Tips on winter hiking route selection?

[RADHiker]

I'm new to winter hiking and have only two solo weekend trips under my belt. I usually hike spring-fall when there are lots of other hikers on the trail, so I could use some advice. When you winter hike, how do you select your route? Do you stick to the more populated sections or do you narrow your options at all? I'm anxious about being the only one on the trail. Not sure why...I don't give it a second thought in the summer, but for some reason the loneliness of winter trails give me pause (and heartburn). Thanks

[rafe]

In winter I hike in the White Mountains, but just day hikes, thank you very much. I'm happy to have hooked up with a compatible partner -- I won't hike alone in winter. To some extent there is safety in numbers. Ie. if you stick to the more popular trails and pay attention to the weather you'll usually meet others on the trail. Even in winter.

I would think the same would be true of other parts of the AT as well.

If you're unsure, pick more modest targets. Last weekend my partner and I hiked a "lesser" mountain, partly on account of both feeling a little rusty and out of practice.

Up here you really need to dress properly and have a good array of foot traction gear with you. We absolutely needed our crampons and spikes on the last few winter outings. Days are short and forward progress can be slow. Keep your goals modest, at least to begin with.

[nsherry61]

I pretty much hike wherever I like in winter, just like summer, with the exception of avoiding high avalanche risk areas/times or super stormy dangerous periods/places. I avoid entering very much high-risk terrain if I am going solo.

I did lots of solo winter hiking and camping close to trail-heads in the past which provided me with confidence and experience before knowing what my personal risk and safety limits were and could be. My longer multi-day winter hikes/ski trips/snowshoe trips are often with a friend when one is available.

One can also carry Spot or DeLorme In-Reach satellite communicators so that people can know where you are, and you can call for help if catastrophe strikes, giving you a significantly larger safety margin and sense of comfort if things do go wrong.

Start in your back yard, in foul weather, and move further and further out as you get comfortable and/or bored.

Have fun!