Take advantage of a bad (or atypical) weather day to experience you familiar places in unfamiliar conditions. It will challenge all of your senses and leave you with unforgettable memories. As the Scandinavians say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!”

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Details

• Time Needed: A few hours
• Cost: $
• Difficulty: Easy (as long as you’re prepared!)

It looks like southern California may skip winter this year and go straight into spring. Where I live, we can usually expect at least a day or two with some light snowfall. But here we are entering March without even breaking into freezing temps once. While it feels a little unfair to complain about weather from sunny California, having some atypical weather days creates amazing opportunities to turn ordinary activities into extraordinary and easily accessible adventures.

This bust of a winter got me thinking back to a couple of years ago when the Inland Empire had the biggest snowfall in recent memory (2023). I was getting my hair cut at a barber when the snow started coming down and the second I got home, I knew I had to get out to experience one of my favorite familiar places in unfamiliar conditions!

My Adventure

One of my favorite quick getaways into nature in the IE is to hike the South Hills Preserve in Loma Linda. There are countless miles of trails through beautiful rolling hills dotted with chaparral and other scrub. It’s not uncommon to run into coyotes, roadrunners, rattlesnakes, or even wild donkeys. On a typical weekend day, there can be dozens of people enjoying the hills – mountain biking, walking dogs, or taking casual strolls. One cool thing about going there in a snowstorm is having the whole place to yourself (Well, almost to myself. I ended up running into one other person on a bike halfway through my adventure).

The snow was coming down hard when I made it to the trailhead, but very little was sticking. The snowmelt was quickly turning typically dry trails into fast flowing streams, cutting new steam paths into the ground. It was incredible to watch a landscape I know so well transform right before my eyes!

I worked my way up the high point in the preserve – only at about 2,200 ft, but high enough to eventually accumulate at least 3 inches of snow that day! As I worked up the hills, the snow started to stick and trails disappeared under an amazing blanket of white. Before long, I found myself in a total white out and everything was absolutely silent. By the time I reached the high point, the snow had almost stopped. Looking around, it felt as if I had been transported to an entirely different corner of the world, even though I was only minutes away from home!

By the time I got back to the trailhead, much of the snow had already melted and the California landscape that I know so well was starting to already poke back through. But the memories of those few hours will remain with me forever. Not bad for a Saturday in February!

For most places and people, a little dusting of snow is no big deal. But in California, it’s a rare event and, because of that, I think it checks the box for getting out in bad weather. For those who live in other places, bad weather may mean subzero temps, big rainstorms, super windy days, etc. Whatever it looks like for you, I encourage you to take the appropriate precautions and get outside to experience mother nature in all its power and beauty!

Before You Go

It should go without saying that venturing outside into bad weather is inherently dangerous. There are countless stories every year of people who get injured or die because they are not prepared for the conditions they find themselves in. Going out in a couple inches of snow in California is a relatively low risk thing to do – waterproof clothes, some boots, and a good beanie will do you just fine. But if you are taking on more extreme conditions, please do your research, plan accordingly, and continually evaluate your risk exposure. I can’t recommend enough to get certified in Wilderness First Aid (like I am) or Wilderness First Responder if you’re interested in keeping yourself and others safe in all kinds of extreme conditions. NOLS is an excellent provider and hosts classes regularly all around the country.