The alarm went off at 5am and, as usual, I woke up...(it's always a good day when I wake up...rolled over and fell out of bed then got ready for my run. It was cold and raining but I was still going to run...until I said fuck it, not today.
I toyed with the idea of getting back into bed but did some stretching and callisthenics training before hitting the rowing machine for a half hour instead. Shower, breakfast and by 6:30am I was sipping my second coffee thinking about what I was going to do on a day such as I was presented with; gloomy, cold and wet.
I decided I'd find some tracks to hit in my four wheel drive and to hike.
Sometimes cold, rainy weather can be prohibitive however it's just nature doing what it does and I'm generally not afraid of getting out there in weather like this; I have the right gear so why not right? I packed some food and my JetBoil, so I could brew up some coffee out there, and hit the road with the intention of finding somewhere to hike, even should that mean walking in the rain.
It wasn't long before I was off the blacktop and onto dirt roads. In the image above you can see me stopped at a fork; should I go left to the more established track or right to the narrower and rougher track that led around and upwards to the top of the mountain, is what I was thinking. If you think I took the smoother road, you're bonkers.
I turned Big Dog, my trusty four wheel drive, to the right and headed up in low range to see what I could see despite the low cloud and rain.
I couldn't see much as the image above shows. This was about the only open place where a photo was possible as the low cloud was a little more distant; the slight breeze pushing through the valley was keeping it free of cloud although vision was still quite limited. I jumped back in the car and pushed on higher up and the cloud thickened once more to leave almost no vision.
At the top, I pulled over and, saw nothing once again; I'd say vision was limited to about twenty five metres and beyond that all I saw was the ghostly outlines of the trees shrouded by the fog, or nothing at all. It was quiet too, sound works differently in conditions like this, although I could hear raindrops in puddles, and pitter-pattering on the tree-leaves. I pulled my raincoat on, flipped the hood up and moved off on foot along a narrow path that went to the very top of the peak.
Along the way the track dipped down through gullies as it worked it's way around the mountain side, ever upwards. It was as I traversed one such gully, where I came across a group of kangaroos grazing. More than ten of them would permit me to call them a troop or court, generally accepted names for that number or more, but there were less than that so group works better.
They didn't seem to mind me being there although I was around fifty metres away so not too close. They seemed quite comfortable though, they obviously haven't been shot at lately or they would have been more skittish with a human around. I snapped a photo and moved on, they were happy to crop grass and ignore me. How many can you see in the image above? There might be a massive prize for the first person to get it right...or maybe not.
I hiked for almost three hours all up, a return hike back to my four wheel drive. Mostly I saw nothing as the higher I got the more dense the cloud, but it was a nice hike: Crisp, fresh air, lush undergrowth squelching beneath my boots, and no one else around. It would have been nice to have some views at the top but that's ok, nature doesn't do what humans want her to do and though many would say the day was miserable, I say it was perfect despite the weather.
Just as I was leaving, the clouds began to lift a little and rather than go home I made another stop to check out an area I often go to as I wanted to see how wet it was. It's pictured above and as you can see the weather had cleared well, but it was very wet underfoot. It was too late in the day for another hike so I snapped this shot and left...I may have driven around a little in those very wet conditions for some fun before I left though - Big Dog has an insatiable appetite for off-roading, like his owner. (If you think I didn't, you're bonkers.)
Do you ever walk in the rain, or less than ideal conditions, by choice? I love doing it as there's never anyone else around and it feels primal to me, like I'm the only person in a world ten million years ago. Tell me about your walking in the rain stories or if you have been caught unawares by the weather...did it ruin your day or did you embrace it? Feel free to comment below.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
[All original and proudly AI free.]
Any images in this post are my own.
Yay for getting a walk/hike in!
I like hiking more than running
I don't mind walking in the rain back home if I get caught in it (it's generally nice and cooling especially if you've been doing a lot and/or it's been a particularly humid day) but I wouldn't go out if it was already raining, and definitely not here where I would freeze to death XD As beautiful as that walk looked I don't think I would have survived it, my lungs despise the cold air and something in my shoulder despises the cold in general.
The cold is problematic and I'm with you on the why would someone choose to walk in the rain, thing. It wasn't bucketing though, well, at one point it did and that sucked, but it was light enough to make the hike not too disagreeable. I guess I was loath to allow nature's less than perfect weather to affect my day and dictate to me. So, I got out there and amongst it. Besides, I felt somewhat guilty for wimping out on the run that morning.
Love the Roger miller quote and it’s so apt. Sounds like another world entirely and brilliant. We’ve plenty of wilderness here but maybe not as much as in Australia, more likely to see lots of sheep, horses and in our neck of the woods Red Kites, beautiful birds they are, gliding around on the thermals.
Walking in the rain is a great experience. There is no such thing as bad weather only the wrong clothes!! Don’t know who said that but I just did!
It's a good one right? I had a few options but this one sort of fitted best; I made a decision to get wet and cold, there was a reason and this quote hints at it.
Haha, yep exactly. I mean, I've been out in the elements and not enjoyed it but having the right equipment makes a difference. Wind, dust or sand storms and sideways rain isn't pleasant, but a little more tolerable with the right clothing.
Well said.
Thought you’d like that one!
It was a good'un.
My camera is allergic to rain so these days I do my best to avoid walking in it. Not that it makes much difference, rain seems to follow me around. Couple weeks back I was out hiking and got caught in a thunderstorm. I was a few hours away from my rain gear so I found me a nice cliff to post up under and ate snacks and enjoyed the show for a couple hours.
When I don't have my camera and it's not hypothermia weather I do enjoy a good hike in the rain. For me it's a love of storms as much as anything, there's nothing like a tornado warning (they sound air raid sirens here for that) to make me decide it's a good time to go for a stroll. Got lucky once and even managed to see a tornado, that was fun.
Ah yes, camera and rain don't get on well. I actually took these with my phone (Samsung S22 Ultra) hence the average results. It was a dim day though, in my defence.
That under the cliff thing...I actually like when that happens and, where possible, I get a fire going and just enjoy the caveman feels. It's better with some lightening and thunder although wind can bugger right off! That's no fun.
Yeah, I know about your tornados. It's pretty cool, or would be if there was no damage from them, although it's just nature doing what it's supposed I guess. Cold winds from the north hitting warm winds from the south in the middle right? Something like that. Devastating really, but it can be beautiful too, on a primal level. I guess most wouldn't understand that, I know you do though.
I had a good time the other day and look forward to the next...when my feet dry out.
I'm not afraid of this kind of weather during trips either as I actually find them a lot more exciting than the usual ones when more tourists are making their way to the same destination. Hence why, when it rains I feel closer to nature and what it has to offer but also a more genuine experience while reconnecting with it :)
Yep, you sum up how I feel also. I don't dislike people, I just don't want to share my nature with very many of them.
I'm exactly the same!
For you to move out despite those conditions just reconfirmed your genuine love for the outdoors. I'd never have done it, that's move out in the rain since over here, each rain is accompanied by numerous lightening claps and thunder roars. Honestly, takes me back in even if I wanted to go. But I've gone on a hike before, got caught in the rain and kept on with the hike! Was quite interesting until it got so foggy and I couldn't see a thing. So I traipsed back home, still happy and I didn't even get a fever.
It's an established fact for sure, G-dog loves the outdoors.
Getting struck by lightening would certainly tickle just a little bit and I think it's best avoided if possible as it might mess up your day. Hiking in the rain won't kill you though, however if you get wet and it's really cold your body temperature will drop and you might get sick...so best to have a rain coat. As someone else said in this comment section, having the right clothing/equipment makes things easier to deal with.
I think it's more about the abruptness of the rain. Over here, the weather gets so hot and humid and scorching, you may really be tempted to shed your clothes off because of the heat so you won't see the rain coming. Then well into the hike, three seconds later, the sky's pitch black and you're faced with torrents of rain.
But I do try to pack a little bag containing a raincoat these days. Just in case.
I figured it would be humid, it's the same here on the tropical north of Australia, right across the top end. Here where I live though, at the bottom, it's not humid, although we get temperature's up to about 47C in my area in summer.
Ditto. It feels downright magical to me, as if I'm back in the days of the court of King Arthur, maneuvering a canoe in the mists of Avalon. The sounds are muffled, th world in a stupor, myself wide awake. Love love love walking in the rain. As long as I'm wearing the right boots, I don't mind getting wet, although a nice brim or hood to keep the drops off my glasses is welcome. I think your shots with the mists are the best of the bunch.
It's really quite nice to be out in nature when it's raining, and if one is afraid of the rain, just after the rain stops. Everything feels different. I agree with you on the right boots, wet boots, socks and feet in the cold (or mostly anytime) is not fun. Thanks for taking a read and look at the image, they're not my best but with the conditions as they were it was about as good as it was going to get.
Take a hike buddy !!
Oh... I see... you already did. LOL
Love the photos, even the foggy ones. Makes things look as peaceful as you say they were. Love the brilliant sunny one too. It is cloudy and gray here and only supposed to get up to 60 degrees today, which is a little odd for this time of year here. I am solar powered, so I will end up having to turn on a lot of inside lights to keep it from feeling like perpetual morning and to help fool my brain into giving me some energy to get things done.
I see 6 obvious hoppers and I tried to make two more be there, but they may just be sticks and logs. It was like a trick photo. I wasn't sure if some were blending in here and there or not.
It is nice that you feel like and are able to get out and about like that. I had an early morning delivery of groceries, so was getting them off the porch and to the kitchen within ten minutes of getting out of bed. Between multiple trips out to get the bags and then checking all the expire dates and getting the refrigerated things shoved in the frig, I was thinking to myself that it was a lot to do right out of the bed. LOL !! I did put on coffee though and I'm about to have my first cup and rest from all the grueling effort I put in. 🤣 I was resting while I was reading your post too.
Lol, yeah I know when to take a hint and when that hint is , take a hike, I'm more than happy to.
That was a busy morning for you, I got worn out just reading about it! At least you managed a cuppa afterwards though, and resting whilst reading posts is a good idea, especially my wordy posts!
So...six skippy's you reckon? I think you're pretty right there, although there could be one or two hiding somewhere, they tend to blend in very well, although not as well in the very green grass.
I must tell you that I love walking in the rain and many times I have been caught unawares and I love it, especially in the summer when I get home soaked.
Many times when I worked as a salesman I spent hours in the rain with wet feet inside my boots, but I didn't mind.
For me the rain is inspiring, nothing better than writing on a rainy day. Water is life so it never ruins my day.
I love the photographs, especially the one of the fog, those landscapes that are formed, that for people are not ideal, I see their beauty.
Those days change the panorama totally and it's great... what is perfect? Nature in all its forms.
As for the kangaroos, I see 5 hahaha, they are beautiful. Have they ever attacked you?
Hugs Galenkp!
It's sometimes a nice thing to walk in the rain, refreshing and, as you say, water is life.
Hmm five kangaroos? I think you better check again. 😜
I think I mistook one of them for a bush, are there 4 of them?🤣
Lol...nope, not four.
No good, there were some hidden, can be 6 or 7?
I'm not giving up.
Lol...is it six or seven, you can't hedge your bets like that. Make a commitment! 🤪
All right, I'll take 6... acerte? 🤣
Good morning!
It's kind of weird, when I go for an after-work-walk around the neighborhood and the weather is kind of okay but there might be rain or thunder (almost always a possibility here in NJ) I'm usually avoiding the walk when clouds and rain are too close. However, if it is already raining and not just a shower I'm like 'let's go!'. I love a good walk in the rain and don't mind getting wet. It is so quiet, the sound is different, the air is different, so fresh and it feels very clean and cleansing if that makes sense. Also - there are no other people around.
Just a couple of weeks ago exactly this happened. When I got home my hair was soaked but I had a big smile on my face.
Love the foggy photos! And that little river carries a lot of (brown) water...
Oh, and I see six roos but I could very well be mistaken, they kind of look like rocks or tree stumps - lol.
I think a lot of people do that...avoid what possibly develop into rain, but go if it's already raining. Maybe because they think, it can't get much worse.
I also like the feel of the atmosphere when raining, fresher air, less dusts and pollutants I guess, and it feels nicer in general.
Yep, the brown water is because it picks up dirt and mud from upstream. This little creek isn't usually flowing, only after heavy rain so it picks up a lot of dry dirt.
Six roos? Hmm, you might be spot on!
Just yesterday after planing my day out, it was raining litely tho, and whenever it does the roads are usually messy, since it's under construction with underground drainage turnel, never the less that didn't stop me, I still made out, but that was when the rain subsided a little bit ...
I love the description you gave, it's almost like I was there with you through the lens of your camera, 😂😂...I love the experience, but I was looking out for the kangaroos...
Thanks for the experience 😊
It can sometimes be annoying to walk in the rain, but with the right gear, and if the rain isn't too heavy, it can be enjoyable.
Thanks for your comment, I hope you have a good weekend.
Ya.. you're right...
...we should have the rains in mind... it's almost june-july were the rains are usually heavy especially in our clime here in Africa
So we gotta do what we have to do despite the down pour...
You sure are the adventurous soul, even the cold rainy weather doesn't dent your determination.
Lovely photos. I like the misty one. I counted 8 Roos, but there possibly are more that I didn't spy out correctly.
Can imagine how much fun it must have been going for a spin in your 4 wheel drive in those conditions, but knowing how much you know, I'm willing to bet that you didn't do (too many) hand break slides or muddy drifting 🤣
I've been known to be caught in a downpour or two, generally not out of choice though, more out of my own stupidity and lack of good planning. I survived though, so looking back now, not entirely bad.
Most of the driving was low range low gear to preserve some degree of grip on the surface although there was some slightly faster movement as momentum was needed to get through particularly boggy sections. In truth, I hate driving in mud, the clean up takes so bloody long, but at least this time when I left it rained a little on the way home which washed a lot off. The high pressure water at the car wash cleaned the rest up pretty well.
Eight kangaroo's? Hmm, there's six obvious ones, can you circle the other two on the image. There may be a massive, never-been-seen-before, prize coming your way.
Or maybe not. 😁
Low range is understandable if it's slippery when wet. I would love to take an advanced driving course for four wheel drive at some stage.
I concur, drove down a mud road when I took that last batch of photos and the cleanup is not the most fun.
Now I'm doubting myself, but let's see... Not after the massive prize, but did anyone else get close? I'm not 100% sure about the two in the middle, but the shape and colour of the legs looks right. Or I could be losing my mind 😂
I don't recall there being one in the location of your circle second from the right. You could be correct though, they tend to blend in. When I was there and took the photo there were six that I counted. Don't worry though, your handiwork with the circle-maker on that image has guaranteed you a prize...There may be a massive, never-been-seen-before, prize coming your way. Or not. (Note, there's six)
Yep, a driving skills course is (in my opinion) essential. There's too much to know otherwise and a lot at risk: Vehicle and equipment, environmental damage, injury and loss of life. I've done many courses over my time, no shame in it. Maybe you'll get to do one someday.
I need to brush up on my spotting skills, but glad for the clarification.
Perhaps. It would be nice, but would I actually need it considering I don't own a four wheel drive? Probably not. Would it be a need over want for me? Probably not. I'll re-evaluate it if I ever get my Raptor Ranger hahaha, but I totally get why you have improved your skills over the years with courses.
If you don't have a four wheel drive then I'd say a course would be pointless, besides, they'd want you to have your own for the course, fucking up someone else's doesn't go down too well. One can learn a lot from YouTube also I guess, just for curiosities sake, however there's no substitute for the real thing.
I'm not inclined to mess up other people's belongings, I've had stuff of mine wrecked by other people and I know how irate it made me, so no, that wouldn't happen.
Maybe I'll put it on my pot-o-gold list.
If I were the one, I would have gone back to bed. Hahaha
My body feels more relaxed while sleeping whenever it is raining.
Yeah, I wanted to but I'm an active person so made the effort...and my body benefited from the activity.