Sunrise Traverse Gone bad
6/15/09
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
16464
22
I had been studying the forecast all week and was happy to see a 3 day weather windows that would allow me to tackle some rarely visited peaks on the north side of Mt Rainier National Park. The intended tour would only take 2 days so I decided to add an additional day up in the sunrise area tackling Fremont and the Burroughs along the way. It was calling for partly to mostly sunny skies the whole time so I packed my gear for good weather. I arrived at the White River campground at 6:30 am and hiked the wonderland trail for 2.5 miles up to the Sunrise area which is scheduled to open next Friday in alittle bit under a hour. Once arriving on the mellow alpine slopes around sunrise I was able to find continuous snow and switched over to skinning all the way out to frozen lake which is a low col that separates Fremont and the Burroughs.
The Burroughs and the NE face of Rainier
Once at frozen lake I dropped off all my overnight gear and climbed up to the ridge that separates the 3 bowls within the Fremont area. I gained the ridge to Fremont proper and did a long traverse checking out the possible lines along the way. From Fremont you have a perfect view to the west and while I was up in the clouds I could see that there was blue sky in the horizon. The clouds were dark but they werent dropping any precipitation so I felt confident that I was going to stay dry for the remainder of the day. After making it out to the lookout tower I dropped into the Massive Northeast facing bowl from summit proper to the flats around 1,000 feet lower and skinned back up to the summit. Along the way it had turned back to blue skies with a cloud deck a little bit above the peaks so feeling confident with the weather I dropped into the only continuous line within the massive SE facing bowl before gaining the ridge for my decent to Frozen Lake.
My line down the SE face of Fremont ( I love dirty snow)
At this point I was going faster then I had expected and the day was still early so I took a lunch break then ran up the 1st burrough to tackle its eastern face. The clouds were coming in and out but there were long stretches of Blue sky so I packed up all my gear and started heading across the high alpine tundra towards the second Burrough. In the distance I saw a wave of clouds over take the peaks to the west and were slowly heading in my direction. I had originally planned on dropping the North face of the 2nd burrough into Berkley Park then climb up a low saddle to access the 3rd but decided against it since it was about to be over taken by clouds. After taking a quick run down the low angled East face of the 2nd burrough the clouds had seemed to dissipate and I took an hour long nap on top of the 2nd burrough. It was starting to get late in the day and I had to make a discussion of were I would camp overnight. In the past I had camped on top of the 3rd burrough which delivered excellent views of Rainier proper and the route I would have to take the next day so I decided to head that way . While climbing up to the 3rd burrough some dark clouds had passed by but once again there was no precipitation and above me was blue sky so I felt comfortable sleeping on the exposed high point.
Once at the highpoint I unpacked my gear and set up camp by now clouds had obstructed my view but I had faith that they would soon clear up for an unobstructed view of Rainier. The view never opened up so I decided to get some sleep to prepare for the long day ahead. I had planned on sleeping at a patrol cabin on the second night and the forecast said clear skies so I left behind a tent and brought a sleeping pad, a 30 degree down sleeping bag and a few layers of clothes to regulate my heat which seemed more then sufficient. I fell asleep fast but was woken up 3 hours later to a torrential down pour and all of my gear was completely soaked. It was dark by this point and visibility was less then 10 feet so I had to make a decision of what to do and I had to do it fast.
I came up with 4 options
1. Drop down the South face of the 3rd burrough to a lower elevation and attempt to find the trail down to Glacier basin
2. Head North for 5 miles into Berkley Park and try to find the shelter
3. Head west for 5 miles towards the sunrise are
4. Stick it out and take off at first glance of sunlight
At first I decided to go with option 1. I threw all my gear in my pack as fast as possible, put my soaking wet gear on and started snowboarding carefully down the southern slope. I was riding by headlamp and was 90 percent sure I was in the right area but I knew that 10 percent chance would be a fatal drop so I changed my mind about heading down and boot packed back up the slopes towards the low saddle between the 2nd and 3rd burrough. With visibility being so bad I knew there was a very high chance I would get lost in the down pour if I tried heading towards Berkley park or sunrise and at the low saddle I could see the stars above me so I made the decision to hunker down for a long cold night and get out at first light. So I pulled out my sleeping pad and soaked sleeping bag, put on every layer I had and decided I would lay down with my Snowboard Jacket and Pants on.
Not 5 minutes into lying down it was raining again and everything was drenched but my core was somewhat dry (thanks to the coat and pants). I tucked myself under the sleeping bag and tried to get sleep for hours not quite awake and not quite asleep. Every few minutes I would look at my watch then look at my surroundings to see if the weather had a chance of clearing up to no avail. It wasnt long before I lost all feeling in my hands and feet but I knew this was my bodies way of regulating heat and keeping my core/vitals working and I felt it was too warm to get frost bite. Not only was it pouring rain but around 1 a.m. the wind picked up and ripped through my sleeping bag leaving me uncontrollably shaking for hours. By 4 a.m. I was exhausted and I had enough of the onslaught so I packed up the sponges of what I would normally call gear and started moving east towards sunrise.
Now I have done a lot of climbing lately and the tour wasnt what I would consider that exhausting but I was completely and totally lethargic. Every muscle in my body ached and I barely had enough energy to put one foot in front of the other for the next five brutal miles. There were points along the way were I could have snowboarded but I didnt have the energy to deal with it so I just kept moving through the rain soaked soil which turned to deep mud overnight. I stumbled the whole time hoping there would be a break in the rain and made the decision that if the sun came out I would collapse and rest for a few hours but that time never came. After two hours I made it to the sunrise visitor center and found a sheltered area that was less exposed to the elements. I collapsed on the bench, switched over to the last of my dry clothes then rested for hours waiting for the weather to clear so I could get back down to the White River campgrounds. After 6 hours of resting the rain started letting up but I knew it wasnt going to stop so I made the decision to load up on calories and make the final 2.5 mile hike down to my car arriving around 2p.m.
Looking at sunrise on my way back to the car
In conclusion I feel that while it was brutal staying in the area for the night it was the right decision as Im sure it would have taken no time before I became lost and was stumbling through the woods. I regret not heading to one of the shelter as a tent wouldnt have helped too much with the down pour and as for the choice of sleeping on the burrough I left myself exposed with no areas around that I could have hunkered down in to provide any shelter. I made mistakes and I admit that but once I was in the situation I was very cautious of all my decisions knowing all to well that a wrong choice could have been disastrous.
My Bad
[quote author=jbaysurfer link=topic=13678.msg57132#msg57132 date=1245543495]
would a gore bivy have helped (you mentioned you didn't think a tent would have helped...? What kind of sleeping bag outer fabric did you have? Nylon? DWR treated? Epic fabric? (though I'm sure it wouldn't matter given the force of the rain, I'm just curious)
I'm trying to get my lightweight systems dialed and I wouldn't mind learnin from your experience.
[/quote]
I am anti bivy after the 3 missing snowboarders from last year. I know it was the conditions but now bivy's remind me of coffins.
As for the fabric it was a 800 fill down with Nylon fabric I knew it was usless so I used it primarely as a shelter but im sure a bivy could have helped.
The Burroughs and the NE face of Rainier
Once at frozen lake I dropped off all my overnight gear and climbed up to the ridge that separates the 3 bowls within the Fremont area. I gained the ridge to Fremont proper and did a long traverse checking out the possible lines along the way. From Fremont you have a perfect view to the west and while I was up in the clouds I could see that there was blue sky in the horizon. The clouds were dark but they werent dropping any precipitation so I felt confident that I was going to stay dry for the remainder of the day. After making it out to the lookout tower I dropped into the Massive Northeast facing bowl from summit proper to the flats around 1,000 feet lower and skinned back up to the summit. Along the way it had turned back to blue skies with a cloud deck a little bit above the peaks so feeling confident with the weather I dropped into the only continuous line within the massive SE facing bowl before gaining the ridge for my decent to Frozen Lake.
My line down the SE face of Fremont ( I love dirty snow)
At this point I was going faster then I had expected and the day was still early so I took a lunch break then ran up the 1st burrough to tackle its eastern face. The clouds were coming in and out but there were long stretches of Blue sky so I packed up all my gear and started heading across the high alpine tundra towards the second Burrough. In the distance I saw a wave of clouds over take the peaks to the west and were slowly heading in my direction. I had originally planned on dropping the North face of the 2nd burrough into Berkley Park then climb up a low saddle to access the 3rd but decided against it since it was about to be over taken by clouds. After taking a quick run down the low angled East face of the 2nd burrough the clouds had seemed to dissipate and I took an hour long nap on top of the 2nd burrough. It was starting to get late in the day and I had to make a discussion of were I would camp overnight. In the past I had camped on top of the 3rd burrough which delivered excellent views of Rainier proper and the route I would have to take the next day so I decided to head that way . While climbing up to the 3rd burrough some dark clouds had passed by but once again there was no precipitation and above me was blue sky so I felt comfortable sleeping on the exposed high point.
Once at the highpoint I unpacked my gear and set up camp by now clouds had obstructed my view but I had faith that they would soon clear up for an unobstructed view of Rainier. The view never opened up so I decided to get some sleep to prepare for the long day ahead. I had planned on sleeping at a patrol cabin on the second night and the forecast said clear skies so I left behind a tent and brought a sleeping pad, a 30 degree down sleeping bag and a few layers of clothes to regulate my heat which seemed more then sufficient. I fell asleep fast but was woken up 3 hours later to a torrential down pour and all of my gear was completely soaked. It was dark by this point and visibility was less then 10 feet so I had to make a decision of what to do and I had to do it fast.
I came up with 4 options
1. Drop down the South face of the 3rd burrough to a lower elevation and attempt to find the trail down to Glacier basin
2. Head North for 5 miles into Berkley Park and try to find the shelter
3. Head west for 5 miles towards the sunrise are
4. Stick it out and take off at first glance of sunlight
At first I decided to go with option 1. I threw all my gear in my pack as fast as possible, put my soaking wet gear on and started snowboarding carefully down the southern slope. I was riding by headlamp and was 90 percent sure I was in the right area but I knew that 10 percent chance would be a fatal drop so I changed my mind about heading down and boot packed back up the slopes towards the low saddle between the 2nd and 3rd burrough. With visibility being so bad I knew there was a very high chance I would get lost in the down pour if I tried heading towards Berkley park or sunrise and at the low saddle I could see the stars above me so I made the decision to hunker down for a long cold night and get out at first light. So I pulled out my sleeping pad and soaked sleeping bag, put on every layer I had and decided I would lay down with my Snowboard Jacket and Pants on.
Not 5 minutes into lying down it was raining again and everything was drenched but my core was somewhat dry (thanks to the coat and pants). I tucked myself under the sleeping bag and tried to get sleep for hours not quite awake and not quite asleep. Every few minutes I would look at my watch then look at my surroundings to see if the weather had a chance of clearing up to no avail. It wasnt long before I lost all feeling in my hands and feet but I knew this was my bodies way of regulating heat and keeping my core/vitals working and I felt it was too warm to get frost bite. Not only was it pouring rain but around 1 a.m. the wind picked up and ripped through my sleeping bag leaving me uncontrollably shaking for hours. By 4 a.m. I was exhausted and I had enough of the onslaught so I packed up the sponges of what I would normally call gear and started moving east towards sunrise.
Now I have done a lot of climbing lately and the tour wasnt what I would consider that exhausting but I was completely and totally lethargic. Every muscle in my body ached and I barely had enough energy to put one foot in front of the other for the next five brutal miles. There were points along the way were I could have snowboarded but I didnt have the energy to deal with it so I just kept moving through the rain soaked soil which turned to deep mud overnight. I stumbled the whole time hoping there would be a break in the rain and made the decision that if the sun came out I would collapse and rest for a few hours but that time never came. After two hours I made it to the sunrise visitor center and found a sheltered area that was less exposed to the elements. I collapsed on the bench, switched over to the last of my dry clothes then rested for hours waiting for the weather to clear so I could get back down to the White River campgrounds. After 6 hours of resting the rain started letting up but I knew it wasnt going to stop so I made the decision to load up on calories and make the final 2.5 mile hike down to my car arriving around 2p.m.
Looking at sunrise on my way back to the car
In conclusion I feel that while it was brutal staying in the area for the night it was the right decision as Im sure it would have taken no time before I became lost and was stumbling through the woods. I regret not heading to one of the shelter as a tent wouldnt have helped too much with the down pour and as for the choice of sleeping on the burrough I left myself exposed with no areas around that I could have hunkered down in to provide any shelter. I made mistakes and I admit that but once I was in the situation I was very cautious of all my decisions knowing all to well that a wrong choice could have been disastrous.
My Bad
[quote author=jbaysurfer link=topic=13678.msg57132#msg57132 date=1245543495]
would a gore bivy have helped (you mentioned you didn't think a tent would have helped...? What kind of sleeping bag outer fabric did you have? Nylon? DWR treated? Epic fabric? (though I'm sure it wouldn't matter given the force of the rain, I'm just curious)
I'm trying to get my lightweight systems dialed and I wouldn't mind learnin from your experience.
[/quote]
I am anti bivy after the 3 missing snowboarders from last year. I know it was the conditions but now bivy's remind me of coffins.
As for the fabric it was a 800 fill down with Nylon fabric I knew it was usless so I used it primarely as a shelter but im sure a bivy could have helped.
Gripping read. Glad you are OK Kyle!
The upside? Nice turns:
That sounds rough dude...I'm curious for my own reasons, would a gore bivy have helped (you mentioned you didn't think a tent would have helped...? What kind of sleeping bag outer fabric did you have? Nylon? DWR treated? Epic fabric? (though I'm sure it wouldn't matter given the force of the rain, I'm just curious)
I'm trying to get my lightweight systems dialed and I wouldn't mind learnin from your experience.
Glad your safe and look forward to more great TRs from you....you've helped me vicariously ride many great lines this year-- Cheers.
That sounds rough dude...I'm curious for my own reasons, would a gore bivy have helped (you mentioned you didn't think a tent would have helped...? What kind of sleeping bag outer fabric did you have? Nylon? DWR treated? Epic fabric? (though I'm sure it wouldn't matter given the force of the rain, I'm just curious)
I'm trying to get my lightweight systems dialed and I wouldn't mind learnin from your experience.
Glad your safe and look forward to more great TRs from you....you've helped me vicariously ride many great lines this year-- Cheers.
Great report, Kyle.
Who was it that said it?
"Good Judgement come from experience -- experience come from bad judgement"
Your willingness to share will likely save some other hapless soul from getting into the same predicament... possibly someone who won't have the good sense to get themselves out of trouble like you did.
Thanks for telling your story. As you aptly pointed out, once in that predicament, it would have been oh-so-easy to make another bad call or two and end up a statistic. Glad you had the stuff to keep your wits about you and come back to us in one piece.
Well done!
Who was it that said it?
"Good Judgement come from experience -- experience come from bad judgement"
Your willingness to share will likely save some other hapless soul from getting into the same predicament... possibly someone who won't have the good sense to get themselves out of trouble like you did.
Thanks for telling your story. As you aptly pointed out, once in that predicament, it would have been oh-so-easy to make another bad call or two and end up a statistic. Glad you had the stuff to keep your wits about you and come back to us in one piece.
Well done!
I suspect your lethargy was hypothermia. It doesn't have to be very cold when it's pouring. You did the right thing to keelp moving until you found shelter. Good job.
Sounds like a cold night!!!
Skoog uses something called a zarsky tent I think that is light and cheap? Maybe he'll pipe in. Always best to have something to keep the rain out. Just the rain fly from the tent is good to bring if nothing else.
Nice turns in the pic ;-)
Skoog uses something called a zarsky tent I think that is light and cheap? Maybe he'll pipe in. Always best to have something to keep the rain out. Just the rain fly from the tent is good to bring if nothing else.
Nice turns in the pic ;-)
Yeah,, What happened to the mostly sunny skies forecast for friday? Nothing like lugging around 2,000 lBS. of wet gear.
Been diggin the borrowed OR shelter I have been using. Poless, floorless, single layer that packs smaller then a jet boil.
Been diggin the borrowed OR shelter I have been using. Poless, floorless, single layer that packs smaller then a jet boil.
Glad you are OK. Good call on reversing the dark descent and staying put even though cold -- there are some ridges and turns on trail back to Sunrise or down to Berkeley Pk that could be easy to miss in the dark, with potentially nasty consequences. Thanks for sharing the tale and the lessons.
Kyle,
Thanks for sharing the whole story and your thoughts about the decisionmaking process.
The trip reminds me a bit of last year's adventure that Amar had on Mt. Rainier. Things happen quickly in the outdoors and things can go from wonderful to dangerous quickly.
What you do when things don't go as planned is what's really important. The goal of every trip is that it is a "roundtrip". Glad you are back to share the experience.
Oh yeah, nice turns on the "dirty snow". ;)
Thanks for sharing the whole story and your thoughts about the decisionmaking process.
The trip reminds me a bit of last year's adventure that Amar had on Mt. Rainier. Things happen quickly in the outdoors and things can go from wonderful to dangerous quickly.
What you do when things don't go as planned is what's really important. The goal of every trip is that it is a "roundtrip". Glad you are back to share the experience.
Oh yeah, nice turns on the "dirty snow". ;)
Thanks for a sobering report, Kyle. Great job getting yourself home safely.
Here's information about how to make a Zdarsky tent, from my website. My latest Zdarsky tent was made from silicone fabric bought at Seattle Fabrics. It weighs about 12 oz. A Zdarsky tent is good as an impromptu shelter if you're not planning to spend a night out. But it's not very comfortable to spend a night sitting upright, so I typically don't carry a Zdarsky tent on a planned overnight. Commercial products inspired by the Zdarsky tent idea are available from Integral Designs and Outdoor Research.
For planned overnights, I'm more likely these days to carry a Beta Light rainfly, which weighs about twice as much as my homemade Zdarsky tent but is much more comfortable.
author=Jason_H. link=topic=13678.msg57136#msg57136 date=1245563249">
Skoog uses something called a zarsky tent I think that is light and cheap? Maybe he'll pipe in. Always best to have something to keep the rain out. Just the rain fly from the tent is good to bring if nothing else.
Here's information about how to make a Zdarsky tent, from my website. My latest Zdarsky tent was made from silicone fabric bought at Seattle Fabrics. It weighs about 12 oz. A Zdarsky tent is good as an impromptu shelter if you're not planning to spend a night out. But it's not very comfortable to spend a night sitting upright, so I typically don't carry a Zdarsky tent on a planned overnight. Commercial products inspired by the Zdarsky tent idea are available from Integral Designs and Outdoor Research.
For planned overnights, I'm more likely these days to carry a Beta Light rainfly, which weighs about twice as much as my homemade Zdarsky tent but is much more comfortable.
author=ale_capone link=topic=13678.msg57139#msg57139 date=1245599130]
Been diggin the borrowed OR shelter I have been using. Poless, floorless, single layer that packs smaller then a jet boil.
Superlight and awesome! Also those space blanket/bivys are hella light.
Glad you made it out dude. Seriously the PNW rain, no matter what the temp, chills to the bone. I'll second that hypothermia suggestion - glad you kept moving and made it out.
Man... good job getting it out. Welcome to hypothermia -- that could have gotten worse. If you're anti-bivy (and believe me, I get your imagery) you should at least pack a Sil-Tarp or one of the lightweight shelters listed above. Keeping that bag dry would have made a big difference. Glad you're okay and thanks for sharing the story.
For what it's worth, here are a couple pictures of my homemade Zdarsky tent, packed and in use (click thumbnails to enlarge):
In the second photo I'm hogging the space for a better picture. You really can put three people under this thing! Since the fabric is waterproof, it gets clammy after a while. But with more than one person it can be quite warm. For tips on making your own, click here:
http://www.alpenglow.org/tech/zdarsky-tent/
In the second photo I'm hogging the space for a better picture. You really can put three people under this thing! Since the fabric is waterproof, it gets clammy after a while. But with more than one person it can be quite warm. For tips on making your own, click here:
http://www.alpenglow.org/tech/zdarsky-tent/
I've been considering the beta light or this sil tarp from Intregal Designs - it's super roomy....
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/tentdetail.cfm/IN2105
Curious - I'm out of the loop. Why are people against bivies? My Aurora from OR has worked well for me....
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/tentdetail.cfm/IN2105
Curious - I'm out of the loop. Why are people against bivies? My Aurora from OR has worked well for me....
Kyle and I (and several others here) were on that search last June when we found Kevin, Devlin and Phillip, the three snowboarders who were buried by a slide in Cement Basin while they slept... I think that's where Kyle is coming from... Personally, I use mine and don't have that association, but it's a tough image to shake.
Whew! Brrrrr. Thanks for sharing and good work getting out. There's nothing like a soaking wet unplanned bivi to prompt one to reassess gear and methods. And thanks to Lowell for the info on the Zdarsky tent, my next silnylon project.
I have found that an 8' x 12' nylon tarp has made for an excellent shelter in fairly nasty weather - pretty light and generally easy to set up and doesn't take up much space in the pack. The caveat is that it's not worth much above the treeline unless you do some major snow shovelling.
Glad you made it back - an excellent report of a miserable experience.
Glad you made it back - an excellent report of a miserable experience.
Nice read Kyle! I esp. like the forshadowing; felt it coming a mile away and didn't know whether to laugh or cry for you. Two things really stand out here. One is how no one gave you shit for being a dumb-butt by having NO shelter. Even on NWHikers, where the pics are much better ;D. I presume this is because the report is so well written and you did a thorough job of explaining the whole ordeal and your thought processes that worked greatly in your favor; something we are gratefull of.
The more interesting observation, at least to me, is how our experiences factor so greatly into how each individual treats risk and manages trouble. I can tell from your many wild trips/reports that you aren't bothered much by weather, esp rain, or suffering. This may have played a part in your shrugging off the chance and risk of deteriorating weather, despite the lack of supplies. Taking myself as a different example: I hate rain, except when it turns into snow 8), and would never have been out or stayed out in those conditions; would have left for home before dark, or brought a shelter or found one before dark. On the other hand, I am much more comfortable in a raging snow storm than most and will push longer and further than most. Also give me an axe and crampons and I'll go most anywhere, but my usual climbing partner will say "you're nuts" and back off. I think he keeps me alive. Another example, I think mentioned in this thread, is the trouble Amar found himself in on Rainier last year. He is obviously very comfortable on top of large volcanoes and may push further than most at high altitude.
Anyway,remembering our zones of comfort and experience may be something to ponder when we are planning and engaging in high risk activities. The only thing that would have made your story better would have been if you had to walk the White River Rd to 410 to get a ride or find your car ;D!
The more interesting observation, at least to me, is how our experiences factor so greatly into how each individual treats risk and manages trouble. I can tell from your many wild trips/reports that you aren't bothered much by weather, esp rain, or suffering. This may have played a part in your shrugging off the chance and risk of deteriorating weather, despite the lack of supplies. Taking myself as a different example: I hate rain, except when it turns into snow 8), and would never have been out or stayed out in those conditions; would have left for home before dark, or brought a shelter or found one before dark. On the other hand, I am much more comfortable in a raging snow storm than most and will push longer and further than most. Also give me an axe and crampons and I'll go most anywhere, but my usual climbing partner will say "you're nuts" and back off. I think he keeps me alive. Another example, I think mentioned in this thread, is the trouble Amar found himself in on Rainier last year. He is obviously very comfortable on top of large volcanoes and may push further than most at high altitude.
Anyway,remembering our zones of comfort and experience may be something to ponder when we are planning and engaging in high risk activities. The only thing that would have made your story better would have been if you had to walk the White River Rd to 410 to get a ride or find your car ;D!
Glad you are OK Kyle. I had a similar experience on Sunday while trying to mt. bike Suntop Trail. After reaching the top in good weather I headed down in shorts, shirt and shoes. Within 1/2 hour it was snowing then raining. I was totally soaked and my wet clothes were pulling all my heat and energy from my body. I could not feel my hands or feet so breaking and clipping in was very difficult. I was shivering so much it was hard to control my bike. There were long sections of trail where I had to carry my bike over snow and downed trees. I was in a lot of pain and close to hypothermic. I finally made it back to the car, stripped all my clothes off and shivered uncontrollably for an hour and it was another hour before I could dive myself to Greenwater to get food and some tea.
I never thought the coldest I have ever been in my life would be at the end of June on my Mt. Bike. I was totally unprepared for the conditions I was in. I hope we both have learned something from our experience.
I never thought the coldest I have ever been in my life would be at the end of June on my Mt. Bike. I was totally unprepared for the conditions I was in. I hope we both have learned something from our experience.
Glad you're all right. Thanks for posting this, Kyle. I'm trying to learn from your experience right now: I'm not leaving this coffee shop to walk to work until it quits raining. ;)
author=skykilo link=topic=13678.msg57230#msg57230 date=1245866377]
Glad you're all right. Thanks for posting this, Kyle. I'm trying to learn from your experience right now: I'm not leaving this coffee shop to walk to work until it quits raining. ;)
Hummm. 11AM... ::) What time do you go to work when it's not raining?
Have you been in the coffee shop all night?
Black Sheep said
We don't punch girls and we don't punch clocks!
I put my sleeping bag inside a steel sack garbage bag inside my stuff sack so my bag is guaranteed to stay dry and I do the same with my clothes--inside a steel sack inside a stuff sack. In an emergency one steel sack can be turned in a poncho with 3 cuts to cover the upper body and the other steel sack can cover the legs. Combined with the little waterproof space blanket I am reasonably assured of staying relatively dry in an emergency.
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