AZT 2019 Days 34 & 35: Waiting out the weather
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Ugh. This was a tough decision, but after experiencing the storm that was accruately predicted (for once), I decided to wait out the rest of the front.
The forecast is constantly changing, but yesterday I got soaked on a day when the temperatures never reached 50 degrees F. The truth is that it was the temperature that was the killer. Wet is something you expect on the trail, but you usually have time to dry out and the temperatures are typically warmer.
I don't trust the forecast, but if it is as bad as it threatened to be, it makes sense to stay inside, especially since I am walking around an urban area. If I was in the middle of the woods, I would just deal with the misery. It doesn't seem to make sense when I can still hear cars and trains going by.
The thing that really sealed the decision is that I will be going up in elevation during the potential storms. The trail goes right underneath the Arizona Snowbowl, a ski resort whose season is still in operation. I checked their forecast and the highs would be around 40 degrees F, meaning the temperatures would mostly be in the 30s while hiking. Those are pretty bad temperatures to be wet in, especially with thru hiker gear. Most of the gear I use is designed to be as light as possible, meaning it isn't designed for performance. It is designed to get you by at the lightest weight possible.
I have spent almost the entirety of the last 2 days in the hotel. I am staying closer to the trailhead I left from than downtown, so there was not much to do besides go to the strip mall nearby, raid the vending machines, and watch TV. I was not happy. I really wanted to be on the trail.
To add insult to injury, the weather never really lived up to the forecast. On Day 34, there was no rain until around 5 PM. The rain at that point made up for it, as it came down pretty hard.
Day 35 was supposed to be the storm's grand finale, with 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms throughout the day. As of early that morning, that was still the forecast with the bad stuff hitting around 10:30 AM.
I wish I had taken screenshots of the changing forecast throughout the day. It was ridiculous. It changed multiple times within an hour. The start time of the heart of the storm kept being pushed back. Then, the percentage chance of precipitation kept decreasing. The area by my hotel only got a few hours of on/off light rain. Looking at the radar, the area to the north (kind of where I may have been walking) could have gotten hit a little harder.
At least starting tomorrow, the weather will be clearer and warmer...kind of. It will still be below freezing near where I will probably end up tomorrow, it just won't be as wet. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the trail. I've been bored and sitting around for way too long.
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