Steve ,we had excellent gear. Heads and torso were dry in gear. The problem was not gear, but decision-making.
At first the storm did not seem to be so bad, so I elected not to put on my excellent side zip pants, and the other 2 people followed my lead as there was little wind and the legs were staying pretty dry. But the dryish graupel quickly deteriorated into a sleet monster, and we had a decision to make...stop and slip on sandals for two stream crossings and also put on the pants versus just charge ahead in boots across the streams and keep hiking fast until the storm let up. At that point we would just change socks (three pairs.) The stream crossings became not the only source of cold because the trails became 3-4 inches deep in flowing slush, splashing up on our cold legs ,despite our attempts to stay on solid footing.
So with our bodies cold from the knees down, we kept moving for about 2 miles, going as fast as possible to stay warm. In retrospect, the speed kept us alive, but our whole decision-making process was an error. If the storm had lasted any longer, then the risk of hypothermia would have been much worse, with consequences. Also, it was very, very instructional to see that only a partial amount of body exposure could have so much effect. it was also instructional to see how quickly we warmed up just getting out of our cold boots and socks even before we got the tents up and the fire going.
Harvey
Last edited by h_lankford; 07/19/08 01:22 AM.
