Lightning
Lightning is the number one natural killer in Colorado. The best way to avoid being a statistic is to be aware of changes in the weather and descend to a lower elevation at the first sign of bad weather (ie. approaching dark clouds, distant thunder, the smell of rain, gusty thunderstorm outflow winds, etc). Understand that lightning is attracted to the highest objects in a given area. Mountain peaks, pinnacles, rock outcrops, the opening of caves, tall trees, act as paths for the discharge of lightning between the cloud and ground.
Lightning comes in all forms, cloud-to-ground, cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-air, and in-cloud. There are positively charged and negatively charged lightning strokes. Negatively charged lightning is the most common type of lightning. This type of lightning originates at the ground and darts upward into the storm cloud. If you should feel your hair standing on end, hear a crackling noise in your ears, or just smell ozone in the air, there’s a fair bet negatively charged lightning is about to discharge near by.
Unfortunately, there’s really no warning that a positively charged lightning bolt will strike as this type of lightning originates inside the storm cloud. Positive lightning is especially dangerous as it is often blamed for starting most wildfires attributed to lightning.
What to do in a thunderstorm
If caught in a thunderstorm, seek shelter, preferably in a low lying dry place. If in a group, spread out to reduce the chance of multiple people being struck at once. Avoid isolated trees, rock outcrops, the entrance to caves, and open areas. If you are caught in your tent, find more substantial shelter such as a dense stand of short trees, or in a cave and stand back at least 6 feet from its entrance. If caught outdoors in the open, crouch down onto the balls of your feet and make yourself as small of a target as possible. Standing on a sleeping bag, a piece of wood, a sheet of plastic and even a rubber tire offers no protection from lightning. Lightning’s highly charged electrons move along the surface of objects and not normally through them. One of the safest places outdoors during a thunderstorm is within a hard top vehicle with the windows rolled up. Should the vehicle be struck by lightning, its outer shell will conduct this charge around the occupants and into the ground – passing over the surface of the rubber tires! When lightning strikes, if you’re not killed by the millions of volts of electricity, the 50,000 degree stroke may leave you severely burned.
On long hikes, it is common practice to leave the trail head early in the morning and to be on the summit around 9AM, giving time to return before the afternoon lightning storms occur.
preferably in a low lying dry place. If in a group, spread out to reduce the chance of multiple people being struck at once. Avoid isolated trees, rock outcrops, the entrance to caves, and open areas. If you are caught in your tent, find more substantial shelter such as a dense stand of short trees, or in a cave and stand back at least 6 feet from its entrance. If caught outdoors in the open, crouch down onto the balls of your feet and make yourself as small of a target as possible. Standing on a sleeping bag, a piece of wood, a sheet of plastic and even a rubber tire offers no protection from lightning. Lightning’s highly charged electrons move along the surface of objects and not normally through them. One of the safest places outdoors during a thunderstorm is within a hard top vehicle with the windows rolled up. Should the vehicle be struck by lightning, its outer shell will conduct this charge around the occupants and into the ground – passing over the surface of the rubber tires! When lightning strikes, if you’re not killed by the millions of volts of electricity, the 50,000 degree stroke may leave you severely burned.
On long hikes, it is common practice to leave the trail head early in the morning and to be on the summit around 9AM, giving time to return before the afternoon lightning storms occur.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature drops below 95F. It is an extremely dangerous state to be in and best to avoid at all possible cost. Hypothermia can occur any time in the backcountry. Most cases of hypothermia occur due to wet or inadequate clothing. Inexperienced hikers embark on outdoor excursions unprepared for the extreme weather of the mountains. It may be sunny and warm at the outset, but the weather can (and often does) change. Thunderstorms with heavy rain, and strong winds can drench the unprepared. A heavy fog or misty rain can cause hikers to lose the trail and force them to spend a night on the mountain. At night, temperatures will fall below freezing, causing hypothermia and death.