Hiking at Night

[Jay B.]

Did the section between Watauga Dam and Damascus 2 weeks ago and was suprised by something that happened. I got into the Iron Mountain shelter around 5:30 one evening and as you know this time of year its pretty well dark by 6:00 PM. I started a fire and my hiking buddy went off to bed around 7:00. I decided to tend the fire, look at the stars and read til about 9:30. I was lying on the picnic table outside the shelter and started to hear some leaves rustle. The sound got louder and louder. I finally sat up and to my surprise here came a headlamp out of the dark. The guy said he had been hiking for 3:30 in the dark. My question: I have left in the dark about 20 minutes before sunrise to start the day hiking but 3:30 at night on a trail that he has never hiked and 8" deep in leaves this time of year? What do you guys think? I was a little surprised by this when he was alone and had never been on this section before. Come to find out he was from London and flew over here to do a 2 week section. Thoughts?

[Serial 07]

sounds like fun...would be interesting to do it in all those leaves...i bet he was having a blast...those crazy brits...

[ChinMusic]

I like night-hiking on a trail I know (have it on GPS so I can re-find the trail easily) or at least one in which there is no major penalty for getting "lost".

Hiking under a full moon, on a clear night, WITHOUT turning on the headlamp is the bomb. This time of year is good because the leaves are gone and the moonlight illuminates the trail nicely. The leaf cover makes following some trails difficult.

[Phreak]

I like night-hiking on a trail I know (have it on GPS so I can re-find the trail easily) or at least one in which there is no major penalty for getting "lost".

Hiking under a full moon, on a clear night, WITHOUT turning on the headlamp is the bomb. This time of year is good because the leaves are gone and the moonlight illuminates the trail nicely. The leaf cover makes following some trails difficult.

Agreed. I've done many trips where we only hiked during the night hours. It's a different experience than hiking during the day time. You should give it a try sometime.

[Manwich]

I did a presidential traverse over Mount Washington and the rest of the presidential range, did a lot of it at night. Depends on where you are as it could be dangerous, I don't know of many people who hiked Tuckerman's Ravine at night.

[Mags]

I night hike very often. Esp by the light of the full moon, it is a spectacular experience. The hikes have ranged from a local foothill to Longs Peak (a 14300 foot peak).

I also ski (backcountry) by the light of the full moon, and it is simply awesome. With the snow glowing, the cold air and a thermos of rum and cider by an alpine lake, I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be...

You gotta do it...

[CrumbSnatcher]

night hiking is alot of fun, me and my dog have hiked hundreds of miles in the dark. i always felt safer with the dog along. mostly did it to keep the dog from overheating in the summers!(WE'D TAKE ALOT OF HOT AFTERNOONS OFF IN THE SHADE) usually hiking by 5:00 am. and when you do hike into the dusk don't put your headlamp on til you really need to, your eyes will adjust to the darkness quite well. i agree with the others give it a try its a blast!

[Lone Wolf]

My question: I have left in the dark about 20 minutes before sunrise to start the day hiking but 3:30 at night on a trail that he has never hiked and 8" deep in leaves this time of year? What do you guys think? I was a little surprised by this when he was alone and had never been on this section before. Come to find out he was from London and flew over here to do a 2 week section. Thoughts?

Thoughts? i think he wanted to hike in the dark

[ARambler]

Iron Mt was my longest night hike last year. If you like hiking, you have to night hike when the days are so short. I also prefer to hike in the morning, because my legs are fresher so I don't stumble as much. Also, I feel like I "didn't make it" when I night hike for more than a mile. Iron Mt is a good day for sobo's and if you do town chores in the morning, it easily turns into a night hike. Also, last year I did a big detour to get water.

Iron Mt and Little Laural shelter were the only nights in the woods between Damascus and Hot Springs. The Hostels really cushy down south. A little night hiking is no big deal.
Rambler

[Cabin Fever]

It's tough to beat a full moon hike after the leaves have fallen. Grassy Ridge on a full moon is spectacular. You almost can touch the moon.

[Nicksaari]

i summit camped cold mtn, specifically choosing the date of a full moon, and prayers were answered with clear night skies. needless to say, with the view and the illumination of the valleys east and west, it was a surreal night. sat up all night with friends, a roaring campfire, and libation.

[Egads]

It's enjoyable as long as the trail is easy to follow in the dark.

[sticks&stones]

Night hiking can become addictive. I cant say exactly why but I prefer it. During winter it is almost impossible to avoid. A good headlamp, Art Bell on AM, and a little snow beats a sunny 75 degree day anytime. However I always steer clear of shelters when it's late. Even shelters directly on trail it's possible to night hike by without waking it up.

[DuctTape]

Just this past September I hiked from the rim of the Grand Canyon to Colorado River under the full moon. That was by choice, but often this late in the season when the days are short it can be out of necessity.

[jersey joe]

I am not a big fan of hiking in the dark. Slow going and I find myself tripping a lot, frustrating mostly. Setting up camp and eating dinner in the dark isn't my favorite either. The fact that I have a really crappy headlamp doesn't help.

[Hikerhead]

Have you ever came across other night hikers while you are night hiking. It's happened to me twice and both times I never saw the other hikers. It's like they ran and hid. Maybe they were poachers.

[Deerleg]

I hike almost every evening all winter in my local metro park and have enjoyed many hours on the AT at night too mostly without using a head lamp. It helps you work on a whole different set of skills. I think you become much more aware of the feel of the ground and become a little more intuitive in knowing where the path is in relation to the rest of the environment you are walking through...

[mtnkngxt]

Mount Rogers 2 saturdays ago my buddy and i were camped off the trail and heard a group walking by at about 2am. My guess is they were too cold to stop and just kept walking.

[girlnextdoor]

I hiked alone a lot on the Trail and nighthiking was one of my favorite things to do. I got to be by myself and hike my own speed and once, share the trail with a possum! It was wonderful to see things with the unique perspective that comes when night falls. I seemed to use my senses fully.

[Jim Adams]

Did about 250 miles of the trail at night in 1990 including the Lincoln-Lafayette-Garfield stretch to the highway before Webster Cliffs. I thought that it was spectacular until I did it in the daylight in 2002....can't believe how different the two experiences were but I still liked both.

geek