We reached the Lafayette peak about
12:30 it was dark and rainy, however no lightning or thunder. After about 10
min. the rain stopped and it started to clear so we proceeded across the
ridge. We got as far as Lincoln, just
cresting the top when everything cut loose.
Hail, rain, thunder and
lightning started crackling around us. We got off the trail as far as we could
but there was no where to go, so we sat on our packs and started waiting it
out. Hail the size of BB`s then marbles was actually accumulating around us
stingy are hands and heads. Strong winds along with the constant flashes of
lightning appeared right in front of us, along with rolling thunder it was
beginning to become quite unnerving. Thirty minutes had past with no end in
sight. Here I am 5000` up, and a mile or better from any trail heading down,
the realization of what a predicament I had gotten myself into was starting to
sink in. About an hour into this it started changing over to all rain and the
flash to bang was no longer instantaneous. I gave it a few more minutes to see
if it was over, however looking back towards Lafayette it was coming around
again. The thought of sitting through that again did not appeal to me. Even
with Gortex jackets, I was starting to get very cold, perhaps sitting on the
ground in shorts all sweaty might have had something to do with it. My choices
were, hypothermia or lightning, so I decided to run as fast as I could through
a slush of hail and water towards the Falling Waters Trail. Everytime I slowed
down a flash of lightning or crack of thunder made me run with more intensity.
Upon reaching the Falling Waters treeline I was so happy I turned and took one
picture then headed down into the trees,
its now a little after
three.
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