Peakbagging by season

[Neil]

Presumably you mean "any season" rather than "all seasons"

That's what I mean. In the ADK's I have aways heard it referred to as the "all season" versus the "4 season" but "any season" is more precise.

 

[jmegillon149]

I've become less and less driven by lists since I got down to two hikes (Owl's Head and a three day backpack) left on my NH48. With that said, I have been repeating lots of peaks, and haven't bothered to care when I did them. I do write down VT peaks when I do them, and will likely do the same when I get a few ME ones in. This is the difference between agressive peak bagging and keeping track. I don't get why you wouldn't keep any record, but I don't think the list needs to dictate decisions either. Of course I don't write down the peaks on those other lists I will never finish. I have done a handful of HH peaks - but due to several of these being bushwhacks (NO interest AT ALL) - I will never complete it.

I should probably write down my winter peaks, especially since it is a specific recognition and everything. Though who knows if I will even bother to send my stuff in/attend the banquet, etc.

Spring vs. fall vs. summer, etc, with exact hikes in mind - to me its kind of splitting hairs. I will often be drawn to broad areas do to seasons (or more importantly conditions - they mean more to me than dates). I hadn't done anything in the Willey Range at a snowy time, so I recently did. I haven't done any hiking in Waterville Valley in foliage season, so this fall I'm sure I will.

Visiting all the different areas of the Whites in different times of year is something I like to do. Worrying about exact date ranges, and being concerned that I have done Kinsman but not Moosilauke, or Madison but not Adams at a particular time - thats not a big deal to me. Hiking with too many rigid rules and goals in mind makes it less appealing.

Hiking is the least formal thing I do. My job, coaching and referee commitments, volunteer work, etc. are all full of schedules, deadlines, tangible goals and stuff like that. Hiking lacks these things (to me), its one of the few low key, spontaneous, just for fun things I have left. Being a slave to eight different lists in seasons, days, time of day (whos going to be the first to summit every peak at 1:37 pm) just makes it a third job. Although I enjoy my other two, they have their stressful moments.

As far as less traffic, this time of year sees hiking become less complicated. Conditions/gear requirements are steadily getting more predictable. Probably why there is less Q&A. It seems to me that more people hike more often as winter goes away - its just that there is less concern out there regarding the hikes.

The lack of public registration also has cut down on traffic to this site. There are people who lose interest, but less new people to come into the fold and be gung ho - as many people who get newly involved in anything often are. The defection over to other sites also has cut down on traffic.

With that said, I do understand why the change was made. While there has been less overall traffic, there is a lot less negative traffic, which is good. Some of the bad eggs were active eggs.

 

[NewHampshire]

the f'ing 48 list is like a monkey on my back sometimes.. Feel like a loser not having done it. there I just spilled my guts....

Noooo Gig. Don't say its so! I don't wanna hear crazy talk like that!!!!!!

I can't answer the question straight forward since its a little complicated. When I started my quest for the 48 list in the summer of 2005 it consumed me ravenously. So much so that I had the any season completed in under a years time. I then looked to start putting check marks next to peaks on other lists too......I saw the cycle continuing. But then I met a friend of mine who has changed my views on this list stuff. He is a professional Landscape photographer who uses the White Mountains as his muse. Because of this he has the luck of being in the Whites probably more than 99% of us on this site. He has told me (not in a boastfull way mind you) that he has been on every 48 peak, winter, summer, all seasons, day, night, in the good and bad. He has never filled out the form to get his patch and scroll. Has never checked a peak on a list. Probably has no idea what a "52 with a view" or "NEHH" list contains. He hikes for sheer joy, amusement, fun, and to capture the hills with his camera. He has rubbed off greatly on me (as has, to a lesser extent, the anit listers like Giggy) because now I see myself caring less and less about putting ink on a meaningless piece of paper with arbitrary peaks named on it. I don't look down on people driven by lists.....I was there, after all. But now I wonder longinly "why did I get so consumed?" I am finding I can have just as much fun without that knowledge of being able to check off something. But, I can say that lists have still provided me with one thing.....a desire to visit places I might not normally know about. If it were not for 52 with a view, then I probably would not know about some of the more obscure, but beautiful peaks out there. So I guess "lists" still do provide some worth to me, just not as a source of encouragement.

See......I told you it was complicated.

Brian

 

[Woody]

I've completed the White Mountain 4K's list and now I am trying to do the rest of the 4K's in New England and I would like to start hiking in the Adirondacks as well. I am also working on the White Mountain 4K's in the winter but hiking drops off a bit in the winter due to ice climbing.

 

[forestgnome]

He is a professional Landscape photographer who uses the White Mountains as his muse. Because of this he has the luck of being in the Whites probably more than 99% of us on this site. He has told me (not in a boastfull way mind you) that he has been on every 48 peak, winter, summer, all seasons, day, night, in the good and bad. He has never filled out the form to get his patch and scroll. Has never checked a peak on a list. Probably has no idea what a "52 with a view" or "NEHH" list contains. He hikes for sheer joy, amusement, fun, and to capture the hills with his camera.
Brian

YES!!!! What a concept!

As far as the OP's question, just look at trailheads. As the weather improves , the hiking traffic increases dramatically. The talking traffic on websites has nothing to do with hiking traffic, although I do know one hiker who quits hiking after March 21st because it "doesn't count". Whatever... February and March doesn't have a fraction of the hiker traffic that happens in May.

I only post trail conditions in winter because during the rest of the year there really isn't much to say, other than gushing about what a wonderful experience I had. The trail conditions are nearly static, once they've been cleared in spring.

Happy Trails

 

[rocksnrolls]

I've only been hiking for a few years now so use the lists mostly as a guide to help me keep seeing new places. I've finished the any season 48 and am well along the way to completing the 52WAY, Y-Alpine, LPNP, T3000, etc I do keep track of the months and seasons that I've been to the peaks, mostly to encourage me to see them in different conditions if I repeat a peak. If I keep it up long enough to near the 4-season 48, or the 'grid' for that matter, I'll be a very happy hiker! But even saying all that, wanting to see all the cool places to be seen in the mountains, I consider myself more of a redliner than a peak bagger as I want to hike all the trails. I'm way more likely to hike a peak a second time if there's a second route to take up it.

 

[cbcbd]

Only list I have is a grocery list - and that's even rare!
With other hobbies to split my time I have too many things I want to do to concentrate on any given list.

 

[Snowflea]

Hey, I'm not a bit ashamed to admit: I LOVE LISTS!

i.e. peakbagging lists, long-distance trail lists, shopping lists, to-do lists, things-to-do-before-I-die lists... You name it.

But... I mainly hike/run for sheer enjoyment, amusement, and fun.



Does it need to be one or the other?



********
www.runsuerun.blogspot.com

 

[Double Bow]

My name is Double Bow and I'm a listoholic.

I have completed doing the 48 in Summer. I'm 10 away from doing them all in Winter, 18 away for Spring, and 12 for Fall.

My wife and I have 4 left for the 67 and I have 14 left for the NEHH.

I'm also working on NHHH, New England 3Ks, 52WAV, Trailwrights, Y-Alpine, T3000, and "The Grid". Maybe someday I'll get over to NY and work on those lists too, though I'll probably never do the 770. I gotta draw a line somewhere!

For me, lists further my sense of accomplishment and bring to places that I wouldn't otherwise know to go to. In the case of the 48 x 4 and 48 x 12, it brings me back to places I love in various conditions.

I work on redlining different trails and I do non-list peaks as well, but I gotta say, I like lists. I would have never done the Rosebrook Range without them!

 

[Mike P.]

Trying to finish all four seasons, around 41 done in three different seasons, all done in two. Right now I have 41 done in Spring, the most of any one season.

Also looking at every quarter & solo too. Having the multiple list made going easy as a like would be on some list. Now running out so I may have to add the each month slant - BUT I think I'll only do that for peaks with a view, 12 trips to Owl's Head seems cruel

 

[Mike P.]

Trying to finish all four seasons, around 41 done in three different seasons, all done in two. Right now I have 41 done in Spring, the most of any one season.

Also looking at every quarter & solo too. Having the multiple list made going easy as a like would be on some list. Now running out so I may have to add the each month slant - BUT I think I'll only do that for peaks with a view, 12 trips to Owl's Head seems cruel, even if self-inflicted