Chasing alone---Mistake?

[Angie Norris]

I chased solo for years and never had any problems (well, except for the night I drove into a flash flood ). You just have to study, study and study...make sure you understand storm structure so you don't get yourself in a problematic situation. Skywarn class is a good start, the videos Amos mentioned are also excellent resources, as is The Art of Storm Chasing (shameless plug for Tim V here :wink: ). Read everything you can get your hands on...another plug for Tim V...Storm Chasing Handbook is a good start. The only equipment I ever take is my cell phone, CB radio which has NWR, cameras and maps...once I leave the house, I'm working totally visual. I may have a nowcaster on standby for radar updates...sometimes I call them, sometimes I don't...pretty much depends on the storms that day. Learn to listen to your instincts on a storm, too. If the gut feeling is to back off...do it. If the gut feeling is get your a** moving, do it. Sometimes, just ain't nothing like just being out amongst nature...busts included.
Of course having a partner or convoying has it's advantages...an extra pair (or more) of eyes...somebody sharing gas expenses and the experiences of the day. I never had partners until I came out on the Plains, and it does make for a different experience. However, choose your partner carefully. A good partner can make for good days, even when the weather doesn't, just like the wrong partner can make your life miserable even with the best storm.
Just use good common sense, follow saftey rules and traffic laws, and we'll see you out there!!!
Angie

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Thanks for the plug Amos!

I should add a bit more to what I think on this. I thought it was more about safety than anything else but now see maybe more was wondered about.

One main reason I love chasing alone is you are your only restriction all day long. If you are slow to the show you have yourself to blame. If you want to drive to the tornado and throw a bottle into it, you can do that.

The other big thing is the tendancy to simply talk too much when around others. I can think of several instances of this costing me. Not only does it end up making me slow to move with the storm but I also find myself recording less of the event because I'm with others talking. Recording the event is really important to me and I know how I am around others so I try to keep numbers to a minimum.

Also when chasing alone you can simply park your car like you want and clamp the window clamp to your window without worrying about the view the person in the other seat is getting.

 

[David Drummond]

IMO one of the single largest advantages to having someone else along is being able to share the driving on long trips. Let's face it, it's exhausting. Many states are trying to enact laws now for drowsy driving making it a criminal offense akin to DUI. :shock:

I have had great experiences both alone and with others. I have also had some well known horrible experiences both alone and with others. Both has it's advantages and disadvantages.

The advise the others are giving is right about knowing what your doing before going it alone. Just like anything else, jumping in alone without some knowledge and/or experience, and your gonna have problems, some could be life threatening. That said, this IS mother nature we are chasing, and to that end often does things we didn't quite expect, so even with experience you can have troubles. But experience/knowledge will help you mitigate those when they come up.

Unlike the old days, now there is a HUGE WEALTH of information on the Internet (both on ST and elsewhere) on storm chasing and severe weather. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone going out unarmed with some knowlege about it. You can spend months on end reading about severe weather on the internet. Most of us do just that during the winter months. Whether it be dissecting old chase days, brushing up on forecasting, reading some of the lastest theories, whatever.

I personally have gotten VERY PICKY about anyone I take along, for well known reasons. When chasing locally for the TV station, I like to take someone from the station along, preferably one of the wx dept. interns. It's good learning for them and there is so much to do, it makes my job much easier.

For regular chasing, I tend to only now take a few select people that I have either chased with before, know really well, or have carefully screened to my satisfaction.

I will say this, when contemplating taking someone with you, especially if you haven't spent extended time with them before.....give them a trial run or two on short local chases. Longer distance chasing means being cooped up in a small area for extended periods of time with someone that can test even the greatest patience and tolerance. Make sure you can stand that person for an extended period of time. Even the smallest habits can really get on your nerves after 13 hours in a car. If they are going to claw at the dash and scream like a cheerleader every time a CG hits nearby, it probably isn't going to be too enjoyable of a chase for you.

My main chase partner Graham Butler and I have gotten in to some pretty heated arguements on chases, even got mad at each other, but we have gotten so good chasing together and become such good friends that it blows over really quick and it's back to business shortly. We make a GREAT team on a chase, complimenting each other very well. What he misses I catch, and vise-versa. What equipment I forget, he's there to remind me. It's a good tag team and things usually run very smoothly.

IMO, to be able to thoroughly enjoy chasing with someone else, you really have to find someone you can develop that sort of relationship with.

And the best single piece of advise I can give you on chasing with a partner? Skip the Allsups burritos! :mrgreen:

 

[John Wetter]

As has been stated already, I wouldn't NOT chase if you can't find a partner, but it is nice to help juggle the stuff in the vehicle, eg. mapping, taping, camera, etc. BUT, make sure you are compatible with the person you decide to chase with. Nothing sucks more than missing a tornado because you got outvoted and were stuck following someone elses forecast... So, I can't see any huge lean one way or the other.

-John

 

[Mikey Gribble]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over not having a chase partner. I prefer chasing alone and do it almost exclusively. I think it is more peaceful and it forces you to learn faster IMO.
I also think chasing alone is more dangerous. More times than I care to admit, I've almost taken out a barbed wire fence (at a T in the road) because I had my face burried in a map. Once your on a storm, you have to juggle shooting video, navigating, driving, and keeping an eye on the storm. Having a partner will lighten the work load, but it also has a lot of downsides.
If I were you, I would get out there this spring, partner or not. Try chasing with a partner when you get a chance and figure out which works best for you.

 

[Chris Lott]

Thanks for all of your replies, they have been very helpful. I'm thinking about contacting a local meteorologist/chaser, Lon Curtis, to see if he might do some nowcasting for me on days I decide to go chase. Anyway, thanks everyone and maybe I will meet some of you out on the plains. I am itching for spring!

 

[Shane Adams]

Originally posted by Chris Lott
I'm thinking about contacting a local meteorologist/chaser, Lon Curtis, to see if he might do some nowcasting for me on days I decide to go chase.

Tell him I said "hey"

 

[Dan Christianson]

Well basically im going to agree with many others STUDY YOUR BUTT OFF, on what to look for, safety and all the other issues basically have general knowledge, i should be more experienced in stormchasing, but i have my whole life to learn many new things, i have the basics down and i pretty much most of the time play catch up with a storm, its nice to have at least one other person with you, while your filming or driving the other giving you map routes so you dont get lost, though if you are by yourself you have to be very cautious of what your doing and again dont speed , im sure alot of us do but it sucks when you get caught cops just love us chaser's , anyways have fun, have a good time, have general knowledge/advanced and riding solo or with a partner has benefits either way...

 

[Shane Adams]

Attending SKYWARN classes, watching instructional videos, and reading internet websites are all great. But to learn how to chase you have to chase. None of the former matter if you don't attempt the latter. There is no curriculum for chasing, it's a learn-as-you-go activity. No one is going to be great out of the box, because no one is born with the experience of chasing. Education is great, but experience has no substitute.

When I knew nothing except that I wanted to see tornadoes, I went by feel. When my arse started taking a bite out of the seat, I knew I needed to back off. It's the basic instinct we all have - survival. Your senses will tell you when something's not right. Fortunately for us all, supercells are designed to warn us of impending dangers; layers of rain, heavy rain, hail, big hail, OH MY GOD hail, and finally - uh oh.

Approaching a tornadic or severe storm from the wrong position will usually allow for the "use" of this structure of alarms, i.e., you start getting into hail and you know you are getting into iffy territory. Any other approach vector will_usually_give you a visual into the buisness end of the storm. The educational resources mentioned in previous posts will arm you with the knowledge you need to recognize these situations in the field. Getting out there and seeing them, then having to make decisions on what to do with/about them, that gets you experience.

Knowing the storm schematically is only half the battle. Learning what to do with the beast once you've cornered it is the other. And these are complicated animals, as the most experienced chasers still come home with cuts and bruises some days.

 

[Brian Stertz]

Solo or no solo...I just like to chase when I can. I've had some great chases with my best friends Jeff and Kathryn Piotrowski, and Rich and Ryan Thies...but I have also had a few gems that I've been solo on (May 3rd 1999 to name a big one). I would certainly prefer to have a chase partner or two/three because of the fatigue factor of driving, especially post chase. My toughest chase solo was June 12th this past year. I left at 6am and chased up until dark, and then drove back to Tulsa. I did not sleep but an hour and then I had to go to work. Honestly I can say it was worth just being out there...even though I was a little late in getting to the Jayton tornadoes. Chase partners are also beneficial for bouncing ideas off of...and affirm the rationale you are off to a certain target or are throwing in the towel on the chase (like that happens very often).

 

[Susan Strom]

Originally posted by Brian Stertz
My toughest chase solo was June 12th this past year. I left at 6am and chased up until dark, and then drove back to Tulsa. I did not sleep but an hour and then I had to go to work. Honestly I can say it was worth just being out there...

That kind of chase is common for me too - one night last year I drove all over the Central Deserts, ended up in Tucson about 1am but all the great lightning didn't stop so I kept chasing it, going further and further south toward Mexico, returned home to Phx at 3am or so, then had to shower and go downtown for an early news segment at 5:30am then went to work. During July-Sept that kind of monsoon chase is common.

As a photographer, I have found that it takes a special breed who would put up those kinds of desert chases. One would think the best chance of a good chase partner might come with another photog type, but even then, I can think of an AZ lightning photographer who asks to chase with me but doesn't like the long drives and can't stay out late (has kids) so that never works out, and another who was annoyed by a particular bird and kept complaining about it, and one from years ago who had a strong dislike of scorpions (can't promise you won't see one...).

I just think a chase style like mine just keeps me a solo chaser, and it is those late nights when no one is around that yield the best pictures and prove to be the most satisfying. Year after year, 1am-2am unfolds as the magic hour, and those who snooze will miss it

Sleep-wise, the big nights usually do not happen one right after another, the atmosphere is often played out the next day, so I catch up on sleep then (or chase a wildfire that resulted from the lightning the night before).

 

[Greg Campbell]

As a noob plains chaser who hopes to make my first 'official' chase this spring, I'd love to have an experienced partner to lead the way. Unfortunately, someone like me has little to offer in return. Such is life! As it stands, I'll probably wind up going it alone, and will consider myself lucky if I see some good supercells. Chris, don't expect any 200 yard distant spin up video from me (or yourself!). I (we?) will be the one(s) 5 miles down the road, out of position, more worried about getting hail cored than catching a killer view.

In the two years I've been shooting lightning, I've learned a few lessons about chase partners. 'Choose wisely, Grashopper!'

This year a longtime friend flew out for a wekend of Arizona sightseeing and lightning chasing. We made what is probably a classic mistake - not explaining what each of us expected to get out of the experience. As it turned out, he just wanted so see some storms and get a feel for the whole 'monsoon thing.' I, on the other hand, envisioned doing 'serious' photography; drivng miles to setup the ambient light, mountains, and storm to best produce a sweet lightning pic. I think we both projected our own agenda onto that of the other. So, after driving several hours, there we were. 100 miles from nowhere in the central-western desert. The sunset ls fading, and the sky to the west os a deep, subdued reddish-orange. The light is fantastic, storms are popping all around, and the ruggend Az mountains offer a sweet backdrop...... At this moment, my friend says, "This looks like it's winding down. I'm hungry, let's start back." :evil: GRRRR!!!! We wound up with a compromise that did littlle more than irritate both of us.

Even chasing with a like-minded partner can produce 'sticky' moments. Susan graciously took me along on a few chases this summer. During the last, we arrived one of her secret overlooks (thanks!) to find a very sweet view. Moonlight illuminated a line of small storms that were hovering over a nearby mountain range. Stars showered the sky above. As we were setting up, Susan said something about shooting star trails over a thunderstorm. Oh-shit! :? That's the first thing I had though of... I tried to minimize the toe-stepping by shooting with lenses (focal lengths) she didn't have, winding up with several nice shots, and one spectacular slide. I can only hope my images are sufficiently different from hers. (Post some pics!) In short, the danger of producing cookie-cutter images and/or infringing on each other's work is always present. Plains chasing is probably less sensitive to this issuse - one guy can drive or shoot stills while another makes movies. Still, it's best to hash this out before arriving at the storm. Many chase with a view toward selling video. If the two of you do get some nice footage, how are you going to split the $$. Talk about this BEFORE it becomes an issue.

To date, I've been lucky enough to avoid any overt personality clashes, but have heard horror stories from many. "Alpha Male" wannabees who want to 'lead' the caravan, storm phobics who freak at the sight of a spinning wall cloud, "the guy with the 2 oz bladder," and more 'incompatible' peeps are out there, all asking to 'tag along' for the day. Remember, you're going to spend tens of hours in stuck in a car with someone. Heat, miles of repetitive, boring scenery, differing feeding schedules, busted chase frustrations, navigational disagreements, etc. await. How well do you know them?

-Greg

 

[Susan Strom]

Nice shot Greg. You won't have any trouble finding a chase partner. I have to say, although we only chased two or three times I could see right away that you're the "chaser type", die hard road trip junkie + serious photographer combo. Have fun this summer. I'm sure you'll have a good time in the Plains too, if you can find the right chase partner (who won't get hungry after 5 minutes on the storm LOL)

 

[David Drummond]

Wow! Nice shot!

Going in because I am hungry is NOT an option. I have gotten over the last several years where I am like, if your planning on riding with me, you better be ready to head out the door the minute I am, or your getting left behind. Sitting around in a motel looking at the GFS until 11 am when the target is 150 miles away is NOT an option. And YES that did happen with someone.

I also tell anyone riding with me that I am out there for the duration and not quiting until the storm(s) I am chasing are DEAD or just plain crapped into an MCS. I learned my lesson more than once about giving up on a storm early. :wink: I tell them I don't care what obligations they have, if they can't commit to the whole chase without having to be in by their bedtime, they aren't going with me. Way too many times in the past I missed out on seeing tornadoes, often by half an hour, from waiting on people to hurry up and get ready, waiting on someone lollygagging around talking to the convenience store clerk when we stopped for gas, or whining so much I had to take them home early and missed later action.

Actually, it quite surprises me the number of people that want you to take them along, yet want you to conform to THEIR schedule. I mean really, if you asking to go along with someone else, you should be ready to commit to THEIR agenda, not your own. Sorry, got off on a rant there.

All this comes back to having a GREAT chase partner. Even among us chasers, I'd be willing to bet there are only a couple handfulls that absolutely chase balls to the wall until mother nature closes the theater for the evening. Of course, many just plain don't like to chase after dark, but I think a thunderstorm takes on a certain sort of magic and mystery after the sun goes down! 8)

 

[Bill Tabor]

Originally posted by Chris Lott
This year will be my first year I actually try to set out in chase. One problem-I don't have a chase partner. I'm thinking to myself that this would not come highly recommended from the more experienced chasers out there, but I don't want to pass up any chase opportunities this year if they come along. Would this be a mistake on my part?

Hey Chris, everyone chimed in so I suppose I'll add some thoughts. Also, I'm down here in Cedar Park so wouldn't be surprised if I run into you on a chase soon.

I'd have to say the majority of my chases are alone. Typically this is because as David mentioned it is just a bit of an issue trying to coordinate and get people to be available when it is time to GO. Some of my chase partners aren't nearby so it is a bit more involved to hook up with them. For instance Gene Moore is down in San Antonio and David Douglas and Tim Vasquez are in south Austin. Well - except Tim just moved to Palastine, Tx now.

You can have some wonderful experiences and adventures chasing alone. To some degree it can be boring to / from though too as you don't have anyone to talk to - except over cell phone. I think you certainly learn the most alone as you have to do and be responsible for everything. It also is obviously more expensive.

Safety wise I suppose you can do ok but you learn from the school of hard knocks. I've gotten myself into some somewhat hairy, precarious situations particularly at night and when I was more of a newbie. You can certainly 'entertain' yourself that way and perhaps subconciously that's what it was with me because I've always wanted to 'see' just a little more.. Obviously if you have a veteran to take you around and show you the ropes you can learn a lot that way as well.

I will say that one good thing about chasing with someone else is that you have someone to share the experience with. For some reason (at least for me) I think events seem to be bigger and perhaps a bit more enjoyable when you have someone to share it with and remember it with.

Truth is if you are going to chase and you are serious you will be out there with and without others. That's just how it works out I think. That's the way it is with me. I chase because I love it and am driven to experience severe weather. Sometimes that may mean driving and chasing alone for hours on end. Many times I've seen the sun rise after a chase day - LOL! Then again, there are times I've let some big days go by such as Attica, KS a couple of years ago even though I forecast it perfectly because I was just too tired and didn't want to do the whole drive alone.

I'd say it is safer chasing with a partner such as if you get sick in the middle of nowhere (like I have), or have car troubles (like I have), etc. Then again it's still reasonably safe if you pay attention, educate yourself, and try to avoid stupid decisions. I have memories both alone, and with others I wouldn't give up.