There’s nine kids in my family with twenty years between the oldest and youngest. In an effort to foster a good family relationship, we started having annual reunions once the oldest four of us went off to college.

Before all the grandkids started joining the family, my parents, siblings, and I used to go backpacking for our family reunions every summer. The thing is, inevitably some part of the hike would be longer and/or harder than we thought. You’d think we would learn our lesson, but it’s happened over and over, even in recent years.

One year we went backpacking in the Flat Tops in Colorado. The hike itself started out good, though it did seem to go on longer than we’d anticipated. It was sunny when we started, but clouds started moving in as the day progressed.

<disclaimer: these photos are almost 20 years old, and are from the pre-digital age. They are not the best quality. Sorry!>

Then we reached a ridge and the weather deteriorated. Fog moved in, along with rain and hail. We pulled out ponchos, tarps, tent rain flys, whatever we had on hand, and sheltered under those for a while.

Instead of improving, the weather just worsened.

When we started seeing lightning, we decided that rather than risk getting caught out in the open in a storm, we should hike back down the mountain to our vehicles. It was dark and cold when we finally reached our cars, but we were able to find some cabins in a nearby town where we could spend the night.

They were cute little log cabins with wood burning stoves that made each cabin gloriously warm. There was also a cabin with a hot tub and a sauna that were helpful in warming us up.

Giving up? or Staying safe?

Turning around before we reached our campsite was not what how we had intended our trip to end. Not reaching our original destination could be viewed as giving up.

But we didn’t see it that way.

When the bad weather moved in we knew the safest option was to turn around. Getting caught in a storm in the mountains, even in the summer, is no joke. Especially when you factor in the ages and abilities of some of the participants. My youngest brother was five, my sister was pregnant with her first baby, and my mom’s arthritic knee was giving her trouble.

If it’s just the kids and I on an adventure I err on the side of caution because I know things can go downhill fast. Even if Jeremy’s with us we don’t take unnecessary risks.

Being flexible and willing to take the weather into account is a huge factor in having an enjoyable and safe adventure. My family backpacking trip didn’t turn out how we’d planned, but we adapted to the situation and stayed safe in the face of a mountain storm. Because we came out of it safely, that trip has made for some great stories that have been told and re-told over the years.

Have you ever turned around on a hike because of bad weather?

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Being part of the 52 Hike Challenge helps me stay motivated to keep hiking, even when we encounter bad weather along the way. Want to join the 52 Hike Challenge yourself? It’s not too late. The 52 Hike Challenge does not operate on a calendar year, so you can sign up at any time throughout the year, and you have 12 months to complete 52 hikes. Sign up using my link and I’ll earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. You can also click on the 52 Hike Challenge image in the right sidebar.