We had a spectacular October hike with the club... despite the weather challenges!
We gathered at school at 9:45 and discussed some simple gear that can be created when the threat of rain looms in your hiking plans--Ziploc bags make for good waterproof protection for cell phones and iPods... trash bags for make-shift rain gear for those that didn't come prepared for the potential weather we may experience.
We left school at 10 a.m. and headed to Hogback Mountain in Marquette. We hit the trail shortly after 10:30 a.m. The colors today were beautiful against the dark sky as a backdrop.
Our first 45 minutes of hiking were superb! Today we had 11 adults and 24 students hiking. Love our group's energetic spirit of adventure! Our next lesson was on looking for the blazes that mark hiking trails. We made note that the white blazes mark the first portion of our hike, but the blazes marking the trail switch to blue as we transition to a different trail marking system (part of the North Country Trail) later on.
About one hour into our trek a light rain began.. no worries.. it is warm and we enjoyed a bit of a cool down. Then the thunder moved in. Well... no better way to learn survival skills than to experience using them first hand. Everyone dug out their rain gear and waterproofed their electronics in preparation for the weather we knew was going to hit us shortly. At the first sound of thunder we discussed that inclement weather when hiking and backpacking is part of the adventure. We talked about some safety pointers--if you are in an area of high elevation, go lower; if you are on a summit, get down; if you are in the woods don't stand by tall trees but instead go to an area with smaller ones that are less likely to be a potential lightning issue; if you are in an open field, get small and don't be the tallest object around.
We waited out the heaviest portion of the storm for about 20 minutes. Once the thunder left the area we made a go for the summit again. While the worst of the storm moved on, the rain and wind did not. We made a rather soggy bid for the summit and were unfortunately not able to enjoy the usual views from atop Hogback--the largest natural landform in Marquette County. Lucky for our group we will hike this area again this winter. I personally like the views in the snow even better!
After a breezy pause at the summit we headed back down. At this point it began to downpour. Luckily the temperatures were relatively warm and our hiking crew truly lives my favorite quote--ATTITUDE: The difference between an adventure and an ordeal! These kids were on an adventure and were living it to the fullest--lots of smiles as they jumped in and around puddles on the way down!
We returned to cars at 1:30--very soggy but smiling ear to ear. We returned back to school at 2 p.m.
Next month we hope for better weather as we tackle Dead River Falls in Marquette! If not, well, this crew has learned a bit about dressing for the weather and can put their new knowledge to work... There is no such thing as bad weather---Just bad clothing!
We gathered at school at 9:45 and discussed some simple gear that can be created when the threat of rain looms in your hiking plans--Ziploc bags make for good waterproof protection for cell phones and iPods... trash bags for make-shift rain gear for those that didn't come prepared for the potential weather we may experience.
We left school at 10 a.m. and headed to Hogback Mountain in Marquette. We hit the trail shortly after 10:30 a.m. The colors today were beautiful against the dark sky as a backdrop.
Our first 45 minutes of hiking were superb! Today we had 11 adults and 24 students hiking. Love our group's energetic spirit of adventure! Our next lesson was on looking for the blazes that mark hiking trails. We made note that the white blazes mark the first portion of our hike, but the blazes marking the trail switch to blue as we transition to a different trail marking system (part of the North Country Trail) later on.
About one hour into our trek a light rain began.. no worries.. it is warm and we enjoyed a bit of a cool down. Then the thunder moved in. Well... no better way to learn survival skills than to experience using them first hand. Everyone dug out their rain gear and waterproofed their electronics in preparation for the weather we knew was going to hit us shortly. At the first sound of thunder we discussed that inclement weather when hiking and backpacking is part of the adventure. We talked about some safety pointers--if you are in an area of high elevation, go lower; if you are on a summit, get down; if you are in the woods don't stand by tall trees but instead go to an area with smaller ones that are less likely to be a potential lightning issue; if you are in an open field, get small and don't be the tallest object around.
We waited out the heaviest portion of the storm for about 20 minutes. Once the thunder left the area we made a go for the summit again. While the worst of the storm moved on, the rain and wind did not. We made a rather soggy bid for the summit and were unfortunately not able to enjoy the usual views from atop Hogback--the largest natural landform in Marquette County. Lucky for our group we will hike this area again this winter. I personally like the views in the snow even better!
After a breezy pause at the summit we headed back down. At this point it began to downpour. Luckily the temperatures were relatively warm and our hiking crew truly lives my favorite quote--ATTITUDE: The difference between an adventure and an ordeal! These kids were on an adventure and were living it to the fullest--lots of smiles as they jumped in and around puddles on the way down!
We returned to cars at 1:30--very soggy but smiling ear to ear. We returned back to school at 2 p.m.
Next month we hope for better weather as we tackle Dead River Falls in Marquette! If not, well, this crew has learned a bit about dressing for the weather and can put their new knowledge to work... There is no such thing as bad weather---Just bad clothing!