Advantages to Winter.

[Reekee]

Please add to these lists. Some listed are debatable.

Advantages: No bugs, No bear bags. food in tent, smooth trails, water everywhere, no mud, travel over lakes, less crowded, more leantos available, views from treed summits, no rain, Added from your posts (faster descents, snow angels, level spot for tents, silence...)

Disadvantages: Heavier gear, spruce traps, following lost guy's tracks, shorter day light hours, breaking trail, post holes, lost visability. Added from your posts(more winter crazies, brrr, backcountry injury, nature calling)

 

[snowshoe]

I cant think of any disadvantage to winter. I love every seconed of it. Nothing beats getting up in the morning and seeing a fresh blanket of snow. I will get my wood stove going then hit the trail for a few hours and then come back home and enjoy the nice fire and good warm meal. Now you got me thinking about snow, can not wait. It will be here before we know it.

As for the heavier packs it is not that bad as long as you keep it to day hikes. Thats why I very rarley will do overnighters. Day hiking is much more relaxing and you have a warm home to go to in the evening.

 

[Reekee]

Ah yes, hot feet in a cool stream!

 

[Mark]

Advantage: temperature. I hate hiking in hot weather. For me, that means above 50F. I have done only one real summer hike in the past 15 years. Add humidity and it gets worse. I love the cold dry air in winter. I can much more easily regulate my temperature.

Of course, when the temps drop too low, temperature switches to a disadvantage. My "comfort zone" goes down to around -10F. In reality, I can hike in colder conditions than that, but the added risk of getting stuck overnight in conditions that cold usually result in scrubbed hikes.

 

[Mark_151]

Advantages: No longer going over the bars on my mountain bike and planting face.

Disadvantages: Doing an endo on my skis and planting face.

 

[Reekee]

That reminds me... NO RAAAAIIIIN!

 

[Paul_Bear]

That reminds me... NO RAAAAIIIIN!

I sure wish I lived/hiked somewhere where that was true!

 

[Jay H]

Advantages: No Nettles (or at least buried in snow).

Crashes on mountain bike result in landing in snow (unless you're on ice.. ouch!)

Every place that you've hiked a 1000 times in the summer is now new and a different experience.

Less crowds.

Jay

 

[KayakDan]

Winter??? That's when camping season begins!!!

Although I would like to actually SEE the water in Ethan Pond someday!!!!!!!!!

 

[Reekee]

Advantage: ice climbing

Disadvantage: less rock climbing............. out side

 

[Mark]

I thought of some more advantages:

1) Some trails are actually more navigable with a layer of crusty snow. Think kick steps and crampons.

2) Sledding and butt sliding on the descent! (Warning: butt sliding is much less fun in the summer!) I got a free ride down South Hancock on a snow packed trail.

 

[shadowcat]

Winter Hiking

Advantages:
Snow Angels ! There's nothing more fun then making snow angels on the summit while looking up a the clear blue sky!
Flat Trails
bushwacking - i don't care for summer bushwacks much but in the winter they are easier and way more fun
crampons - i don't know why but i like chances to use them, makes me feel like a real mountaineer!
waterfall ice - (and wishing i could climb it; well i could if i had someone to learn it with me, go with me, had more energy, had the money to buy more gear, had more time to do the things i love.......)

Disadvantages:
Gets dark too early
REally frigid temps that can hamper going out at all

 

[Reekee]

I've had many great views from "treed" summits. Panoramic views from Gray, Marshall, and others.

 

[Jim lombard]

Winter is here on Mt Washington, windchill -1 currently.

The only disadvantage of winter is the shorter days

Good point about the view from treed summits.

 

[Frodo]

Advantages:

No cog railway, autoroads, bugs, mud, thunderstorms, hot weather, high stream crossings, is more challenging, and has better views. Also glissading is a blast!

Disadvantages:

Avalanches, spruce traps, and driving!

 

[hilldog]

advantages of winter: all of the above mentioned and at least one more: in winter there is no need to trim your nose hairs.....just take a deep breath of the crisp, icy cold clean winter air and the hairs usually just freeze right up and break off....ya can't do that in the summer!

 

[Nonlegit]

Mark, your pretty much right on there. Everything you have mentioned so far is real important to me.

No bugs, no crowds, always a level place to set up tent, plenty of water, nice sleeping surface, and your always comfortable (you can dress for cold, but you cant dress for a heat wave)

 

[sardog1]

In what other season can you:

1. Load up on good eats and get away with claiming that it's essential for your survival, to keep the furnace going hot at all times?

2. Watch dogs, small kids, and us "crazies" progressively go out of control as the rest of the world turns grumpy and house-bound?

3. Hear your heart beat? Yes, Virginia, it's possible.

4. Fool yourself into thinking that you can hear the aurora borealis? (I can hear those keyboards clacking right now .......)

5. Count an honest-to-God "three dog night" in the tent among your favorite memories?

 

[SherpaKroto]

Advantages: Butt-Sliding
Disadvantages: Butt-Sliding

You know what I mean

Another Advantage: views!

 

[carole]

Winter:
The views are better – no haze, no leaves, higher vantage points
The sounds are sweet – sometimes so quiet you can hear snowflakes land
Off trail is fun – and you can just follow your tracks back
Trail descriptions change from day to day
Going down can be MUCH quicker than going up – wheeeeeeee!
You can stand at the trailhead before daylight and call your companions “idiots” and they’ll love it

Disadvatage:
Too short
It’s not easy to step off trail for a ‘pee’ break