Got caught in a hailstorm above treeline in the Winds last July and now I plan every route around bailout points

Barbara Lane · 2026-10-09T15:10:03.058125+00:00

I was three days into a 40 mile loop out of the Elkhart trailhead in Wyoming when a storm rolled in faster than anything I had seen before. Hail the size of peas came sideways for about 20 minutes and there was nowhere to hide above treeline, just open rock and a few stunted pines. My map showed the nearest real cover was 2 miles back down the switchbacks and I had already burned half a day getting up there. Now when I plan a route I mark at least two exit points per day, even if it means the loop is shorter than I want. Last month in the Goat Rocks I bailed down a side trail at 4pm because of the same gut feeling and felt zero regret. How do you all decide when to pull the plug versus hunker down and wait it out?

Vivisector

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Got caught in a hailstorm above treeline in the Winds last July and now I plan every route around bailout points | Backpacking Routes - Vivisector