Andrew Skurka on reading rivers, climate and risk

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Hi, I’m Andrew Skurka. Today we’re going to talk about the environmental hazards of backpacking, such as swift water, lightning, cold and wet conditions, and snow travel.

This is part of a weekly series with Trek. If you have other topics you’d like me to cover or have questions about today’s video, please go ahead and leave a comment below.

For the average backpacker, I think the most challenging conditions I have encountered are cold and wet conditions. It’s the combination of those two.

I have been in really cold conditions on the Alaska Yukon expedition. The first three days, the nighttime temperatures were, I think, 25 degrees below zero, 21 degrees below zero, and 15 degrees below zero. Daytime highs were also below zero.

And I would gladly accept those conditions with more than 35 degrees and rain.

That combination of cold air combined with liquid humidity simply steals heat from your body and makes everything wet:

• Your rain gear
• Your isolation
• Your sleeping bag
• The interior of your store
• your feet

One story that really comes to mind was in 2007. I was just starting to finish the Great Western Loop. I was six months into an eight-month trip and got stuck in a really cold snowstorm, rainstorm, and hailstorm in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado.

It was all pretty scary. He was much more powerful and much more dangerous than he thought.

On future trips, I started using a little more finesse instead of strength, and realized that sometimes natural conditions are much bigger than me.

I have yet to find a perfect solution for cold, wet weather.

The only piece of gear that seems to work really well is anything that simply keeps the rain out.

In reality, a waterproof jacket does not necessarily protect you from the rain.

If you wear a waterproof jacket, the rain will basically be almost stuck to your skin. If you’re a warm person or if you backpack in a hot climate, you’re going to sweat under that thing.

And if you’re sweating a lot under your rain gear, then you’re getting your hiking layers wet and could get you into more trouble.

If you start to sweat, you may need to slow down.

Another thing you can do is remove layers beneath your shell. Let’s say you start out walking in your raincoat, a fleece midlayer, and your hiking shirt, and you realize that you’re getting really hot and you can feel like you’re sweating.

Arrest. Take off the fleece midlayer and continue.

Something that works very well in cold, wet climates is an umbrella.

I often take one on trips where I know I’ll be out in the rain for long periods of time. It gives me this happy little dry area where I can:

• look at a map
• eat a sandwich
• talk to someone
• Pause

Without it raining constantly.

Another thing that works quite well is a poncho. A poncho over your backpack, or even over your rain gear, can do a great job of protecting you from the rain.

Predicting water crossings can be difficult. There is no perfect resource.

One thing to keep in mind is the size of the basin. The further down you are, the more opportunities that current has had to accumulate volume.

Another thing to keep in mind is how much snow there is still in the headwaters. Look at:

• satellite images
• SNOTEL Sites
• Trail Reports

You can get a pretty good idea of ​​how much water might still be up there.

You can also search for trip reports from people who have recently been on the trail. They may mention that “Virginia Creek,” for example, is especially difficult during a certain time of year.

If you are on a route with problematic water crossings, there are several things you can do to minimize the risk.

Divide and conquer

Suppose the trail crosses a stream at 9,500 feet, but you notice on the map that, upstream, the stream splits into two tributaries of approximately equal size.

You could walk another 100 to 200 vertical feet upstream and cross each tributary separately instead of crossing the full-size stream at the trail crossing.

Look for areas of lower gradient

River crossings become more dangerous when:

• The water volume is high
• The gradient is steep

Look for:

• meadows
• Great meanders
• Sections where contour lines are more widely spaced

Those areas tend to have slower moving water.

One technique I use is to make small marks on the contour lines that cross the stream on a topographic map. Based on the spacing of those marks, you can estimate where the river is likely to move faster or slower.

Avoid thick crossings

The large rocks in the river make the crossing very difficult.

A sandy-bottom meadow crossing is generally much easier and safer than scrambling across large rocks in the middle of a fast-flowing current.

For a typical three-season backpacker, avalanche risk is usually not an issue.

I say normally because spring conditions can sometimes create unstable snowpacks, especially when combined with warm temperatures.

But generally speaking, avalanches are not a big concern for most three-season backpackers.

Lightning is a low-probability, high-consequence event.

The good thing about lightning is that it is usually predictable. You can see how storms form.

Here in Colorado, for example, we have a lot of exposed ridges. Lightning does not come from nowhere.

Here is the typical pattern:

• You wake up to a bluebird sky
• Around 10 or 11 in the morning, small cotton clouds begin to form.
• Around noon or 1 pm, the clouds begin to fill.
• At 1 or 2 pm, they become dark and ominous.

That’s when you should start thinking seriously about your position.

You need to know if:

• You should stay still because you are already in a safe area.
• Or you need to move quickly across exposed terrain.

What to think about with an exposed ridge

If you are on top of a ridge and storms are brewing, ask yourself:

• Is the trail going higher?
• Will it come down soon?
• How fast are clouds developing?
• In which direction do storms move?
• Where is my closest safe zone?

You should know:

• Where are the closest trees?
• Where you could quickly descend out of the way
• Whether you’re walking toward or away from the storm

Because, in general, you don’t want to waste time with lightning.

It’s very scary to be up high and have the hair on your neck stand up or hear static electricity between your shoes and the rocks.

When heading to areas that are known to be extremely windy, especially places where there is nowhere to hide from the wind, I always carry a full shelter.

In my case, I’m thinking of places like the Brooks Range in Alaska.

Even at 3000 feet in the Brooks Range, you are above the tree line and completely exposed.

That is not the time to be taking:

• Flat tarps
• A-frame tarps
• Pocket Tarps
• Emergency shelters

A full-size shelter, slightly larger than a single-person crawl space, gives you a livable interior space where you can comfortably wait out time instead of feeling trapped in a coffin.

The only time I recommend waterproof footwear is when there is snow on the ground.

Otherwise, waterproof shoes just don’t work very well.

You cross a stream and the water enters over it.

You walk through a wet meadow and the water runs down your legs and into your shoes.

The water will find a way in.

And because waterproof footwear uses a waterproof internal membrane, all bending and twisting of the shoe eventually stresses that fabric and compromises waterproofing.

The best strategy is to simply accept that your feet are going to get wet and manage that reality intelligently.

Dry your feet during breaks

Whenever you stop, even in the rain:

1. Take off your shoes and socks
2. Let your feet air out
3. Give them a chance to dry.

In fact, your feet will dry surprisingly well during short breaks.

Instead of the usual hiking socks, you could consider some very thin neoprene socks. They remain insulating even when wet.

Prioritize warm, dry feet overnight

At night, your feet should be warm and dry.

Heat alone is not enough.

That may mean wearing special sleep socks.

Another thing I will do is use some type of balm or Vaseline type product on my feet before going to sleep.

Here is the process:

1. Keep your feet warm and dry
2. Apply the balm generously.
3. Put your socks back on to sleep.
4. go to sleep

In the morning, your feet feel reconditioned.

I think my best advice for people who are afraid of the conditions they will face is to spend time researching what they are likely to encounter before the trip.

That helps eliminate all the «what ifs?» scenarios that create fear and lead people to overpack or doubt themselves.

Thank you very much for watching. If you think this video was helpful and informative, please consider joining us on one of my guided trips.

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This is an ongoing series about Trek, so if you have other questions or topics you’d like me to cover, go ahead and leave a comment below.