Do you hike in the dark?

[islandside]

Night Hiking

Stuck at work all day makes "evening" hiking the only time I can get in a hike during the weekdays.
I have hiked Mt Major in Alton every Tuesday and Thursday for more then two years. The best times are almost full moons during a snowfall. The woods are just so bright, it's another "another world" all over again!
Photography is the bigest challange!
Anyone wanting to join me on Mt Major Tueasdays and Thursdays any time after 4, send me a note.

 

[McRat]

I can't vote, as it would be close to cheating. A lot of my local hikes after work have been 'night hikes' but with the light pollution from the Boston/Metro area - it is never truely dark.

Have done a few night hikes in the 'Whites. I find it kind of like bushwhacking. Once you accept that things simply will take longer and your views ahead are going to be shorter, you start to appreciate it for the opportunities it provides; different scenery, lower traffic, and the chance for some interesting surprises.

One caveat - bugs love a headlamp at night.

 

[Taconic]

I do on every hike. Any serious hike I do starts 2-3 hours before sunrise. Anything less serious generally starts in the afternoon and finishes 2-3 hours after sunset.

 

[mirabela]

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?

Most notably a large bear in deep twilight at Lake Colden, not very far from the ranger station there. I made a great deal of noise but it stood its ground, made threatening sounds, and came closer. I backed away and kept up the racket. It came closer still. I wound up flanking around it, by the lake shore -- over a period of a few minutes, which felt much longer, we sort of orbited around each other until we had switched places, and I continued on my hike.

 

[Head]

Usually on backpackin' trips I will. We leave on Friday night after work and by the time we reach the trailhead, Im itchin' to get in the woods.

 

[Maddy]

YES!!! I absolutely love hiking in the dark but on full moon nights. I would not do it without my dog, and I do experience a "fear" period which could easily take all the fun out of it, but I deal with it and get back to the present moment which enables me to carry on and enjoy it.

I coerced a couple friends into doing a short full moon hike at various times, but unfortunately they were not as enthralled as I was. I would love to have a Malamute of Husky that would sit and howl at the moon like our sled dogs did on my OB course in MN. Nothing like being out with howling dogs, a star filled sky, and an incredible Aurora B.

I just love being in the mountains at night. Some of my fondest memories are watching the full moon rising at Madison Hut over two separate peaks, and hanging out at Lakes Hut outside all evening.

"The rugged ridge tops call to me
From the land of clean air where man is free.
The moon that shines above me I know.
Is also shining on steep MONROE."
-Ted Fuller

Memorized from a wall hanging at LOC Hut on my very first excursion to the "Rockpile" many years ago.

 

[TCD]

That bear encounter sounds pretty scary. I haven't experienced anything like that, but my night hiking has not been near really popular "bear problem" camping areas like Lake Colden. I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[mirabela]

Yeah, it was. Oddly enough, I saw another one the same night, in the narrow part of Avalanche Pass. That one didn't want anything to do with me, but there also was not a lot of room for maneuvering in there. It was a creepy night.

I guess I should add that I've hiked in the dark plenty, since the late 80's, and this was really the only case like this I've ever had. Still, I've been a whole lot more cautious about it since. I hiked down the Osseo trail on Flume after dark one night last summer, and I was careful to make a ruckus as I did. I was more concerned about moose than bear there. A moose in the dark is nothing I'd want to surprise at close range.