Rain versus Outdoor Activities (Vancouver, Pacific: homes, tornado, camp)

[StealthRabbit]

$19.90 direct flights to SAN were great for the few yrs Spirit Air offered.

To SD at 5AM and return to PNW at midnight.
Sunrise above PNW clouds is often great at 10000 ft.

Of course all is subjective, as I grew up on a Colorado ranch with adequate sunny days, and I love chopping ice on ponds for cows and hauling hay via snowmobile / sled. We ice skated every day after school during winter. You can work outdoors all day in the mtn states dry powdery snow and not get wet! Fall down once in PNW snow and be soaked.

Just deal with it wherever you must be.

Camping for weeks in the rain is not my favorite, but camping with lots of gear is not a favorite activity for me either. Southern CA spouse just loves camping, regardless of weather. Thus we often take solo trips, or with friends or siblings.

PNW we_tside, you don't wait for a nice day for your activities, you just do activities regardless of weather. That is quite different than most regions, where you do other things when weather does not cooperate. Midwest or mountain states, we had majority of cooperating days, so it's easy to slightly adjust planning and activities around weather. PNW, that 'nice day' may be weeks or months away. Or never. So just do the task activity, as your clients will be busy when the weather is nice.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by wisker

It’s not that “I don’t like the rain”….just living in Southern California, we don’t get much and people tend not to go out in it here, so with people saying it’s a haven for outdoor sports and then saying it rains all the time, I was curious.

I also live in SoCal, but have brothers in western Washington. Rain here in California may be infrequent, but when it does come, it rains buckets. A hoodie is insufficient for doing anything outside in that rain and even an umbrella may not help much. Sometimes it's almost impossible to even drive through the pouring rain! So when we hear that it rains all the time in Washington, that's the rain we imagine, but it's not the right picture.

Another issue for me is that when my brothers talked about hiking, mountain biking, etc. despite the rain, I could not imagine that because when the dirt down here gets really wet, it turns to thick adobe mud. You can not hike or ride a mountain bike through this mud (I've tried, and lived to regret it). But the dirt trails up there are different. There's so much organic matter, pine needles or whatever, that it's really not that bad when it gets wet. At least that was my experience.

[Jacconn]

The issue I had with PNW cloudiness/drizzle was that it’s incessant for 9-10 months of the year. There is no variety from Oct - March in particular, so if you wanted to be outside there was no real option to wait for a better day of week. I actually like more varied weather conditions, throughout the year. And as a serious road cyclist (no fenders), I sat on the trainer most of the winter, which stunk.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by saibot

But the dirt trails up there are different. There's so much organic matter, pine needles or whatever, that it's really not that bad when it gets wet. At least that was my experience.

It really depends on the trail. Some can have mud and standing water in places. Some winters are drier (relatively), and some have more rain and the land gets waterlogged. Trails can get washed out with small landslides or have low spots be entirely under water.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by Jacconn

The issue I had with PNW cloudiness/drizzle was that it’s incessant for 9-10 months of the year. There is no variety from Oct - March in particular, so if you wanted to be outside there was no real option to wait for a better day of week. I actually like more varied weather conditions, throughout the year. And as a serious road cyclist (no fenders), I sat on the trainer most of the winter, which stunk.

Another opinion and not a fact. 9-10 and I have also heard people say 12 months out of the year.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Another opinion and not a fact. 9-10 and I have also heard people say 12 months out of the year.

More PNW myth and hyperbole. That was one of the main things that I intended to test and prove wrong after moving here which I'd heard so much. No BS, melodramatizing, whining or exaggerations, just the reality of what its actually like. Here's a post for those wondering what the real story is vs. all the fake news about 10 months of rain and no sun.

You won't see the sun for 10 months out of the year they said...

Derek

[happygrrrl]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

More PNW myth and hyperbole. That was one of the main things that I intended to test and prove wrong after moving here which I'd heard so much. No BS, melodramatizing, whining or exaggerations, just the reality of what its actually like. Here's a post for those wondering what the real story is vs. all the fake news about 10 months of rain and no sun.

You won't see the sun for 10 months out of the year they said...

Derek

It is different for everyone. Your reality is not my reality & so forth. I have said before and been flamed for it, so much that I stopped posting here. For me, the soul-crushing factor is not the rain, it is the constancy of gray, dark skies. It is oppressive.

Post 42 frames my reality. In SoCal, the infrequent rain came in drenching buckets, but when it was over, there was sunshine. In western Washington, the rain is more gentle, but where I live, you do NOT see the sun for most of the year.

Now, SoCal is in constant drought & wildfires are a given, while it stays green here. The gray skies shield the green from scorching sunshine & heat.

Compromise is life.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by happygrrrl

It is different for everyone. Your reality is not my reality & so forth. I have said before and been flamed for it, so much that I stopped posting here. For me, the soul-crushing factor is not the rain, it is the constancy of gray, dark skies. It is oppressive.

Post 42 frames my reality. In SoCal, the infrequent rain came in drenching buckets, but when it was over, there was sunshine. In western Washington, the rain is more gentle, but where I live, you do NOT see the sun for most of the year.

Now, SoCal is in constant drought & wildfires are a given, while it stays green here. The gray skies shield the green from scorching sunshine & heat.

Compromise is life.

Yes, I know the experience is different for everyone. It depends on what one enjoys doing and also the work they do. If I was really into biking and that was my main thing year round, I may not pick the PNW. There are some states that are better for it year round with drier climates and more bike friendly.

It also varies depending where in WA you live. There are many micro climates. So, depending on where you are, there can be more rain, snow, wind, sunlight or lack thereof. I seem to recall your area being one of the cloudiest, though I don't recall the specific part. Possibly around Olympia?

There are those who end up moving for more sunny skies and trade clouds and rain for more heat in dry places like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Albuquerque or inland CA (Fresno, Bakersfield, Victorville, Palm Desert, etc...). Lots to choose from to find a mix that works for you. But since they all have their downsides, its a matter of finding tradeoffs that work best for you and your family. When given the choice, we prefer more clouds and rain to constant, oppressive sun day after day which is very monotonous especially during the long running droughts year over year. It's a very relative thing.

Derek

[Hemlock140]

Yesterday was a good example of our spring weather, with overcast, sun, and rain all in the same day. We spent much of the day playing Cornhole on the front lawn, and even in the rain didn't require more than a light jacket.

MtnSurfer is right about the micro climates.
North Bend gets an average of 67" of rain
Here (Sammamish) it averages 53"
Carnation is 50"
Kirkland is 41"
Woodinville is 40"
Seattle is 38"
Sequim is 16"

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Yesterday was a good example of our spring weather, with overcast, sun, and rain all in the same day. We spent much of the day playing Cornhole on the front lawn, and even in the rain didn't require more than a light jacket.

MtnSurfer is right about the micro climates.
North Bend gets an average of 67" of rain
Here (Sammamish) it averages 53"
Carnation is 50"
Kirkland is 41"
Woodinville is 40"
Seattle is 38"
Sequim is 16"

Yep, yesterday was a perfect PNW spring day here in Vancouver. Its super green out with wildflowers and flowering trees blooming. It started out cloudy with some light rain. We went on a family hike to two waterfalls in the Gorge. The cool air was refreshing while hiking up to the falls. Then, later the sun came out with some huge white puffy clouds followed by a beautiful sunset. By contrast, we could live somewhere without rain or clouds on a more regular basis, somewhere drier, less lush and green with constant sun and heat. But where's the fun in that?







Derek