Observation from ONP

[dave54]

RVing in Olympic NP, went for a day hike in the Sol Duc area (salmon jumping at the falls BTW, got some nice action sequence photos). I was surprised at the number of backpackers starting for extended overnight trips, with it currently raining and more rain in the next several days forecast, wearing blue jeans, cotton hoodies and light athletic type sneakers. Several entire parties clad like that.
Looked like adequate good quality gear on their backs, but clothed all wrong. I would think locals would dress better. Maybe those Seattleites are a tougher breed than I.

I almost felt out of place in my rain gear and boots on a slick muddy trail.

[rightstar76]

I was in Oregon during the winter and visited a park in the foothills of the Cascades. It was raining and cold. The part of the park where there was a huge grassy area was filled with people. There was a canopy spread over picnic tables. People were having birthday parties, barbecues, and kids were out playing ball in the wet grass. It looked like the middle of summer. Pacific Northwesterners sure know how to beat the rain!

[Wandering Daisy]

We did Olympic Park a few years ago, and lucked out with perfect weather. I decided not to backpack because of the likelihood of rain, and regretted that I did not bring my backpack gear. But we did good day-hikes. On the way back we went down the Washington coast, and I really liked the coast, perhaps more than forests. Some sites in Olympic are pretty touristy- we ran into those big busloads. My cousin lives near the park, and she loves the rain. Some people just are very comfortable in rain; not me!

[dave54]

There is something surreal about hiking in a rainforest in the rain.
I was surprised at the number of blue jeans and cotton hoodies with no rain shell, even though it was raining at the time

[windknot]

I've lived in Seattle for 4 years now and it still surprises me how many "casual" hikers and backpackers I see out on the trail vs. those I see on the trail in the Sierra. It just seems like there is a much higher percentage of folks up here in the PNW who venture out into the wilderness despite appearing (at least on the surface) like novices or infrequent visitors. So it could just be that the accessibility of trails/hikes to the Seattle metro area is great enough that it attracts the kinds of people who wouldn't make the 4-5 hour drive to the Sierra from the Bay Area or LA, or it could be that we're just so used to the rain here that we can't be bothered to dress for it (though I certainly wear a rain shell most of the winter -- perhaps that's how locals can tell that I'm a transplant).