Too cold to hike?

[Sasquatch]

When it's this cold I sweat less.When it's 20 above I'm percolating.

 

[MindlessMariachi]

i will absolutely be outside tomorrow. i find super-cold temps exhilerating and sublime. that said, i'll be below treeline.

 

[Little Rickie]

Gear Check ! Weather like this provides a great opp to test your gear and skills under "controlled" conditions. Do a reasonable/short/local hike/snowshoe/ski with a full pack. Back home outside or at the trailhead see how long it takes to unpack, get a meal started and pitch a tent. Maybe wait until dark or until the wind picks up. Little things like pitching your tent on frozen ground or finding matches and starting your stove can be a challenge.

If the thought of this kind of practice turns you off you just don't know what fun is !

It's all about having fun.

 

[skiguy]

This type of cold shrinks the margin of error.

......among other thingsDon't forget your wind briefs

 

[J.Dub]

Maybe too cold to hike, but perfect WX for ice climbing!

I'm just sayin'...


Real cold weather doesn't bother me, as long as the gear matches conditions. Last February, on an AMC winter mountaineering trip to Mt. Washington, overnight temps at Hermit Lake were in the low single digits. That didn't confront me...I was toasty in my EMS -20F down bag!

Like Chip sez, t'would be a great time to suss out gear, play with different layering options, etc. Perhaps not ideal temps for a Great Range traverse, but I'm sure one could find SOMEthing useful and fun to do outside.

Why not dig out ye olde XGK and see how easily she fires up after sitting outside for a couple hours?

 

[Double Bow]

If I have a plan, the temp or winds almost never change them. My motto is "I have a layer for that!"

I'm heading up to the western mountains of Maine for some 4K action this weekend. Cold weather be damned...

 

[Pete_Hickey]

......among other thingsDon't forget your wind briefs

Or wear a third sock.

Here today was -28F, warming up to about -15F. I needed that second sock while riding my bicycle. Would I hike today? With no wind, no problem, but this cold, a good stiff wind can make it.... well.... not fun..

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Or wear a third sock.

Here today was -28F, warming up to about -15F. I needed that second sock while riding my bicycle. Would I hike today? With no wind, no problem, but this cold, a good stiff wind can make it.... well.... not fun..

Shopping at Gap Kids again Pete?

 

[BobC]

Moderator!

 

[WhiteMTHike]

I was considering hiking this Saturday, but with the frigid temps I decided to bail.

Just wondering how the cold temps affect everyone's decisions about hiking. Am I the only wimp in this Forum?

Thanks,
Marty

Depends on where the trail is. I have good winter clothing and am not too bothered by the cold so I might go out this Saturday on a trail here in RI. But to go up north to NH this Saturday might be a bit too cold for my liking. Escpecially Mt. Magalloway in Pittsburg...wind chill = -21 right now that's juuuuuust a bit too cold for me.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Anything above -20F is doable for me. After that, I'm not having fun anymore!

 

[mookie]

nope,
still planning on getting out there tomorrow, just so long as my hiking partners dont back out!!!
not planning anything crazy or long though......
just gotta bring plenty o' layers.

 

[dentonfabrics]

I was out there yesterday - snowshoeing on Bear Notch Rd - and it was beautiful out. Temps at the time were -7F. The key is that there was NO wind, which of course makes all the difference. I'm not sure you could get me out there at -20F, wind or no wind.

 

[The Hikers]

Wind DOES make all the difference. We have turned back at 20 degrees with a stong wind.
At this point I try to make a distinction between Hiking and suffering, and avoid the latter.

 

[marty]

there is certainlly no shame or "whimpness" associated with not hiking in these temps...

Thanks Giggy. I guess wimpiness is relative. "Normal" people are the ones who whine non-stop about how cold it is after walking a block in Boston. They think I am absolutely insane for even considering hiking in winter temps. They also think I am insane for doing a one hour run tomorrow down here in Massachusetts. Still, I feel like a wimp for bailing on tomorrow's hike. Hopefully, I will get up to the moutains on Monday.

Hahah! I've bailed from hikes before because of cold temps. Just couldn't get my brain motivated to deal with having to freeze when I first get out of the car.. to freeze when I stop to grab a drink of water or a snack.. etc.

You've captured my feelings on this exactly, Leaf. The biggest hurdle is getting motivated to hike, with the knowledge that I am going to get cold when starting and stopping.


Thanks for everyone's comments.

Marty

 

[Jake]

Adjust

I'll adjust my plans, probably do a lower elevation snowshoe or back country ski route.

 

[MindlessMariachi]

in one of my favorite winter trips ever, about 5 years ago, i hiked up to Old Speck on a bitterly cold day with the intention of staying in a snowshelter. Up top it was about -15 all day on my keychain thermometer. My feet got a little cold at times, but otherwise I was OK (basically dressed for snowmobiling). Dug a nice snowshelter, but chickened out on using it. ("How cold WILL it get tonight?") was the question. Ended up hiking out. Realistically though, all would have been fine in the shelter.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Shopping at Gap Kids again Pete?

So... you realize all about cold and the shrinkage factor.

 

[sardog1]

Ask me after it starts getting cold.

(One of my big regrets is missing a chance to sleep outdoors at -60F in MN about a decade ago. By "outdoors" I mean with adequate snow cover -- a tent won't cut it at those temps without a heating stove.)

 

[una_dogger]

I 'd be doing some nice sheltered hikes this weekend, N Twin, Cabot, Wambuek -- if I hadn't slipped on my driveway and thrown my back out!!!

Winds under 35 and temps above -10; those are my basic limits, I guess.
Windblock fleece, goggles, balaclava, insulated boots, hand and foot warmers -- and a hot thermos of cocoa.