backpack or just bag it and do it when the weather shapes up.”

“Ped,

If you decide to head up to the Whites for a dayhike, give me a call... if you don't mind someone tagging along. Send an e-mail to the address in my profile and I'll send you my phone number.”

“PedXing- sent e-mail to the address listed in your profile.”

“I think Rosey has some good advice, having said that (God, I hate that phrase)...

You will never know what the weather is going to be like till you wake up that morning....

having said that....do whats best for the boy.”

“Having said that, shouldn't you stop saying that?

:)”

“who said that....”

“LtH. I'm in the People's Republic of Cambridge.”

“That, having been said, ...”

“Well, I'd have said it, too!

LOL!”

“cool ped i'm down south in CT we should get together for a hike sometime.”

“Ware a puncho like me and my hubsand Gissmo.

Kno what? Gissmo got a puncho jest like my puncho but leetel!

He got a pakpak to like my pakpak but leetel to.”

“Well I stayed put pretty much, which was not much fun - but it turned out to be the right choice. My 16 y/o got to feeling sicker so he definitely needed to stick around and he needed some TLC. His Mom also got sicker and had 102+ fever, so it was good that I was around for both boys (leaving them at their Mom's when she was that sick wouldn't have felt right). What's more, I found myself under the weather, fighting off something. The big outtings were a Chinese restaurant and Matrix re-loaded.

I did pick up some work by being around and it's a case I've been able to do mostly from home (will need a library trip today or tommorrow and will need to pick up case files). The good news is that it looks like I will make enough money this summer without teaching summer school.

Next weekend it's a drive to Teaneck, NJ for my girl friend's parents 50th anniversary. No hiking, but a pilgramage to Campmor is in order. If I get my work done fast (and don't spend too much time here) maybe I can day hike during the week.”

“Lt. Hiker - that sounds good. Where do you usually hike? Do you go the Whites? Are you interested in doing a day hike of the Wapack trail (would probably need two cars with one prepositioned)?”

“i know how ya feel peddy. it's rained here pretty much every weekend since winter. and when it hasn't , something else has come up to prevent me goin out and from catchin a nature vibe. maybe today, i gotta go fix an AC at a store first...


good news on yer summer gig...”

“I awoke to a cold and rainy Saturday morning and made a quick change of plans. Decided to drive in and picked up the grandkids along the way.

The rain broke just above Bangor and it was actually pretty warm by the time we arrived at BSP around 3pm. (we made a "quick" stop at Bangor KMart for rain slickers and rubber boots that I left home - didn't get either, but did find $85 worth of other fun things, lol)
The bugs were swarming around the gatehouse which was just great, since I left all my bug war stuff home thinking the weekend was gonna be cold and wet. The Hunt Trail was open for the first time on Saturday, but the weather was still 100% rain for Sunday.

We unpacked and went down to the stream to play. My grandgirl took off her shoes to "practice stream crossings" and my grandboy proceeds to strip down naked and run into the frigid water. I couldn't get him to put his clothes back on, even though his teeth were chattering. So I get him back up to the lean-to and before I can get a pull-up on him, he pees on the ground. My grandgirl says. "Austin made mud, I'm gonna get my shovel!" and so went the remainder of the weekend...

I need a nap. :)

We saw one moose in Tracy Pond, it didn't rain at all Sunday, and we awoke today to 60 degrees and bright sunshine. Met lots of southbound thru hikers, the kids made friends with the ones camping next to us. We had a great time!”

“It just shows ta go ya... things can always be woise!

Sorry the trip kinda went in the crapper, but it looks like you folks did a mahvelous salvage job.”

“Twiggy: That was a great improvisation on a broken play!

Thanks Strat and Tilt, and everyone else who posted, for the input. It rained on a lot of our parades (literaly and figuratively).

I'm pretty happy that my summer thing is going to work, I've been working on forensic psych cases part time while teaching part time - but I've never relied on it for full time income.

Not teaching summer school leaves me with a lot more flexibility for the summer - and if the work keeps flowing in, it won't leave me broke either. It gives me something to look forward to, knowing I'll have the freedom to do some serious backpacking.”

“Before I left for the trail the forecast caled for rain across the board, but essentially (aside from the mist while hiking on Fri and the drizzle which didn't call for raingear today) it didn't *rain* while I was on the trail. It did rain Fri and Sun night but was done by the time I was out of the shelter.”

“I too lucked out with the weather. We were able to hike to Mt Isolation via the Rocky Branch-Isolation-Davis Path without encountering any significant rain. Although there wasn't any view to speak of because of the clouds, it was a nice 15-mile hike nonetheless.”

“Ped, I have some great state forests right outside my back door that i day hike in. Never been to the Whites, sounds like fun though. Never heard of the Wapack trail.”

“Lt & Mad River - Do you know each other (both of you are in Conn)?

Wapack is a 22 mile trail running from central MA to NH>”

“Have fun at Campmor, Pedxing. It is a fun place to shop. I haven't been there in a long while, but I always enjoy checking out all the stuff.”

“No pedxing, I haven't had the pleasure.”