TR -Who takes care of Stupid people and children

“Three weeks ago as we were approaching Donohue Passon the 4th day of our trip, some pretty impressive clouds were on the horizon. Peh, still pretty far away, right? Well as we left the little lake right below Donohue Pass (11,058) the clouds were building but it was holding off. I turned around and told my fellow hikers that this was really stupid. Probably the stupidest thing I had ever done.

As we were only about 400ft from the pass we continued up; it was either that or fall a day behind on the schedule. We had no choice, right? The rain started first and then hail. We looked up and saw someone coming over the pass and descending; as he passed he gave us a look that said we were all insane and said we were almost to the pass. About now the lightening was beginning and thunder wasn't too far behind. I was in the front and kept thinking, 'I just have to get to the top and get down the other side'. The second bolt of lightening was so close that the thunder splitting the sky knocked me down. That was to happen twice more. There was no delay between the flash and the sound. We finally reached the pass and now the storm was directly on us. I really thought I was going to die that day. I reassured myself that seeing the flash proved I escaped again and I ducked as the sound waves rolled over me. Yes, I kept want to hurl those dam& metal hiking sticks as far away as possible.

The lightening and thunder was ferocious and consumed our world for what seemed like an eternity but was probably 20 minutes.
We ran down the trail, which was no longer a trail but a rushing river, not caring anymore that my boots were soaked, I had no jacket on, no time to stop and put it on. I managed to fall, got up looked at my knees, made a mental note of the blood mixing with the rain running down my leg; I never stopped as I moved as fast as I could. Finally we had put a few hundred feet elevation between us and the storm and searched for shelter. Some were starting to get hypothermic. We threw up a three man tent and six people pretty much dove in semi naked. Everything in our packs was soaked including sleeping bags. We huddled in the tent covered with wet sleeping bags and sitting on wet thermarests shivering uncontrollably.

Eventually, the sun came out and we were able to get some things slightly dried out. That was July 24th - the day before Mammoth was flooded and we were caught on the trail again below Island Pass but we found some shelter and huddled there.

Never...Never...Ever again. There will be a trip report but I just had to share this part.

Please - save your lectures - You won't be able to say anything I haven't said to myself only harsher. Yes, we were unspeakably lucky having done everything we shouldn't have.”

“yep!”

“Whoa...I'm so glad you're here to do the report.”

“Thanks Ruby - it was the stupidest, scariest, most dangerous thing I have ever done.”

“Without stealing your thunder, let's just say I know just how you feel. Ditto what Ruby said.”

“pshaw, death is just the trailhead for the next great adventure. I bet the memory of that passage will stay with you longer than just about everything else. You are never more alive than when you are so close to death.

Ok, all the silly cliches out of the way, (although I firmly believe them all to be true) ....
Good Googily Moogily!!!! Glad you guys made it through to the other side and could hold out till the sun returned.”

“After a trip to the Sierras I do not mess with lightning. We were all at this high lake and the half of the group on the other side started waving their arms and pointing at a low point in the lake bowl while running that way. They could see the storm coming but we couldn't. When it hit we ran. We got to the low point in the bowl and Phil stands there holding up his gps to get a fix on camp. I'm squatting down saying, "All I gotta do is make myself shorter than you two!". We were running down this hill in the hail, the rain and lightning. One of the best times in my life!”

“Nobody realizes how terrifying lightening is until they find themselves out in the open and getting multiple strikes within 100 yards. Surreal.”

“Florida is the lightning capital of the USA. We have a much higher percentage of lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. It can be bad enough in the house. We had a storm last night where it was flash-bang. It surely ain't no fun being caught out in the open in a lightning storm.

One year we were camped on top of a mountain in Tennessee, by Roan, when a storm rolled in quickly. I was under a tarp that just happened to have four metal hiking poles as corner supports. I collapsed the tarp over me and huddled to the ground. I lifted one edge of the tarp up to look out and just then saw lighting strike the top of a mountain below us.

I agree: Never Again! If I can possibly help it.”

“Florida is the lightning capital of the USA.

Is this because of high humidity?”

“"I prefer to fully live my life and not just be alive."

- SandyAnn

I guess that experience qualifies, eh?

Glad to have you back, and thank you for sharing your story. Looking forward to reading the rest of your TR.”

“Oh yea...I was fully alive and wanted to stay that way.

What I find interesting is that when I tried to explain this to my husband, I think he could only relate this to a lightening and thunder storm experienced from the safety of the couch. I don't fault him for this but it reminds me that many people experience life through National Geographic and the Discovery channel. No surround sound system on earth could reproduce that sound or concussion.
last edited: 8/10/07 6:26:40 AM”

“Wow! Bring out the rest of the story asap!
(glad all faired well too)”

“My NG company set up a defensive position on a wooded mountain top(@ 2,000 feet) in western Maine. From there we patrolled and awaited the "attacks" by our "opposition force".

One afternoon thunderstorms rolled in.
Our CP was at the highest point with field telephone lines to each of our platoon and OP positions.

The lightning got into the phone lines and gave the guy in the CP quite a shock as his hair was on end and he had whizzed his pants.
We were all reasonably wet anyway, so what's a little piss??
It was a case of nature's own justice since the guy who "got it" actually deserved it.

And I might add that I'm glad he didn't die.”

““Florida is the lightning capital of the USA.

Is this because of high humidity?”
Nigal
6:42:17 AM
8/10/07

I think its due to the high number of sinners supporting Florida's college football programs.”

“So the second day when this happened....picture 6 people huddled under the trees hiding under our rain flys. I really wish I had the sense enough to take photos of that from under the fly. That would have been a great one to share.”