Location: Schaumburg, IL
Miles Hiked Today: 0
Weather: Occasional Thunderstorms
Of all the things that I may encounter out on the trail, thunderstorms are probably one my least anticipated. Watching and listening to the thunderstorms rumbling through the suburbs has me thinking about this threat that is much more likely than other typical fears, such as bear attacks or life threatening snake encounters. It's not so much the rain (although that can be annoying when warm and deadly when cold), or the chance of encountering high winds, tornadoes, and hail. Those are things to worry about, but not as much as the threat of lightning when hiking through areas high above the other places around.
It's just one of those things all hikers have to deal with. Granted, hiking the Appalachian Trail isn't exactly like hiking in the Rockies or the High Sierra, where dozens or even hundreds of miles may be above treeline. Many of the areas along the AT are shrouded in the relative safety of the forest. Still, there are plenty of meadows, clearings, road crossings, and other exposed places where lightning could be a threat. Guess I'll just have to be observant, and be careful.
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