Matt and I did a scouting hike of Kamikazie Falls today with my five backpacking partners. I’m leading the hike for CHS2 on April 2nd and I wanted to be sure that the trail is in good shape with no snow. It turned out to be one of those hikes that started out not to be much fun, but ended up quite differently. For starters, I was lugging a 35 lb pack, much of which was water weight. My backpacking partners and I are trying to get ready for a backpacking trip in Grand Canyon we’re doing in late May. It was also pouring rain as we got out of the car and headed up the trail.
I must admit I was feeling just a little bit grumpy because of the rain. But I had brought my trusty umbrella, so I trudged along in the rain with my friends holding it over my head and pack keeping me mostly dry. I prefer to use an umbrella in the rain instead of wearing a rain coat as I tend to sweat quite a bit when I hike—especially when I hike uphill. So I get just as wet wearing a raincoat than I would do without any rain protection. The umbrella allows me to keep just a hiking shirt on so I keep cooler that way without getting wet by the rain.
In about 90 minutes after we’d reached the falls and started heading back down, the sun started peeking out and the rain had mostly stopped. With the sun shining on me, my pack didn’t feel so heavy, and I was glad that we went hiking—just like I always am. I didn’t let a little wet stop me and don’t let it stop you either. Spring weather in the Cascades is unpredictable, so plan for rain by bringing your rain gear on every hike even if the sun is shining. An umbrella never hurt either. You guarantee yourself a more enjoyable time if you come prepared for all kinds of weather.
If you hiked this weekend and did not manage to at least stay warm even if you got wet, you might want to rethink some of your layers. Long underwear was definitely a must this weekend. If your current long underwear isn’t really doing its job of keeping you warm even when wet, you might want to consider upgrading to wool long underwear. Smartwool and Icebreaker both make really good wool under layers. They’re a bit spendy, but are definitely worth it and they last a long time. It might also help to bring another shirt in your pack and change into it at lunch to warm you up. I’ve also found that tucking some hand warmers into my gloves at lunch time really helps out too.
Have a great week and I hope to see you on trail soon!
