'mornin!
(this is also posted in the AB area; if wrong to double-post please delete and accept my apology in advance)
This past weekend my wife & I plus another couple hiked Helen Lake near Lake Louise in Alberta Canada. Great hike if you can do it - the ridge just past the small lake offers spectacular views at a mere 7km distance from the trailhead.
At that point however, our friends decided to hike to the nearby 'peak' and we'd meet them when they returned. We chose not to join them as a matter of energy & irritable knee management. We withdrew to the lake below and waited. It was one of those days where if the wind stopped it was hot & the bugs would swarm you, so you hoped for the wind. Then the wind came and intensified, plus the sun was blocked out by clouds.
It is to my embarrassment that I must admit the folly of trusting the day would stay warm. Warm apartment, AC needed to drive in, hot without wind so...no windjacket & pants. Classic blunder no member here should get caught making, and I won't make the mistake again. My wife was two measures better than me with zip-on pantlegs and long-sleeve layer, but also no windgear. I'd brought earplugs as I knew wind could cause ear arches but...
Within a short time we realized this was an issue, and I unfurled an emergency blanket to help. It did, as sheltering behind a rock also did, but not enough. So we retreated to below the treeline to wait for our friends after carving notes in the dirt & mud for them. This made visual contact impossible which made me anxious...if they had a problem we couldn't know about it. (they got wind-blasted and chilled hands, but only paused at the top and thus were generating enough heat that they weren't in as much danger)
We also did not know how long their extra hike would take - turned out to be a 3.5hr add-on. It can be impossible to gauge distances in scree/rock terrain.
In summary:
- I'll be adding a lumber crayon to my pack from here in. Dry dirt doesn't take messages so well, they don't stand out, and it relies on a single trail exit. (I figure regular wax crayons may break with cold hands, thus lumber crayon for reliability) Our friends saw my mud-message.
- Can anyone provide notes on better use of an emergency blanket, while unfurling in the wind? I wrapped it around myself well enough, but there have to be better ways. I mean this both for turtling behind shelter & hiking away from the elements.
We found out the day after that the wind we received was the edge of a major storm that hit the Calgary & Red Deer areas 120km East of us; the CBC has a video clip of the Stampede grounds being cleared of people due to hail, wind & heavy rains..!
Thanks!
Might is Right is the wrong thing to say but the right thing to understand.
😀 😀 😀
Hello I dont get here too much anymore but Hey,... here i am and seen your post here. As I dont know your current athletic ability nor your wifes NOR your friends but I will only say THIS. As a hiker in a minimalist kinda way ( think redneck here with a bit of knowledge of my OWN needs ) I would highly suggest getting used to carrying a pack. Now Im sure you had somewhat of a pack but you MAY like to beef that up somewhat.
I myself have trekked around quite abit but I will admit that its all pretty weak. By that I mean its pretty close to home (coastal Mountains) and I DO know my way around the trails I tromp pretty well. HOWEVER, if I were going to such a location as that (rockies) you should have more than what you brung. In saying this its easy to see you know now but the way I look at this its a no brainer,.... Little story, I was at a local trail for a sunset run (dont do it!) when myself and my partner with her 12yr old (runner) went shooting up for some cardio. Made it to the top for a quick sip of water and down we went and I didnt get more than 10000yrds and roled (broke) my ankle on an exposed tree root. We didnt have anything other than water as it was only a 4km hoof or so. I can tell you it was the most painful decent for about 3km or whatever that it will remain in my head always and taught me numerous lessons.
1; dont rush
2; have lighting
3;carry a pack
its the 3rd that I make notice now and something I will almost ALWAYS carry is a virgin wool blanket. It has insulative value when wet, its pretty light depending on the size and thickness of it and can be used for a mulitude of things. In your case you could have used the blanket inside of the emergency blanket and it would have more than equaled the odds. What Im getting at is anytime I go out for something that should take me in and back in over 1hr I now bring the whole pack. My buds and I did a trek or 3 with 55lb packs. WAY more than a guy would need but we were staying out for overnight and the goal was to push ourselves with this weight to see just how poor we were. LOL AGAIn what Im getting at is if you train or prepare that way you will get used to it. When you go for something like you did i wouldnt go with less that a 25lb pack. I now go in pounds for what I think i would need as I know what my 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50lb pack carries. DONT ever sell yourself short on supplies as any number of things could have happened. Be prepared and always think if you cant carry that much and you would like to have it get your fitness level up. There is NO other way. Sure you might look stupid carrying yoour gear but I bet a dime in a donut everybody will be glad you did cause they DIDNT. Does that make you weird or weak? NOT. It means you planned for something that caught you by the nards once before. So I say,.. bring the gear that will keep you safe. Going up there at any time of the year is crucial. Shit happens and it happens to all of us one time or another. Dont get caught beacuse you dont want to carry. You will always be glad you did. Just my .02
Whatever tomorrow brings,… I will be there! 😉