Do you hike in the dark?

[Ed'n Lauky]

Have started in the dark a few times. Have finished in the dark a few more times. On a very few occasions I have started and finished in the dark.

I have never hiked entirely in the dark, but a few years ago I saw a report of a group hike that left in the dark to get to the Washington summit at sunrise. That's something I would enjoy doing.

 

[Stan]

Actually, only occasionally but not with the limitations stated in the poll question. I find that by starting a long hike at the crack of noon one often winds up ending at the crack of midnight, or later.

It is fun hiking at night if you are comfortable with your navigation and headlamp, or moonlight.

You "see" a lot more at night. Your senses are far keener and sounds rivet your attention more so than in bright daylight ... probably a built in mechanism to help offset the loss of vision.

What is really a hoot is that every shadow becomes a rabid bear, every rustle of leaves a stalking mountain lion, every blowdown a giant rattler waiting to strike, every root the tentacles of man eating vegetation ... you realize that you are not at the top of the food chain ... in fact ... you are at the bottom ... The tiny hairs on your spine stand up like the arched back of a cat.

Yep, the imagination is a lot keener in the dark, too.

But seriously, night hiking is an adventure that creates more and interesting hiking opportunities. No one should shy away from it despite all the hazards your mind can create.

 

[mirabela]

What about Occasionally but without the stipulation of "short distances or on full-moon nights"?

What that person said.

I'll usually do a few hikes a year to a mountaintop for a sunset or (more often) a sunrise.

Most years I feature at least a hike or two of such a length that I'm going in or coming out in the dark, or both.

I used to be a lot more excited about headlamping it, but I had a pair of highly frightening animal encounters three summers ago that dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. I make sure to be sort of noisy when I'm on my own in the dark now.

 

[Raven]

I usually love night hiking (when it's part of the plan anyway). I don't do it alot but get the bug once or twice a year. Being above treeline is absolutely surreal. I came over Washington in twilight on a perfect summer night a couple of years ago then around Clay and Jefferson in the dark (headlamp when it made sense) and stayed at the Perch. A fantastic trip - it's amazing how different a familiar place can feel simply by removing the light.

 

[Click Clack]

TH to TH in the dark, solo, during winter.

Night hiking is awesome and I plan to continue night hiking year round. The trails are surprisingly less crowded...

 

[Mark Schaefer]

What about Occasionally but without the stipulation of "short distances or on full-moon nights"?

Another ditto on this. Usually just what is necessary to get back from a sunset viewpoint to the trailhead. Or just long enough to rush back after dallying too long with photography.

Hiking and photographing at dusk is the greatest. After it is pitch dark, not so much.

 

[blacknblue]

I enjoy hiking in the dark during wintertime, or, more accurately, when there's plenty of snow on the ground. Finding one's way is much easier when the roots and rocks are all covered up and headlamps and moonlight reflects so much more against a deep snow. Summertime night travel is much trickier.

That being said, summertime is more pleasant for pre-sunrise hikes in that you don't have to sit on a cold summit waiting for the sun to come over the horizon, although you do have to get up a lot earlier. I find myself hiking out in the dark a few times each winter, not necessarily planned for (but prepared for), just because the daylight is so short.

 

[Neil]

On official trails there's a huge difference between night hiking in the Daks vs. the Whites. In the Daks there are reflective discs marking the trail at frequent intervals.

Bushwhacking in the dark has it's advatages and disadvantages. I call it instrument flying because I usually use a gps for that. The main advantage AFAIC is to cover more ground by getting an earlier start (or later finish) but the disadvantage is that you go slower because even with a powerful headlamp you can't pick your route as efficiently.

Bushwhacking downhill in the dark over unfamiliar cliffy terrain is something I try and avoid.

 

[TCD]

A couple folks have mentioned animals, real or imaginary. I never worry too much about that in the Adirondacks, but in other areas I'd be more careful. We certainly are at the bottom of the food chain, being physically pathetic when compared even to a wild animal 20% of our size (bobcat or fisher, for example). Mirabela, what animals were involved in your encounters? Can you describe the encounters, or are they best left in the past?

 

[Darl58]

I love hiking at night and have no problem...as long as I have an idea of where I am going and won't be doing too much bushwacking..esp solo.

I love to drive up friday nights to the White's and hike in and set up camp to have an early start...

 

[roadtripper]

Have done it once or twice but I want to do it more. Kinda tough to find people to join me since most seem to be terrified of creatures attacking them at night .

Plus, I have found it somewhat annoying when everybody you pass says "you know it's going to be dark soon, right?", especially on mountains like Monadnock.

I once showed up at an AMC hut at 9:30pm and found that they tend to get pissed off when you do that. So no more hiking at night to the huts for me.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I often bushwhack at night - solo and I hike all the time at night. I have always loved night hiking.

Keith

 

[DreamFarmer]

It is usefull for long days to start out in the dark but, if doing it solo, I'm a big chicken ! In winter I don't mind as much.

I surprised 2 moose going up the Valley Way one morning in the dark....OMG they were close ! I never knew a 230 pound man could scream like a 5 year old girl !

 

[Little Rickie]

It is usefull for long days to start out in the dark but, if doing it solo, I'm a big chicken ! In winter I don't mind as much.

I surprised 2 moose going up the Valley Way one morning in the dark....OMG they were close ! I never knew a 230 pound man could scream like a 5 year old girl !

We hiked to Bradly Pond lean-to in the dark, in the winter! with too heavy packs[

I hiked in a couple of times past 10:00 PM. Once solo, yup to catch up to Dreamfarmer, arrived after midnight. Had to usea compass too since it was so dark. Hiked out in the dark a few times too.

I'd love to do a full moon hike sometime. No problem starting out or finishing in the dark as long as I'm not on the steep stuff and I know the trail.

 

[LivesToHike]

Infrequently

Most often it's been on trips hiking out in the dark, which is the least enjoyable - as it's already been a long day due to unanticipated delays, and I'm not as fresh as I might have felt at 5pm. One hike down the Agonies of Mt Lafayette's Bridle path and another trip coming off Mt Carrigan come to mind.

I've also gone on short (2-3 mile) hikes starting at around sunset - both here and out west. Those hikes are quite fun. Especially if it's a trail I'm already familiar with -- it's a good test of how well you really know the trail. ;-)
--Mike

 

[Doodles]

Hike at night? Absolutely. There is a list and a patch.

CAD. Catskills After Dark.

Thread and photos
http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10295

 

[wardsgirl]

I usually get a late start, so it is not uncommon to be approaching a peak near sunset with all the people Roadtripper noted telling me or my family that it's going to be dark soon and we don't have enough time.

It seems normal for hikers to be emerging from the trail into the parking lot when I start out.

We once hit the eastern Grafton Notch Loop trailhead at noon and finished at 1:00am. I'd say that's pretty typical hiking hours for me and my family.

Hey, I've even run into some of you night hiking folks in the woods

 

[TCD]

I've also run into "non-night-hiking" folks in the woods. Once on the way out from JBL (Adks) an hour or so after dark on a summer evening, we were surprised along the trail by several individuals who did not have lights and had become benighted. We led them out the last couple miles; we had a train of 5 or 6 folks, like the Pied Piper. Lights are so cheap and lightweight today, I'm always surprised when someone is without one.

 

[sierra]

IM not into nighthikes, but in CO, I would start predawn to beat the thunderstorms and be off the summits by noon which is pretty standard.

 

[Mike P.]

Some alpine starts and a couple of sunset hikes, usually try to get down onto the easier terrain.