A lightning strike on the trail: lessons from Black Mountain

An Appalachian Trail lightning strike becomes a cautionary tale for all long-distance hikers.

On Sunday, May 31, 2015, I bought two lottery tickets in Greenwood Lake, New York—feeling like the luckiest person alive. Only hours earlier, I had survived a lightning strike on Black Mountain in Harriman State Park along the Appalachian Trail (AT). I was able to walk off the mountain, but dozens of people across the country each year are not so fortunate. Lightning kills, and being caught without shelter in an electrical storm is a serious risk. My experience brought that truth home in an instant.

That morning, I set out to complete an ambitious 19-mile hike from New York 17 to Bear Mountain State Park. Storms were in the forecast, and although the elevation profile looked manageable, the terrain was rugged with steep, slick climbs. As an experienced long-distance hiker working toward my fourth end-to-end completion of the AT, I was familiar with the risks of storms, but I underestimated just how quickly a situation can escalate.

A day that changed in an instant

Good weather lasted through the morning, and I made fast progress. By early afternoon I had reached the William Bryant Memorial Shelter, where I met three northbound hikers before continuing toward Black Mountain. Rain arrived within an hour and quickly intensified. I stopped to put on rain gear as thunder rumbled in the distance.

One of the hikers—Papa John—decided to wait out the storm on lower ground. I should have done the same. Instead, I convinced myself it “wasn’t that bad” and pressed on.

As I climbed onto a flat, exposed ridge, the storm overtook me. Rain poured down and the trail filled with running water. I carried my hiking poles rather than planting them in the ground, hoping to minimize risk. I headed toward the final rise, thinking I could descend quickly to safer terrain.

Then it happened.

The moment of the strike

A tremendous electrical surge tore through my entire body. My back arched, every muscle clenched, and an orange flash blinded me. My hearing faded. The force knocked me backwards down an incline. I smelled something burning. For a millisecond the pain was excruciating—and then suddenly it was gone, replaced by numbness in my feet.

There was no time to panic. Rain and lightning continued overhead. I threw my metal hiking poles far from me, moved to a low grassy spot, and unfurled my foam sleeping pad. I crouched low, hoping the pad’s insulation would lessen the danger of a second or third strike.

Getting off the mountain

As the storm began to move away, I regained strength and sensation in my feet. My wilderness first aid training reminded me that lightning strikes can cause cardiac events, neurological damage, and other life-threatening injuries.

I decided to call 911. The State Park Police directed me toward a meet-up point near the Palisades Parkway, about a mile away. As I waited, Papa John appeared on the trail. I waved him over and explained what had happened. Although I felt steady, he walked out with me in case I collapsed from delayed complications.

At Nyack Hospital, tests—blood work, EKG, chest x-ray—came back normal. I was discharged later that evening.

Lessons learned the hard way

In the days that followed, I replayed all the “should haves” in my mind. I should have checked radar. I should have sought shelter at the first thunder. I should have retreated to lower ground when I realized the summit was flat and exposed. I should not have let mileage goals override safety.

As a hike leader, I would never take these risks with others. Sharing my story is my way of helping fellow hikers avoid the mistakes I made.

Four reminders for backcountry lightning safety

Below are key precautions from John Gookin’s Backcountry Lightning Risk Management for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS):

• Time visits to high-risk areas with weather patterns.
  Study forecasts, know local conditions, and be willing to change plans if storms are expected.

• Find safer terrain if you hear thunder.
  Thunder means lightning is within 10 miles. Move to lower ground and avoid ridges, peaks, and wet areas.

• Avoid trees and long conductors once lightning gets close.
  Stay clear of trees, water, metal, and power lines. Plants and tall structures can attract strikes.

• Use the lightning position if danger is imminent.
  Feet together, crouched low, arms wrapped around legs. This does not eliminate risk, but may reduce injury severity.

Even with precautions, lightning is unpredictable. The safest place during a storm is indoors.

My lottery tickets didn’t win—but surviving the strike was luck enough. Statistically, being struck by lightning is far more likely than winning the lottery, and far more dangerous. It’s a lesson I won’t forget.