86 Days

86 days until my adventure begins. As an '86 baby about to turn 30, this number is particularly significant. When I reflect on the fact that I began researching tornado chasing trips about a year ago, in the spring of 2015, it seems like time is progressing much too quickly. April 30th will be here before I know it!

Tornadoes in the US typically peak from April to June, and can impact a wide swath of the country's midsection. Chase tours go where the action is, which means that although they may begin and end in a particular location, these trips are mobile adventures planned around the prevailing weather patterns. Last spring I figured the best way to learn more about the storm chasing industry was to follow several tour companies over the course of the season, and see who had the most successes, best pictures, and most positive testimonials. 

Silver Lining Tours seemed to excel at all of these attributes. At first glance I was quite impressed with their website, testimonials, and, as the season progressed, their encounters. I followed a couple of other chase groups as well, but their online presence seemed to be more haphazard, with less structured commentary on chase experiences. As the 2015 season came to a close, I narrowed my options and did further research on Storm Chasing USA

Last September I learned that a friend of mine's sister is a meteorologist at NWS, which provided a great opportunity for insider insight. She recommended two reputable tour groups (including Silver Lining Tours), as well as the following tongue-in-cheek tip: "stay away from Reed Timmer." Although Reed is a figurehead of chase culture, with many documentaries and the Discovery series Storm Chasers under his belt, he is well known for pushing the limits of safety in search of storm chasing thrills. I would love to meet Reed Timmer some day- perhaps because one can't help but have a fangirl crush on his exuberant personality and infectious charisma- but I knew that his method of chasing was something I wasn't interested in pursuing.

Tornado probabilities for the week I will be chasing, courtesy NOAA & SLT

At the end of September, on a Saturday night where I was so tired I felt positively nauseous, I contacted Roger at SLT. I picked the second tour of the season, Caprock Magic, which focuses on the Texas panhandle and Oklahoma- prime chase territory. The tour runs during the first week of May, and after hearing back from Roger that space was still available, I spent another evening reading the pages and pages of waivers that are involved with embarking upon a chase tour. A few days later I put down my deposit for the trip. I distinctly remember thinking I can't believe I'm doing this! For real! It's going to happen! It has been a pleasure to arrange my trip through SLT, and Roger has been extremely helpful and responsive with regards to the questions that have come up so far.

A couple of weeks ago I booked my plane ticket to Oklahoma City and purchased extra travel insurance, just in case something happens to prevent me from taking this long-anticipated trip. Explaining the nature of my trip to the insurance company was a hoot! The agent asked me to repeat myself twice. 

Since storm chasing relies completely on the weather, I guess it's time to practice some of the techniques I'll be following on the tour; it's time to hurry up and wait for April to arrive.