Preparing for Possibilities

"Pausing on the bridge that goes over Stephen Mather Parkway"  ~ photo by Lee G Young  © 2014

I began the Naches Peak trail in Mount Rainier National Park on a beautiful, sunny summer day.  As I paused on a sturdy 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps bridge, crossing over Stephen Mather Parkway, I felt confident I had everything I needed for my alpine hike. I had my hiking stick, plenty of water, and a day pack filled with goodies. I even brought some extra socks, just in case I wanted to put them on after taking my shoes off and dunking my feet into Dewey Lake, my destination point. Okay, I didn’t check the “Ten Essentials” list for optimum hiking safety, developed by the Seattle-based mountaineering group, The Mountaineers, but I honestly felt on this gorgeous day, with its azure sky, I had everything I might need. The Naches Peak trail to Dewey Lake follows the well-marked Pacific Crest Trail and was traveled by many hikers that day, so I probably wouldn’t need my compass or an emergency shelter. I had only brought a thin parka in my pack and was pretty sure I wouldn’t be needing any rain gear on this fair weather day. 

"The Naches Peak Loop trail follows part of the Pacific Crest Trail."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

I hadn’t checked the weather forecast on the TV that morning and thought, as I looked out the window of my motel room, “It’s going to be a fabulous day for photos!”  Laying on a table near the bed, was a an informative Mount Rainier newspaper I picked up a few days ago at Paradise Lodge. In that copy of  “The Tahoma News”, there was a small, but important, article with a headline, “Knowledge and Safety: Keys to Great Hiking”, and under that was a small section entitled “Pay Attention to the Weather.” It described how at Mount Rainier the weather can change rapidly and that any hikers, who aren’t prepared for changing weather conditions, would increase their risk of being lost or injured. The article emphasized the way to avoid any problems is to always know and plan for Mount Rainier’s changeable weather. 

"Hikers on the Naches Peak Loop trail."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

But, unfortunately, I did not read this important information before I began my hike on the Naches Peak Loop trail. I felt confident, following my excellent trail map of this 7 mile trek, that my only problem on this hike might be getting overheated from the sun and not having enough cooler areas of shade on the trail. At the first small lake along the trail, many people were picnicking and having fun enjoying the scenic alpine beauty. No one there looked as if they might be expecting any change in the perfect weather that we were experiencing that day in the park. When a hiker on the trail remarked to me that rain was on its way in the afternoon, his words seemed so improbable that I shook my head in disbelief, as I hurried to get to a cooler place up ahead on the trail. 

"Dewey Lake as seen from Naches Peak."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

When I reached the top of Naches Peak, I looked over the tall evergreen trees at my destination at Dewey Lake, far down in the valley below.  I grimaced as I thought of my parka in my pack, and felt that bringing it might have been a wasted effort, as I envisioned myself hiking down and back up the sunny, steep ridge, soaked in perspiration. However, later as I was climbing back up that ridge from Dewey Lake, the sun’s intense heat surprisingly was not the problem it had been on the descent. The beautiful blue sky, that had smiled on all of us earlier, had turned dark and threatening. The top of Mount Rainier, usually seen from the trail, completely disappeared, having been shrouded by swirling, gray clouds. I felt a growing apprehension as those ominous dark clouds rolled in, covering up any memory of that sunny, summer day. Of course, it occurred to me that not bringing all my “10 Essentials”, especially my rain gear, might be an error in my judgement.

"Dark clouds seen on the ascent from Dewey Lake."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

Quickly, I wrapped my camera in a plastic bag and tucked it deep inside my day pack and then promptly speeded up my pace on the trail. I hoped to finish before I got too wet, and yes, I was probably going to get rained on, as I still had about 3 miles to go to the trailhead. I already could smell the rain in the air, as I slipped my parka over my head and checked the direction of the path on my map one last time before tucking it into my pocket. The faster I hiked back on the southern half of Naches Peak trail, the darker the sky got. And then it happened - rain - lots of rain! My lightweight parka very soon became drenched and did more to chill me than protect me. Thinking of my dry clothes back in my car, I knew once I finished my hike in this deluge of rain, I would be fine. With that overly confident thought came a sudden showering of hail… hail of significant size! As the force of these pieces of ice pounded down upon me, I was desperate to find some kind of shelter. With the thunder and lightning creating even more drama, my mind raced, searching for a solution to my dilemma. As the relentless pounding of cold ice continued to fall on my head, I dropped to the ground, seeking protection by an embankment next to the trail. The hail lasted for only about ten to fifteen minutes, but it seemed like an eternity, as I shivered, losing all recollection of that hot, sunny day I started my hike with. Just when I felt I could no longer stand another chunk of ice hitting me, the hail slackened up. As I peeked out from under my dripping parka I had put over my head, I saw that the trail had turned white from an accumulation of hail. 

"Mount Rainier surrounded by clouds." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

Relieved that the falling hail had finally ceased, I almost didn’t mind the gentler rain. If I had brought all those “Ten Essentials”, including my rain poncho, my experience with Mount Rainier’s changeable weather might have been less traumatic. Maybe having anything less than all ten of them is not being prepared for safety on the trail. Being really fortunate that nothing serious happened to me on this hike, I got back to my car, shivering and wet, and gratefully was soon warm in a dry set of clothes before a second deluge of pounding rain hit. In fact, I was not only drier and happier, but also smarter!  When I hike these wilderness trails in the future, I am doing it with all “ten essentials” and a knowledge of the current weather forecast. Not being prepared for the trek can easily change a fun outing, even at a National Park, into an unhappy experience. William Sullivan, an Oregon author, says in his hiking guidebooks, “Even on the tamest hike, a surprise storm or a wrong turn can suddenly make the gear you carry very important.” He warns that the number one killer in the woods is hypothermia - being wet and cold too long. 

"Watching the approaching storm." ~  photo by Lee G Young  © 2014

So, this time I received a more gentle lesson in the importance of being prepared for a range of possibilities on a hike. Ron C. Judd, a Washington journalist and author, who writes “Trail Mix” for the Seattle Times, advises, “On most any alpine hike in the fall (and evidently in late summer!) you can get snowed upon, rained upon, sleeted upon, blown around, and finally sunburned - all in the space of a day!”  Clearly, in the Cascades regions, and maybe in  all wilderness areas, it is a good idea to always carry the “Ten Essentials”, including waterproof gear, no matter how nice the weather looks when departing. So, thank you, Naches Peak Loop trail, for this important treasure of wisdom you’ve given me that will better ensure a greater and much safer hiking experience on all my future wilderness treks. Now, my new outdoor adventure motto is, “Don’t leave home without them” ….all ten of them!

~ from The Tahoma News, publication of Mount Rainier National Park

                                                                by Carol E Fairbanks, W.W.W.