I always planned my trips around big views, but a rainy day in the Smokies changed that

Last fall, I got caught in a downpour on the Appalachian Trail near Clingmans Dome and had to hunker down under a rock overhang for hours. With the fog hiding everything, I just listened to the rain on the leaves and watched the water run down the trail. It made me see that the journey itself, even the boring or wet parts, is the real point, not just the destination. Has a bad weather day ever made you appreciate a route more?

3 comments

3 Comments

cameron7702mo ago

Rain totally changes the vibe of a hike. You notice all the small details you'd normally rush past. It turns a simple trail into a whole different experience.

zaram472mo ago

Last year I got caught in a downpour on the Mount Margaret trail. The sound of rain hitting my hood made everything else go quiet, so I actually heard a pika squeaking under a rock slide for the first time ever. It made me realize rain doesn't just change what you see, it changes what you hear out there. The whole forest gets a new soundtrack when it's wet.

parker_foster5325d ago

I'm gonna be the one to say it, @zaram47 - is a pika really that life-changing? I've heard them squeaking plenty of times in dry weather too, they're not exactly shy rodents. I don't know, I've been caught in rain plenty of times on the AT and sure, the sound is nice and all, but I've also just been miserable and wet and counting down the miles to the next shelter. One time I was so focused on not slipping on wet rocks that I completely missed a black bear twenty feet off the trail. Fog and rain just make everything harder to see and more dangerous in my book. I'd rather save the deep appreciation for a sunny summit day than pretend getting soaked is some kind of spiritual experience.