lightning safety

[ringneckdog]

Starting to now see forecast for our upcoming elk trip. Granted it's still over a week out for us, but how do you guys handle lightning storms when tenting out in black timber. Going to be backpacked out 4-5 miles from Trailhead in the Holy Cross/White River area. All the advice I read is being in a tent isn't a great idea during a lighting storm.

All the camping I've done back here in Wisconsin is always close to some kind of shelter or vehicle, and my bow hunting is done right on the home farm here so it isn't normally an issue.

Thanks
Matt

 

[Shrek]

It's butt puckering is what I can tell you don't pitch out on a barren ridge where you're the highest thing around. Bottom third of the Mountain is best but ultimately there are no guaranteed safe place . Worst is a dry cloud front suddenly showering lightning bolts on the peak you're sitting on. No fun at all !

 

[colonel00]

Leave the golf clubs at home too

 

[Eric Bailey]

I wouldn't worry about the forecast. You'll have every kind of weather there is in a single day anyway. Making camp in dark timber is about as safe a place as you'll find from lightning.

I would be aware of the weather if you are above timberline, but the weather changes so fast you almost can't do anything about it - so don't let it dictate your behavior or worry you. If dark clouds come in or the bolts start flying, just try and find a spot where you aren't the highest thing around.

 

[LongWayAround]

The safest place to be is in a stand of even height trees. Don't sit at the base of the tallest tree or in the open. Do sit on your pack or something to insulate you from ground shock, as much as possible. Also, watch for dead/falling trees

Last September, I sat down for some lunch in a mixed stand of aspen and conifers (mostly dead). In the span of about 5 minutes, it went from cloudless blue sky to wind, hail, and falling trees. I bailed for the sage and the storm was over in another 5 minutes. Then the elk came out...

 

[CrzyTrekker]

Search for "NOLS Lightning Protocol" online. Good information.

 

[rayporter]

golf club, heck what about that big long blued rifle barrel sticking up??

and thunder is loud up there.

 

[jmez]

People worry about bears and mtn lions. Lightning scares the %#%# out of me.

 

[BroodBuster]

How do I deal with lightning? Not particularly well.

A lot of my scouting is identifying place to ride out storms. I look for small groves of trees on steps that show no signs of previous strikes. I'm also off of ridge tops by early afternoon and post up in a basin for the evening hunt.

 

[husky390]

People worry about bears and mtn lions. Lightning scares the %#%# out of me.

No joke. That's the one thing that'll get me to bail off a mountain in a hurry.

 

[Olsolitaire1]

Yep, ^^^^No Joke, Colorado ranks 2nd in the nation for lightning strikes, Fla. #1. This year something like 22 people were struck. I think this bow season we shall see it all for weather. But keep an eye on the sky especially in the afternoons, if those clouds are coming in real dark get out of the open. Listen too, you hear rumbling off in the distance, do the same, get out of the open. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles ahead of a storm and without any rain. Keep a low profile and squat when riding it out, do not sit or lay down, less contact with the ground the better.

They can be pretty wild and move fast, sometime lots of hail, rain and the temps really drop. Once I got caught out on a side of a bald hill side, watching a storm roll in the valley below me. There was lightning coming out the top of them clouds. I had nowhere to go but up and even if I had crawled I was the tallest thing up there. I waited it out well puckered up, no water got in that’s for sure.