Feb 12, 2011, Bumping Lake wind event

This trip is unremarkable from any perspective other than the wind event we encountered.  I see others encountered similar conditions elsewhere.  I have NEVER in all my years been in a wind event that felled so many large live trees.  One cabin at Goose Prairie was demolished.  Note, I later learned winds at White Pass were up to 76 MPH during this event.  Pardon my laziness but this is part of an email I sent to a friend:


Daniel and I just got back from running the dogs for his scout troop up in the mtns.  Winds were up to 40 mph? and it started getting really creepy when the tallest trees started snapping all around us like toothpicks.  I do not exaggerate.  It got really dangerous out there.  I know I've been in windstorms that were this strong and nothing this catastrophic happened to the trees.  I mean these were live trees, 5 ft. diameter snapping at the base.  medium size trees were snapping their tops off.  I can only guess that the sap is at its lowest this time of year and the trees, although live, are very brittle.  The biggest lesson is that it is not the dead trees you have to worry about when choosing a campsite, it is all trees, and you had better get out in the open.  Anyway, we decided not to camp and we hit the road..., until one of those huge trees was blocking the road.  A cabin owner w/ a chainsaw came through and we helped him clear the trunk, all the while huge trees were snapping all around us.  They sound like thunder.  Lesson two, always carry a chainsaw, two tow chains, axe or wedge, and a timberjack.  I knew this and have done so before, but didn't bother to pack it this time. Lesson three was "How to clear a huge tree from the road with above mentioned tools"
Daniel and I felt lucky to be alive once we got out of there.