A cautionary tale

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timisimaginary
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by timisimaginary »

SkaredShtles wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:25 pm
painless4u2 wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:22 pm
highpilgrim wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:12 pm Or look stylish on them thar hillz.
I thought I spotted you, Comrade.

fat hiker.jpg
Cargo shants?!?

Color me intrigued...

:mrgreen:
that's called pro-level tick prevention.
"The decay and disintegration of this culture is astonishingly amusing if you're emotionally detached from it." - George Carlin
CORed
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by CORed »

kingshimmers wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:42 pm
TomPierce wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:46 am IMO the only thing that works well in such a setting is pit zips, bigger the better. And hike up with a light poly layer underneath, which is changed as soon as you cool off at the end of the hike. On goes the dry long sleeve top.
I agree with this 100%. In actual rain, the outer layer of a breathable jacket will wet out and become non-breathable anyway. Go for more waterproof, less breathable, with giant armpit zipper vents. Also, a simple pair of waterproof rain pants are a must with a rain forecast like this (sometimes gaiters are useful as well). I also always pack an emergency blanket/emergency bivy and at least one pair of chemical hand warmers in my first aid kit. Sounds like you had the bivy and just didn't think it through, but those things are literal lifesavers in wet/hypothermic conditions.

Also, one note about navigating in the rain in the dark. If it's raining heavily (and if it's at all foggy), trying to use the white light of your headlamp can be a bit like using your brights when driving - lots of scattering and not too helpful in seeing very far ahead. The red light is more helpful, but makes it harder to see obstacles you might trip over. Something to keep in mind when thinking, "I could just hike back to the car in the dark in a downpour." It may be far more time consuming and miserable than you think. I once had to backpack 8 miles out of Haleakala's crater in a freezing downpour in the dark because I got to camp and realized I forgot my tent - I had adequate rain gear and stayed dry, but navigating out of that was miserably slow (as in, I got back to the car to see sunrise slow)

Thanks for sharing your experience. I think these discussions are extremely beneficial for everyone. We should have more discussion of mistakes.
For rainy weather, I have always relied on urethane coated nylon ponchos. Straight plastic tears too easily. Most other alternatives aren't really waterproof. Also, if your tent wont keep your sleeping bag dry in a hard rain, you need a better tent. No ifs, ands or buts about it. It always sucks to find out the hard way that your tent isn't up to snuff. Also, when all else fails, a fire can be a life saver, assuming you can find enough dead wood to build one, and you can get it lit in the rain. If you use a liquid fuel stove, the stove fuel can get a fire going when nothing else works, but be careful: Never pour it onto an active fire, as it will flash back into the container and probably burn you badly, if not fatally. I know SCL is a near timberline and a heavily used area, so that may not have been a viable option in this case.
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Scott P
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by Scott P »

Dang Nunns, that would be intense. I was debating whether or not to do a short backpack that weekend, but decided against it since the weather forecast was just too bad (100% chance of heavy rain).

Your experience may have been a blessing in disguise though. If the weather had been a little better when you camped and you decided to go for one of the summits and then the storm hit, it could have been a lot worse.

I'm glad you are safe. :thumbup:
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
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Harrison
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by Harrison »

Sean, we've caught up on email, but glad everything shook out fine for you, your daughter, and family. Thanks for sharing a cautionary tale. Makes me consider how I pack my overnight bag, and what I should change should I need to setup camp in inclement weather.
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Fletch Lives
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by Fletch Lives »

OP, glad everyone is OK. Out of curiosity, would you say that you were dehydrated when you started to lose core temp? The reason I ask is that something similar happened many moons ago to myself and a friend and that was our only logical conclusion from going downhill so fast... again, glad you're OK.
Uh. Well, I've sinned. I didn't take any Polaroids or anything. But, yeah, I've sinned.
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greenonion
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by greenonion »

nunns wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 8:07 am
viejo wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:28 am Based on posts so far, mine will not be a particularly welcomed reply, but feel it important to be expressed.

This was a planned night out with a known forecast of rain. To have spent such a miserable night and having to abandon gear to get out in the morning was not due to a series of unexpected mishaps. This was a lack of basic back country skills and preparation. Having the gear and ability to get dry and stay warm is a fundamental requisite to being in the outdoors. If things got this bad in a planned situation, imagine what might happen in an unplanned emergency.

The preponderance of good weather we're blessed with in Colorado can lead to a complacency in skills development and preparedness. The back country becomes relegated to the status of personal obstacle course, without getting the respect it deserves for even simple objective hazards such as wet weather. Accumulating a few dozen peaks on "the list" in good weather can lead to feeling experienced, when often it is only one or two experiences repeated on multiple walks.

Please consider putting together a list of appropriate skills to "check off" before going too far with peak lists. Weather preparation, emergency shelter, gear to keep warm and dry, navigation skills, route finding skills all might find a place on the list. The trend towards internet trained, paint-by-numbers hikers in the hills will results in just these types of avoidable situations.
I don't disagree with you. The main purpose of posting my experience was to let people know that just because someone has climbed a bunch of peaks doesn't make them immune to things going wrong, especially if that person has holes in their outdoor survival resume, which I clearly do. You have presented your point in a respectful manner, which I appreciate.

Sean Nunn
That’s cool, Sean, and I appreciate you sharing this lesson learned.

Stu
nunns
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by nunns »

Fletch Lives wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 1:56 pm OP, glad everyone is OK. Out of curiosity, would you say that you were dehydrated when you started to lose core temp? The reason I ask is that something similar happened many moons ago to myself and a friend and that was our only logical conclusion from going downhill so fast... again, glad you're OK.
I would say not. I don't want to overplay my hand; I wasn't in SERIOUS hypothermia, but definitely in the beginning stages. I suppose I could have been mildly dehydrated, but usually I am pretty good about hydration.

Sean
"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains." --Psalms 36:6
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Scott P
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by Scott P »

Did you ever get your tent back? Some people on the FB group said that they found an abandoned tent with clothes in it. Maybe it is yours?
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nunns
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by nunns »

Scott P wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:44 pm Did you ever get your tent back? Some people on the FB group said that they found an abandoned tent with clothes in it. Maybe it is yours?
It would cost more to ship it back to me in KC than it is worth. Someone retrieved the things that were important to me and they are going to send them back to me.

Whoever is willing to make the effort to pack the tent down can have it. It isn't a great tent (obviously) but it is functional. The inflatable air mattresses inside are also decent. The grey Kelty backpack is old but still functional. They are all spoils for whoever is willing to pack them down, with my thanks for cleaning up my mess.

Sean Nunn
"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains." --Psalms 36:6
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12ersRule
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by 12ersRule »

Rumor has it, an angry rock thrower is already living in it.
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bdloftin77
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by bdloftin77 »

12ersRule wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:58 am Rumor has it, an angry rock thrower is already living in it.
:lol:

Scavengers beware!
timisimaginary
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Re: A cautionary tale

Post by timisimaginary »

12ersRule wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:58 am Rumor has it, an angry rock thrower is already living in it.
and his pet iguana.
"The decay and disintegration of this culture is astonishingly amusing if you're emotionally detached from it." - George Carlin
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