Best hikes on a student schedule?

[gruntledpainter]

note: not sure if this should be categorized as "other hikes" but figured it's general enough for this topic.

I will be attending graduate school in the fall, and it is a 3-year program. How do I scratch my hiking itch while in school? I will need to take advantage of holidays and breaks. Spring Break is an obvious one; it occurs around April 1 every year, a great hiking time for many parts of the country.

But I'll want to do longer hikes, too. What are some great hikes to do during the winter or summer? I would prefer not having to snowshoe, so any hike that is doable without these, and is longer than a week would appeal to me.

The windows for hiking would be early December thru mid January, and late May thru early August. I prefer hikes in the lower 48 but would be willing to travel internationally as well.

So, collective hiker brainpower of Whiteblaze, send me some suggestions! Thank you in advance, I am sure many of you are well aware of what it is like to be "trapped" in a school schedule.

[on_the_GOEZ]

I am a student as well and have been facing the same problem - how can I get to the backcountry despite a busy school schedule?! My best answer so far (for us both) is: whenever possible. The summer seems to be my best bet thus far however, I sat out a semester for my LT end to end this last fall and will sit out a second semester for my AT thru next year. As Mark Twain said, "Dont let your schooling get in the way of your education."

That being said, I think everyone who hikes and has a 'regular' job (student, career, etc...) faces the same problem. Being in San Antonio, I imagine you dont get much snow so year-round hiking might be more of an option than, say, here in Indiana. When I asked a fellow hiker who picked me up in northern Vermont what he did to "scratch his outdoors itch" in the winter, he said, "That's easy, do something outdoors: fish, snowmobile, walk, whatever. The winter in sometimes the prettiest time of the year."

Florida trail might be nice...

[Gray Blazer]

Florida trail might be nice...

In Jan or Feb.

[Adayak]

Not sure how big your college is, but when I was at UF we had a variety of class times available. Try scheduling your classes so you get Fridays and Mondays off - that'll give you some long weekends to hike the trails.

[Gray Blazer]

I was at UF

Go Gators!!

Class of '81.