The Deluge
Wet Weather Gear
GoreTex outerwear seems to be everywhere, yet some thru-hikers do not use it, saying, “if it's really waterproof, it won't be breathable.” Thru-hikers develop far too much heat and perspiration to be dissipated through the GoreTex membrane. Most use truly waterproof outerwear like vinyl tops or sil-nylon ponchos. A poncho can cover both you and your pack, and since it's open on the bottom, it tends to be less clammy than a coat. It can even be used as a shelter. Another downside to GoreTex is it's weight. A garment that has really only one use and weights a couple of pounds is hard to justify.
Craig and I evaluated these issues and bought some light jackets from Wild Things. They were made of Epic material, which is a synthetic that is specially designed to repel moisture. I even tested mine on a rainy hike a few months earlier. It performed well and we were both impressed with the light weight. We both carried tops and bottoms made with this material.
During the heavy downpour near Bear Creek, our Epic jackets quickly soaked through. We were disappointed in them, but later realized that they were not made to resist heavy prolonged rainfall. They worked well in lighter rain for shorter periods though.
Every year there seems to be a new miracle garment that claims to keep you warm and dry in a rainstorm. Most of them probably work too, if you're standing around in camp. If you're moving on the trail though, you will create just too much body heat and moisture to stay dry. The only answer seems to be ventilation. Your rain-gear needs to be loose and billowy, like a poncho.
The next morning, we caught the power boat back to the JMT and resumed our hike. The cloud cover was still thick and the air decidedly humid. While at the ranch we’d heard that a warm front from the south was responsible for the weather and that we should expect rain—maybe quite a bit. After hiking for a while we began to follow Bear Creek, and a light rain began to fall. We had decided to hike through the rain when it came. Many times, mountain showers are short, though they can be heavy. Around the Lake Italy junction, it began raining really hard. We continued on, but the side gullies crossing the trail were beginning to fill up. Our Epic rain-gear which had deflected light sprinkles handily, was soaked under the heavy rain. Finally, after crossing three swollen gullies within a short distance, we decided to look for a spot to camp.
A Rainy Campsite:
It was raining really hard now, and we wanted to set up a camp quickly, but we knew we had to get the spot right. Our clothes were soaked, but we figured our bags were dry, so we were not in trouble. If we picked a bad spot, though, and got washed out in the middle of the night, we would be at risk. Craig and I were both experienced snowcampers, and knew that hypothermia was a danger in moderate temperatures—if you got wet. We first stopped at an elevated, but open spot. It might have been OK, but if a strong wind came up, we would have been exposed. We looked for a less exposed spot, and found one that was under some pines. Camping under trees can also be risky, but these all looked healthy and the branches overhead looked strong. Everything else looked good: the wind was less, there was a thick layer of pine-needles, and we didn’t look exposed to flooding.
OK, this is the spot, we agreed. We got out our tarp-tents and quickly set up our camp. We couldn’t tell which way the wind would come from all night, so we set up our tents close to and facing each other. Thankfully, both of our bags were dry, and after getting out of our wet clothes and into the bags, we felt better. Right about then, we saw Doug and Tamara, going by us on the trail. They were walking right through the deluge. We were impressed! Guess those Appalachian Trail hikers are really tough!
Still, we felt good to be dry inside our sleeping bags. Some hot food and we’d be snug for the night—hopefully! I got out my alcohol stove and set up under the tent overhang. Hiking books always say, don’t cook inside your tent, and this is generally good advice. In the case of tarp-tents, the walls are really too close to allow cooking inside, but fortunately there is a “peak” that extends a bit from the front, and by being careful one can cook under it.
Wet Matches?
About this time, Craig said he was having trouble with his matches. His hands were cold, and he’d tried several, but couldn’t get them going. We hadn’t planned it, but having the tents close and facing was proving useful. I had a Bic lighter, and tossed it over to him. Unfortunately, his hands were too cold, and he couldn’t get the lighter to work. I knew if he couldn’t get his stove going soon, I’d have to go over and help him. I didn’t relish the idea of getting out of my bag, but Craig’s situation was getting shaky. Then I thought of my emergency matches. These were the long, strike anywhere kind that were supposed to work when wet.
We were both using “normal” waterproof matches, but evidently they weren’t waterproof enough—or maybe the striker flint had just gotten too damp. As a last try, before getting out of my bag, I tossed my “serious” emergency matches over in a zip lock bag. A minute later, I heard a sigh of relief, as Craig said his stove was going.
After this bit of drama, we ate our hot meals, and warmed up almost immediately. It was still raining, but less heavily than before. We felt snug, and hoped that we wouldn’t get any late night surprises. The camp turned out to be ideal, and the tarp-tents did their job superbly. Sometime during the night, it stopped raining and the stars came out. What a welcome sight! It was colder too, but we were warm and dry.
Drying Out:
The next morning, we packed up and started off. Not more than a hundred yards down the trail, we spotted Doug and Tamara. They were under a tarp lean-to and had a fire going to dry out their gear. We had packed our gear wet and planned to dry it later.
The morning was clear and crisp, and hiking felt good. Later we learned that this storm was an unusual one. Unlike many mountain showers which can be intense, but are usually short, this one had lasted for hours, and dropped a great deal of rain. We talked about rain, fires, and matches a lot that day. It was clear that “emergency” matches are critical. Just having extra, dry matches is not good enough in a serious storm. You have to have an absolutely certain way to get a fire going.
We stopped for lunch in a clear flat meadow next to Sallie Keyes Lake, and dragged everything out of our packs to dry thoroughly. We especially wanted our down bags to be really dry. Fortunately, the sun was out and after about an hour, everything was dry.
Muir Ranch and Beyond