I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a morning person. But I've come to accept the fact that my peak-bagging habit requires me to rise early on the weekends.
The practice of departing for a climb before dawn or at first light is known as getting an "alpine start." As unpleasant as it may seem, hitting the trail very early is the only way to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms are simply a fact of life in the high country, particularly in the summer months.
For a good overview of weather patterns in the high country, check out the "Consider the Weather" section in this article on the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) website. It explains that the storms we experience in Colorado from June through September are caused by rising warm air masses and can bring heavy rain, hail, and lightning.
No one likes to get caught in the rain or hail. But the real danger is lightning.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), lightning has killed an average of 58 people per year during the past 30 years – more than either tornadoes or hurricanes.
This page on the NWS website offers tips on avoiding thunderstorms and treating lightning strike victims. Key takeaway: Seek shelter!
Choose your start time depending on the distance of your hike (also taking into consideration your average speed on the trail). The standard rule of thumb is to be off the summit by noon. However, in my experience, it's best to be back below treeline by noon.
It's very easy to get "summit fever" and push on when you know the weather is rolling in. I've done it myself, on the Atlantic-Pacific-Crystal trifecta of top 100 peaks.
The black clouds looming overhead in the photo below turned into an electrical storm that literally had my hair standing on end. I made it down safely, but not without taking far too great a risk.
