Weather
Pressure Trends and the Walker's Altimeter
A barometric altimeter is also a small weather station. A short guide to reading it that way.
Section
Weather
Mountain weather, cold injury, fog, lightning, lapse rates — practical meteorology for people outside.
Weather
Fog Navigation in the Smokies: A Year of Observations
Twelve months of fog reports from one ridge, and what they suggest about reading the cloud you are inside.
Weather
Wind on the Trail: Foehn, Katabatic, and the Valley Breeze
The wind a walker meets is often a local wind. A short guide to the three that matter most.
Weather
Lightning on the Alpine Ridge
What lightning actually does on exposed terrain, and the small set of practices that reliably reduce the risk.
Weather
Lapse Rates Explained for Trail Walkers
Why the summit is colder than the trailhead, and exactly how much colder, on a typical day.
Weather
When to Bail Off a Peak
The decision to turn around is almost always made too late. A field guide to making it on time.
Weather
Cold Injury Thresholds for Shoulder-Season Hikers
The temperatures at which hands stop working, decisions get worse, and the trail becomes a clinical environment.
Weather
Reading Mountain Clouds From a Ridgeline
A guide to the half-dozen cloud forms that matter most when you are above treeline and three hours from shelter.