Do you hike in cold/winter weather?

[Tomboy]

I don't mind if there's a bit of a chill in the air, but once it starts to snow and get icy, I usually call it a season and hibernate from the sport until spring starts to roll around. I was just wondering if any of you still keep at it during the winter months?

 

[failghe]

Well if it gets below 60 degrees it is too cold for me. LOL. It is the heat for me. When it gets 95 degrees and feels like over 100, thats when I call it quits for the day.
However I can usually get out early and stop early. Or walks around the neighborhood at night.

 

[matte]

Can't stand the cold, unfortunately. It's too bad, really, since everything looks really good during the winter and I wouldn't mind wandering around in the wilderness during wintertime. Guess I'm just not made for cold weather.

 

[Taggart]

I have done just a little snowshoeing, which I liked at the time but that was a long time ago.

Also, I tried cross-country skiing in high school but haven't done it since.

 

[Wild Bill]

Cold weather hiking is the best. You get out there and get to see nature at its purest. Plus there are less bugs flying around when its cold.

 

[Southern]

I am in Florida, so our winter doesn't really get that cold. Sometimes, the winter is better for hiking than the summer - less muggy and less buggy.

 

[katharina]

I don't mind if there's a bit of a chill in the air, but once it starts to snow and get icy, I usually call it a season and hibernate from the sport until spring starts to roll around. I was just wondering if any of you still keep at it during the winter months?

When it comes to things like hiking, I'd much rather do it when it's cooler. I don't do very well with hot weather when it comes to outdoor activities. I agree about the ice, though... I don't do much outside when it's snowy or icy either.

 

[Paige]

I don't like either extreme. I get in a lot of hiking and walking during the spring and fall and the rest of the time I usually just hit the gym-one that is well air conditioned and heated :tinysmile_twink_t2:. I love to swim though and wind up swimming inside during the winter and swimming outside for the other three seasons. Good exercise and it doesn't matter if you sweat.

 

[katharina]

I don't like either extreme. I get in a lot of hiking and walking during the spring and fall and the rest of the time I usually just hit the gym-one that is well air conditioned and heated

Fall is the very best time for anything I want to do outside. I'd rather
shiver in a tent or camper than be too hot and have no way to cool off.

 

[jason]

It does not get too cold here usually. But I may just do a local bike ride instead of doing any hiking. This year may be different though.

 

[gino1976]

When i was in college i was living in the northern peninsula of Michigan, so an average winter was ten feet of snow and sub zero days. But if you have the right gear a winter hike is one of the most enjoyable things you can do. The best part of winter hiking in my opinion is when you frist wake up and see fresh snow cover the trees. There is just something about snow covered pines.

 

[Katydid]

I don't mind the cold at all, as long as it's relatively dry and the wind is calm. I hate dealing with wind chill. I do keep my hikes short though, when it's cold, and I make sure that the weather is going to stay calm for the period of time that I'm going to be out.

 

[outdoorgirl]

I do not like the cold weather. I have tried cross country skiing before, but it just wasn't for me. I do agree seeing everything with the brand new snow is wonderful, I will walk around in it for awhile--but I will not talk a long hike in the bitter cold.

 

[2coastcamper]

Cold weather hiking is the best. You get out there and get to see nature at its purest. Plus there are less bugs flying around when its cold.

Yeah, the "less bugs" thing is what sells me on getting into the outdoors in cold weather!

 

[katharina]

It does not get too cold here usually. But I may just do a local bike ride instead of doing any hiking. This year may be different though.

Well now I think the operative word there is "usually" Jason! Remember last mid-November? We were in St. Augustine and it was positively freaky with breaking the low temp records. What a disappointment!

Cold... well up here "cold" is blizzards that threaten to block the house windows :tinysmile_fatgrin_t But I don't want temps in the 30s when I'm in Florida! :tinysmile_cry_t3:

 

[oldsarge]

I have been out in the woods after a fresh new snowfall. The air is crisp and not too cold. The beauty of it all is the best! Even hiking at night after a snowfall when there's a bright moon out, I just love it. When it gets below 30º I really don't care to much for getting out. I'm not much of a cold weather lover.

 

[tacomazach]

I love hiking in the winter. But it really doesn't get very cold here in south mississippi. The coldest highs will be in the 50s, which I consider to be a great hiking temperature.

 

[Thelosthiker]

I LOVE hiking, so the weather doesn't bother me. unless it's like a blizzard outside.

 

[Hammster]

My wife and I go hiking in pretty much any weather temperatures, but we do prefer cooler to hotter. We have gone hiking when it's below freezing with ice and snow on the trails. We always layer up pretty good, but then we remove layers as we warm up. Our camelbak tube has the insulating sleeve on it so the water in the tube doesn't freeze and we have Yak Trax for our boots.
If the day is snowing or raining, we usually won't go out, but once that stops, we will go.

 

[Flatlander]

I'm a big fan of hiking in the snow. It has its challenges, like not being able to see what's under the snow, for instance. But it's rare to see anyone else out in it and the dogs seem to love it as much as I do. For a time, a friend of mine and I would literally load up our dogs and gear to travel virtually anywhere east of the Mississippi chasing big snows to hike in (having a Subaru helps a great deal!!!). We ended up in West Virginia during a 10" snowfall. The flakes were the size of cocktail napkins as we made our way thru the woods on logging/fire roads.

If you can get to and from the trailhead safely, by all means get out and try it! The cold doesn't last long once you get moving, but I highly recommend some essential gear: warm boots (they should have a quality sole, be waterproof, as well as toasty warm), mittens (forget the gloves, you don't need fingers to hike), a waterproof shell, a down layer, ski pants or layers, and your favorite winter hat (don't forget a light source- just in case). If you're traveling unfamiliar territory, it's probably best to stay on fire/logging roads, as trails can quickly become unrecognizeable in heavy snow. Also keep in mind that hiking in snow, for several reasons, requires a lot more energy. So don't get carried away with your mileage expectations.

I just thoroughly enjoy hiking in a snow covered woods with its depth-of-field viewing and the quiet thump of flakes hitting the ground. Get out and have a look around. Don't forget to sit and watch. Sometimes it's ok to watch the world go by!