TOUGH CALL: Part Two

    
     So, everything you read in Part One actually happened to my team on trail last weekend. Weather moved in on and forced us to make a decision while we stopped for a snack break at 9300 feet. As I sat gazing between my map, my watch, my team and those ominous clouds, I knew I was going to need to make a decision quickly.
     A more “hardcore” group out there may have made a different choice. Many an outdoors-person would have kept going without hesitation. But what RC has always been about is accessibility. I want outdoor experiences to be as positive as possible, as often as possible (all while discussing the realities of what COULD go wrong). I had advertised this trip as being accessible for the beginner hiker.
     I approached my team and we talked it out. There was an incredible campsite beside the waterfall where we were…we could take it. We could take it but miss our hoped for destination. I explained all of the risks and benefits however, I knew that ultimately it was my call as trip leader. If we lost visibility, if someone became hypothermic, I would ultimately be responsible and it was my responsibility to see that nothing like that happened….prevention!
     So, the thing about the chicks is they really are a very easy group to lead. Amazingly, I have never been challenged in my leadership role. No one has fought me in a decision as part of this group. I am thankful for this but recognize that leadership challenges are generally the norm. Think about it…if you had paid $8000 to climb Kilimanjaro, you’d be pissed to have to turn around anytime before the summit, regardless of the reason.
     In the end, I’d say we found a happy middle ground. We camped where we were, set up the site a whole 2 hours before we’d expected to do so. This allowed us time to then hike, pack free further up the trail, seeing additional waterfalls and getting more time exploring in the backcountry. Having made this choice allowed us to take our time in making dinner, relaxing for a while around a warm fire and getting to bed early and warm.
     It rained and snowed all night. Even waking up to 2 inches of snow on our tents the next morning, we still couldn’t see our original 10300 ft summit…it was STILL receiving it’s pounding of precipitation. Our tents were heavy with the wet white stuff, virtually unheard of this time of year in other locales.
     And from the warmth of our tents, with the rain/sleet/whateveritwas, we made the team decision to skip the cookout oatmeal breakfast I had planned to hike back out…to hot eggs and bacon. I’ve never seen a group of women pack up camp that fast! We stayed back when threatened with weather and sure, while we were all a little bummed to not reach Crater Lake, I would say that overall, we were happier to be safe, warm, happy and ready to take on the next adventure