Favorite Hiking Conditions?

[Omaha_Ace]

After being on here for a little over a week, I have learned that we come from all areas of the country, all walks of life. But one thing is consistent - hiking! All of us "HYOH" and have our own methods, gear preferences, trail speeds, etc, although it seems like a lot of the things we do are very consistent as well. This is a GREAT community and I am very happy to have found it. I'm learning a lot and am more excited every day to see just 2% of the AT this September.

The question I would like to ask, is what hike IS your hike? What conditions do you love to hike in, and why?

For me, (keeping in mind that I live in Nebraska and am severely limited in my topography options...) nothing beats a January / February dayhike with fresh snow on the ground and upper 20 degree temps. Why? I have the trails to myself - absolutely to myself. I can push hard when I want to to get a workout, or slow down and enjoy the absolute silence of the snow-muted woods. It is extremely easy to track deer and wild turkey through fresh powder. It is exciting to not have a defined trail to rely on and 'whoops' - sometimes you wander off into the forest and find things you wouldn't see on-trail. A simple trail lunch of Ramen tastes insanely good. I get to try combinations of layers to find just the right mix of thermal and water protection. No poison ivy or huge spiders. A familiar place can be transformed into an alien landscape and become a new playground with just a few inches of powder.

I know I don't have peaks to bag or vast swatches of wilderness to disappear into, but this is my hike, and I hike it with joy.

[Lone Wolf]

fall.......

[bigcranky]

I like late winter or mid-fall around here. Crisp days, cold nights, fewer people on the trail. No bugs, no sweat.

[aficion]

Off season is great here. Many beautiful spots nearby with few to no people around. A little fresh snow makes the outdoors magical and the fire extra delightful. There are still birds around as well as squirrel, rabbits, foxes, deer, grouse, turkey, etc. The silence and stars can be breathtaking. Ain't life grand!

[bfayer]

fall.......

Gotta agree with this. 40s-50s, low humidity, less people :)

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[fiddlehead]

Favorite time to hike is whenever I can get the time to do so.
I've learned to love hiking in the heat, rain, snow, desert, alone, cold, winter, jungle, while high, at high altitude, where you sometimes only can tell where you are by the language that is being spoken.
Probably the best is when you are so in tune with nature that you can get within an arms length of an elk, moose, deer, or when an owl comes to your camp to show you that the northern lights are making a show.
But, it's all good. (did i mention mooning the cog)

[Cookerhiker]

Day hikes - any conditions will suffice - good to be outdoors. Favorites for eastern, AT-type hiking are early Spring and any time in Fall.

Overnight backpacks - don't like rain or heat. Winter - I can handle down to 15 unless there's a cold rain. Would much prefer snow.

[hikernutcasey]

Oh it's gotta be fall! Nothing like that first hint of crispness in the air after a long summer of heat. Not to mention the views become less hazy and it's good sleeping weather!

[Old Hiker]

Early spring or during the fall after a cold front has passed over, the rain is over and the humidity has dropped to almost nothing. The air is cool, almost cold, light to moderate wind blowing and you have 3 days ahead of you with the same conditions. Nights are 30-40ish, days are 50-60ish.

[Drybones]

25 degrees, light wind, snow falling...but...it's all good.

[joshuasdad]

50s, light winds, partly sunny, late fall/winter for the views.

It's going to be a great weekend!

[aficion]

50s, light winds, partly sunny, late fall/winter for the views.

It's going to be a great weekend!

Weekend looks great. Probably do a quick overnight with my three boys Sat night. Two have basketball games Sat am and the other has indoor soccer late Sunday. 5 mile loop over Cold Mtn on AT and Hotel Trail, camping a mile from the shelter. This time of year is as awesome as any when the weather co-operates. We did this little trip last year in 8 inches of day old snow and cowboy camped. Memorable outing.

[Omaha_Ace]

Weekend looks great. Probably do a quick overnight with my three boys Sat night. Two have basketball games Sat am and the other has indoor soccer late Sunday. 5 mile loop over Cold Mtn on AT and Hotel Trail, camping a mile from the shelter. This time of year is as awesome as any when the weather co-operates. We did this little trip last year in 8 inches of day old snow and cowboy camped. Memorable outing.

There is actually a Cold Mountain? Like from the movie?

So far it appears that we all like hiking in the cold. Wonder if the answers would be different if I posed the same question in July (IE: Yeah, I need 96 degrees with a dewpoint around 80 before I feel like hitting the trails in my zip-off pants and favorite bandanna...)

[Feral Bill]

Ridge walking in crisp fall weather. Ahhhh!

[Kerosene]

For backpacking, it's shoulder seasons (spring/fall), with the edge going to the height of color change during an indian summer. Sometimes water levels are a bit low, but I love the beauty and temperature variation, plus the lack of bugs. For day hiking, it can be magical to cover 15 miles of first tracks after a light snowfall.

[coach lou]

October..............

[hikerboy57]

50 degrees and partly sunny

[daddytwosticks]

Mid May down here (southern portion of AT) after a late cold front pushes through. Fresh green leaves. Minimal bugs. Light breezes. Comfortable days (60-70). Cool nights (40-50). Low humidity. :)

[Another Kevin]

Best for me has usually been "shoulder season" in marginal weather. No mud, no bugs, no tourists, what's not to like? But, to quite HB, it's all good.

[daddytwosticks]

...oh yeah, plenty of sunshine and lots of daylight this time of year. Throw in a full moon at night and call it done! :)

[jimmyjam]

I'm not picky- just give me a trail without a crowd and maybe a view or two along the way or some unusual trees or rocks.

[ktest]

Fall / winter days. Low humidity, clear views, few people on the trail, no bugs, no poison ivy, less brambles. Not to mention I heat up something fierce when I hike, so low temps are a definite plus for me.

[Lemni Skate]

I have perfect conditions.
1) Wake up with it cool (40-50 degrees) with a dense fog.
2) Get hiking early with fog burning off to a day with a few big, flyffy clouds rolling along and high temps around 70 degrees.
I don't care what season it is. I love the early morning mystery of the fog and the comfortable, bright day with a few clouds breaking up the sky and casting shadows on the mountains. I'd also prefer no bugs.

[Lemni Skate]

I have perfect conditions.
1) Wake up with it cool (40-50 degrees) with a dense fog.
2) Get hiking early with fog burning off to a day with a few big, flyffy clouds rolling along and high temps around 70 degrees.
I don't care what season it is. I love the early morning mystery of the fog and the comfortable, bright day with a few clouds breaking up the sky and casting shadows on the mountains. I'd also prefer no bugs.


Actually, this looks like the exact conditions we're getting this weekend (Jan. 12-13) here near Shenadoah National Park. I know what I'm doing!!!

[RCBear]

the ones with walking conveyor belts, like at the airport.

[RCBear]

the ones with walking conveyor belts, like at the airport.

Good for high mileage days :)

[bfayer]

Good for high mileage days :)

Only if you are going in the right direction.

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[RCBear]

Only if you are going in the right direction.

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Good point!

[bfayer]

Good point!

But then again you wouldn't need to worry about a shuttle service at the end of the hike :D

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[Northern Lights]

Another vote for fall, cooler, less people, and I love the smell of rotting leaves and dirt

[Dr. Professor]

Like so many others, I LOVE the fall.

Unlike so many others, I love the rain. Yes, I do like having sunny weather mixed in for the views and to dry out. That said, the rain is special to me. The rain is my place. It's my time. The rain is its own sort of quiet; it's own sort of tranquility.

[fireneck]

Crisp morning, hiking in a pine stand, with pine needle covered trail. aaahhhhhhhhh feels so good on the feet.

[snowblind]

Has to do with terrain. I LOVED hiking while it was snowing in the middle of Pennsylvania. Terrain wasn't too steep or too flat, but gradual and in the hills and valley's. Also, late summer and into early fall in the mountains is great. As long as it doesn't get above 85 degrees EVER, I'm content. Haven't found the lower end of the temp scale that puts me off trail yet, but I imagine it's somewhere around or below 0. Cold rain (miserable conditions) absolutely sucks on every terrain, but I find that is what seperates the dedicated (masochistic), from the rest.Of course, I also want to tackle Mt. Washington in the middle of winter, so ....... :)

[leaftye]

Late winter to early spring. It's still cool, finding running water isn't an issue, hardly any bugs, cat holes are easier to dig, stakes are easier to put into the ground, and there are few people on the trail.

[mtnkngxt]

Early spring and fall.

[bwb49]

The Cold Mtn in the movie is from the book "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier, it is located in North Carolina in the Shining Rock Wilderness
19002

[coolness]

I've hiked in the cold (38°F) and moderate heat, probably in the low 80's....... Haven't hiked in below freezing weather though I know that'll happen when I thru-hike.

Preferred conditions are day temps. in the 50F-70'ish range and nights around the 40F-60F range. This time of year in the Lynchburg area we get many days in the 50's - perfect for day hiking.

Cold Mountain is about an hour from Lynchburg and has a very large bald. The views are incredible and there are loop hikes at nearby Mt. Pleasant. Worth the trip!!