Sure, rain might make water-starved hiking trails the greenest they’ve been in years, but parks officials and local authorities hope Santa Barbara County residents will avoid the temptation to venture out during winter storms.
If you must go out during or soon after an El Niño event, wilderness experts say checking the weather forecast is the most important thing hikers can do.
“Generally, I would say our population is fairly conscious of weather-related environment,” said Nelson Trichler, an incident commander and 35-year veteran of the County Search and Rescue Team.
“There’s always those that go out and are either ill prepared or they’re not aware of the weather. When we have heavy rains, we want to leave some hours after the rains if you do go hike. Most of the rain runs down hill and out of the creeks within a couple hours.”
Rivers or streams, barely a trickle after four years of drought, can transform into raging waters after a couple hours of heavy rain.
Inevitably, Trichler said, some hikers or campers will come across such a creek and think they can traverse safely.
So far this winter, rain events have been relatively mild, he said, but past El Niño storms have proved deadly.
“We’ve actually recovered bodies from Rattlesnake Canyon Creek,” Trichler said. “If it’s below your knees, you can cross. If it’s above your knees, wait it out.”
Areas near the Santa Ynez River and Refugio Bridge have also presented fatal results, he said.
Checking weather can prevent being caught in lightning or flash flooding near South Coast burn areas.
Being prepared also includes wearing the right clothing, Trichler said, recounting a rescue in which a couple wearing shorts found themselves in a snow storm on a hike up to La Cumbre Peak.
Another time five years ago, Search and Rescue helicopters had to locate two Boy Scout troops with about 30 kids that were trapped in valley backcountry, surrounded by a raging Manzana River.
“From my personal experience … you’re going to get wet regardless of what you’re going to wear,” Trichler said.
“Even the best Gore-Tex materials will definitely leak. As long as you’re moving and warm, it’s fine, but the problem is if temperature drops, when you become wet you become cold. That’s when hypothermia happens.”
Waiting to hike a week or so after a storm is wiser to prevent tripping or slipping, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Andrew Madsen said.
Sturdy boots, hiking sticks or gloves were suggested equipment, although Madsen stressed he’d prefer nature enthusiasts wait until April or May to see the lush foliage.
“We don’t close these trails per say because they cross multiple jurisdictions,” he said.
“But the last time El Niño came through there was some really erratic, stormy weather. Once El Niño has passed through, we’re going to see such vibrant new growth out there.”
Madsen recommended locals check with city or county parks officials to learn more about the condition of trails.
For those within the Los Padres National Forest, residents can call the parks supervisor office at 805.968.6640 or the Santa Barbara Ranger District at 805.967.3481.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.