Episode 85 | Backcountry Lightning Risk Management

[jscott]

In regards to the filmed corona event posted by David earlier:

Why is the narrator stopping every few minutes to take her own selfie video while narrating how bad things are getting? Don’t do this!! I was with several others at the top of an exposed pass when lightning was striking  immediately around us. Everyone raced as fast as possible down towards treeline two miles below. No one stopped to record selfie videos describing their  situation. Are you kidding me?

[AK Granola]

Looking at Dixie’s video again, I’ve had that same experience, many years ago in Denali. The lightning was far off, the storm miles away. Nevertheless when our hair started to stand on end, we descended as fast as we could. We were in open terrain for at least an hour before getting to trees. Where would Dixie have descended to up there? It’s miles and miles to get to below treeline.

When we were going up Muir Pass a few years ago, we were about 1/2 mile from the shelter when a thunderstorm rolled in, without clouds or forecast or anything. Just suddenly appeared over the crest of the hill. Do we then go up or down in all those rocks? Treeline a long ways away on the side we came from, so do we keep climbing to get down on the other side, where the trees are closer? “Run” to the hut? (I couldn’t have run, so it doesn’t matter.) Sometimes the answers are not clear. You do your best, and hope for the best. Or stay home and watch the video and never go.

[Todd G]

I recently had an experience in which an unpredicted storm occurred at 11600 ft in the sierras, developed quickly, started at like 230pm and lasted until 4. Thunder came only deep into it near the end and we were in a bad area where large boulders in a lake basin made descending in heavy rain tricky. We had basic rain gear but the temps dropped and we were shivering with layers on under a tarp. Had lightning gotten closer I would have assumed the safest position available, but it made me think about how we’re set up with ultralight kits in summer with good forecasts and trying to brainstorm better approaches off trail in slow terrain with fast moving storms. And I’ve been seeing repeatedly hikers and runners heading up passes in storms in the sierras often unaware and always unconcerned which is worrying.

[Author]

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