true indeed, Bob. the clouds don't usually roll in that fast, but i've seen it happen on the coast and also in the mountains...
That was the scary part. They didn't "roll in" at all, as in drifted in from off shore, they just appeared out of thin air, literally!
It was evening, the temps dropped fairly fast, the air temp hit the dewpoint and the clouds/fog simply formed right there on the spot. Went from gorgeous sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, to cold, damp, foggy and very low visibility, and did it quickly.
I couldn't help picturing myself wondering around on one of the trails out there, no map, no compass, no real flashlight, no rain gear (it was clear 1/2 hour before), getting dark, can't see for any distance, lots of cliffs and drop-offs. Could have been a real nasty experience. What would have started out as maybe a 1/4 mile hike in the park that didn't rate a second thought could have suddenly become a lot more challenging.
Unfortunately, there's a few hikers in the Pacific NW who learn that lesson the hard way, and spend a very cold and wet night in the woods or worse. I'm sure we've all heard the story of a stranded hiker on Mt Rainier who, after search and rescue locates him/her says something like 'It was a sunny day, and I was just going on a short day hike, so I didn't have any gear with me..." If you're hiking any distance at all, maybe a small compass and one of those mylar survival blankets in the camera bag wouldn't hurt.
I realize you were probably using "roll in" in a metaphorical manner, but that's what really surprised me in this one, they just suddenly appeared.
