I miss summer

[prino]

I guess winter must be kind of sucky with no snow. Roller skiing on pavement sucks when you fall, because cold skin seems to rip easier when it hits the ground.

OUCH!

I say that as our 2 feet of snow around here is getting covered with a nice sheet of frozen rain, looking beautiful, but It's going to make for an ugly bike ride this morning.

But surely you have your Winter Tires on?

Take Care!

 

[truepatriot09]

Miss Summer? Here's what I miss about Summer: drinking coldies next to the pool. I don't miss sweating in hot and humid weather. I don't miss sweating when I'm not actually exercising. I don't miss bugs biting me and my dogs whenever they get the chance, I don't miss mowing the lawn and I certainly don't miss the crowded trails and roadways.

Enjoy Winter? I love that I can regulate my temperature, and that hiking becomes more of a sport and a challenge. I love that when descending trails my joints are wracked by stones, roots and hard packed dirt. I love glissading, snowshoeing and wearing crampons. I love standing above tree line in a biting wind protected by the gear that I carried with me. Now if winter would only arrive (50's and rain? C'mon!) I'd be thrilled.

Ok, all griping aside, each season is awesome in it's own way. I've said before that I typically trade in my hiking gear for my bikes (road/mtn) and sea kayak in April. But that's what makes living in NH so great, that we have all these different options of acitivities year round. But, when the oppressive humidity is bearing down on me and I'm simply trying to watch the Sox, I find myself wishing for below zero temps, a warm fleece and cup of hot coffee. I rarely find myself yearning for the heat of summer when I'm decked out in winter apparel...but I wouldn' appreciate one without the other...

 

[The Sikes]

I definately prefer the summer to the winter. It is beautiful to hike in the winter but I can't stand the amount of extra stuff I have to carry. I usually have to carry some of Beth's stuff too and I can't handle alot of weight. I don't know how Seema does it...you're a machine! On top of that everything I like to eat freezes. Plus, I'm always cold so I worry that I didn't bring enough stuff for me or worse, my kids....
I force myself to hike in the winter because it can be wonderful.....sliding back down the side of a mountain is fun. The kids love it. (I do wish there were a little more snow out there this year, though. I think that is when it's difficult to get out there. I don't care for slush.) and when you see the beautiful snow covered trees, it is breath taking. Once I'm out there, I'm happy.

 

[Tom Rankin]

I just took a look outside at all the rain falling in Montreal, then I read the forecast for the Dacks. You know what I miss?
Winter.

It's 63 degrees here right now! It's an all time record for the date!

 

[sapblatt]

Warm

Wow - you have got Boston's 50 degrees beat...

I like the seasons and the different weather...I will take 5 degrees over 80 degrees any day I am hiking...what I really miss is having the time to get out more often lately...that is depressing.

 

[Rick]

Wow 63 degrees this morning. Warmer outside than inisde, but power is out at home.

Timmus,
There are good and bad winter days - This might have been a bad day!!
I also find I turn the heat down in my vehicle as I get closer to the trailhead to more readily acclimate. Nothing worse than stepping out of a 70degree car into a 3 degree 15MPH breeze.

Anyway, I enjoy every season (like most here) but I find that about halfway through a season, I am ready for the next -

Spring -I love the sounds of peeprs and birdcalls in the woods as well as the smells of softening earth and flowers. But after a month of so, I am ready for more leaves and shade, dryer weather, fewer bugs and mud.

Summer is great - Long days warm temps and less gear to carry, but when it become sweltering in Juy/August and streams dry up, I am ready for cooler weather.

Fall is awesome because of the colors, the crisp smell in the air, fireplaces and the the slight sadness that another summer has passed. I then start to long for colder days and some snowfall and winter excitement.

winter up until about February is fun, however in February, I start to tire of snow and ice and carrying extra gear and then long for the ice-outs of spring and those peepers!!!

Sorry this was so long!!

 

[blacknblue]

Great post, Rick!
I tend to miss something about every season when I'm not currently experiencing it! And yet, each season has its own charms.
Winter
The crisp, clear days. The solitude and serenity of a still forest. The lack of crowds (and bugs--they eat me up).
Spring
Soft snow and warm sun. The novelty of watching new life burst forth every day. Baseball.
Summer
Long days and carefree evenings. Swimming holes and peaceful sunsets.
Autumn
Crisp, colorful days. Winter without the hassle, summer without the humidity. Baseball playoffs.

 

[timmus]

I also find I turn the heat down in my vehicle as I get closer to the trailhead to more readily acclimate. Nothing worse than stepping out of a 70degree car into a 3 degree 15MPH breeze.

I think this is the best thing I learned from this thread. That morning we drove 2h in a hot car, and it took us 20 min to get prepared at TH, on a wide open road, wind and drastic cold traumatised my body for the rest of the day ! I took a very fast pace to warm my body, but then the sweat (hands and feet) became my enemy.

It seems that people with me that day haven't suffer from it as much as I did, I guess we all deal with the cold in different ways (this thread proves it).

I do love winter, specially the contrasted black and white mountains landscapes, the tranquillity on trails and the snow falling from trees when I am on a narrow trail... Yeah, winter rocks !

 

[Rik]

It seems that people with me that day haven't suffer from it as much as I did, I guess we all deal with the cold in different ways (this thread proves it).

If you get a chance watch "Deadly Ascent" on PBS. (there is another thread going on it) It really appears from the show that we all respond very differently to conditions.

 

[mudhook51]

Summer; Its never to hot too work, its never too wet, it never too dark and so on. Work work work.
Winter; Its often to cold and frozen for man and machine, but never to cold to hike, ski, camp, fish. Play play play!
This winter almost (blanks) in this respect.
Let it snow, let it blow, let it freeze.

 

[Artex]

It almost seems like summer with all of this crappy rain we keep getting!!! Snow, dammit, SNOW LIKE THE WIND!!!!

 

[amstony]

It almost seems like summer with all of this crappy rain we keep getting!!! Snow, dammit, SNOW LIKE THE WIND!!!!

Be patient, we still gotta get through February and March.........!

 

[giggy]

It almost seems like summer with all of this crappy rain we keep getting!!! Snow, dammit, SNOW LIKE THE WIND!!!!

yea - this sucks - looks like another weekend thats going to be garbage weather - another mix bag of precip for the mts sat - another weekend of ruined plans

 

[mudhook51]

yea - this sucks - looks like another weekend thats going to be garbage weather - another mix bag of precip for the mts sat - another weekend of ruined plans

Never ruined, just wetter.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I also find I turn the heat down in my vehicle as I get closer to the trailhead to more readily acclimate. Nothing worse than stepping out of a 70degree car into a 3 degree 15MPH breeze.

Funny, but I'm sort of the opposite. Not getting to the trailhead, but most mornings in my commute.

I am one that likes to wear minimal clothing, and let my body heat keep me warm. That means that, until I start moving for a while, it's cold. Every morning, before my bicycle commute, I wear my outside clothing in the house for about 5-10 minutes before leaving. I start getting rather warm. I head out and start moving, and I find that as I cool down, I start to warm up.

I've never paid much attention to how things are at the trailhead, because it is so infrequent, relative to my 5 day a week commute, where everything is fine-tuned.

 

[Rick]

....I've never paid much attention to how things are at the trailhead, because it is so infrequent, relative to my 5 day a week commute, where everything is fine-tuned.

Aaaah...
But then again, you are the lucky one that can ride to work each day and use snowbanks when you need to impede your forward travel (ooh La La!!!)

 

[forestgnome]

Ahhhhhh!!!!

Yesterday I hiked the Moats in shorts and a t-shirt, seeing only a few small patches of snow/ice at the bottom. Up on the ridge, near the trail is a flat area and a stand of white pines. I laid down on a dry bed of needles for a catnap. I had sun on my skin and I could hear the distant roar of a brook and the sounds of ravens fooling around up near the summit. Ahhhh!!!