By Ashley Smith

There is no such thing as bad weather…

…just poor clothing choices.

I find that I love all kinds of weather equally. Wind, rain, snow, sunshine, cold, or warm—they are all different kinds of good weather.  Sure, I welcome the warm feeling of sunshine after a long, cold, winter, but I also long for the smell and chill of the fall after the end of summer.

Doesn’t it seem funny that some will pay upwards of $100 for registration to a “mud run,” but you would never see them out on the trail when it is raining and the mud was made naturally? Why were those mud runs so popular? Everyone posts photos from those experiences and a lot of them are flexing or yelling. Recreation in bad weather just feels… epic.  Those are the days you remember vividly.

That one camping trip that it rained buckets, but you didn’t have a tent because you wanted to sleep under the stars.

The day your family played in the rain and mud instead of staying inside all day.

The trail run that it snowed so hard your foot prints were covered up by the time you were done.

No one remembers the movie you watched instead of going outside or the shopping trip you took because the weather ruined your plans for the day. No one is surprised to see people out enjoying the sunshine (and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the sunshine) but, there is something to be said about someone you see out playing in the rain. “I can’t believe they are out in this weather! It is pouring!

Metroparks will always have programs—rain or shine. In the event of thunderstorms or other severe weather, programs will either move inside or be cancelled

See all the outdoor skills programs available on our Program Calendar.

Get Outside Yourself this year… in all types of good weather. 

Ashley Smith is Outdoor Skills Manager for Metroparks