Do you hike in the dark?

[DSettahr]

Just curious how many people out there besides myself find themselves hiking in the dark on a regular basis. I'm not talking about by accident, but rather fully intentional hiking in the night.

Hiking in the darkness doesn't really bother me, and on numerous occaisions I've found myself starting continuing to hike after sunset (simply because I didn't feel like stopping to camp for the night yet), and even starting to hike before sunrise. I've also even done some bushwhacks at night, although this was a bit more difficult, and they were bushwhacks that I had already done before during the day.

How many other people hike at night?

 

[cbcbd]

What about Occasionally but without the stipulation of "short distances or on full-moon nights"?

I only usually hike at night if I have to - expected long day, alpine start, late departure due to schedule.
I'm not a fan of finishing in the dark if I can help it, especially being off trail in the dark. Route finding in the dark is just hard and takes so long - not very efficient, IMO. On trails it's not as much of an issue, but still, I prefer the day time.
Although I did go skiing in the backcountry once only with moonlight and that was pretty awesome.

 

[cbcbd]

Plus, if you hike in the dark you might miss last call at the bar. Hiking during the day and starting as early as you can mitigates that risk.

 

[woodstrider]

Hiking in the Dark

I do enjoy hiking in the dark- especially on a moon lite night when the leaves are down.

One of my favorite Adirondack hiking memories is the hike out from doing Redfield and Cliff in the winter. It was after sunset as we hiked across a frozen Flowed Lands. There was no moon- but I could still see my shadow. It was a "star-shadow".

I once led a hike for the ADK/AMC clubs at night. It was a full moon in winter in Harriman State Park and it was wonderful. Only two people (besides myself and my boy friend) came on this hike. Just shows that people who hike by moonlight are a rare bunch.

 

[Tex]

I never set out to hike at night but rather like doing it. With a good headlamp the trails are generally easy to follow and I just like the general feel of the total darkness of it all.

 

[Stash]

Rarely on purpose but one never knows what delays will present themselves.

 

[TCD]

Night hiking is fun, and necessary if you are stuck at a desk all day!

Much of my hiking in the last few years has been trail running (can't run effectively by headlamp), and exploring new cliffs (also can't do that by headlamp; you can't really see what the cliff looks like). But I used to hike at night a lot a few years ago. A group of friends and I "helped" one of our friends finish her 46; many of the trips were on weeknights (leaving for Street and Nye at 5:30 PM, for example). We also did a lot of local bushwhacking at night, and I bushwhack alone at night occasionally. (Most of this was in summer, so it was much safer than it sounds.)

We developed silent compass night navigation (using headlamp beam signals) into a fine art, sometimes completing mile long routes and coming out only 50' from the car. (This was in non GPS days.) If you are navigating by compass with at least 2 people, you can actually navigate much more accurately at night than in the daytime, because you can take very long bearing shots to the person out front when they direct their light back at the person with the compass. These shots are usually much longer and more accurate than a daytime shot to a distinguishable bearing object.

Great fun! Have to get back to some of that this summer!

TCD

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I frequently do alpine starts for long dayhikes, finding that it's safer to hike uphill in the dark when you're fresh rather than downhill in the dark when you're beat.

If it's a truly early start, like 2AM, then I find my body "resets" itself at sunrise, and I get the sensation I've just started a new day. By late afternoon, however, I'm starting to struggle with fatigue on those very early start days.

 

[The Lisa]

I enjoy hiking at night. I originally did a few night hikes as training for 100-mile races so as to get comfortable with being on my feet into the night. Familiar trails have an unfamiliar feel at night, animal eyes glow in your headlamp, and if it is a full moon night under leafless trees there is no need for a headlamp.

I am good for nothing the following day after an all night hike though, as I need to catch up on some sleep - it is not as if I am squeezing an extra 'day' into a regular 2-day weekend.

I have skied at night twice (both deliberately planned) which was a lot of fun.

 

[w7xman]

Most of my hikes either start or finish in the dark. I have really grown to enjoy the experience of taking in a sunrise or sunset from the mountains...and the only way to do that is to hike at night.

That being said...I less enjoy hiking at night ALONE...but that's a whole nother can of worms now isn't it!

 

[naturegirl]

I love hiking at night and would do it more if I knew of others who were interested in going.

 

[DougPaul]

Sure. Why not?

I often expect to return in the dark and have done hikes entirely in the dark. XC skiing in the dark is also enjoyable (on easy terrain).

Doug

 

[eddie]

Nah, I want to see the scenery. Although we are famous for our pre 4:00am starts so I guess that could still technically be night.

 

[bryan]

i don't mind hiking in the dark at all especially if it's part of a great long day. the hardest part for me is making the drive home after said long day.
i once intentionally hiked straight through the night (part of a 24 hour plus hut traverse). getting to watch the sun set from north lafayette and then crossing over garfield, south twin and guyot under beautiful starry skies was really special. i was amazed by how many people i ending up scaring in the middle of the night as they were tenting right next to the trails.

bryan

 

[Chugach001]

On purpose and often for me. Especially in Winter, it is a great way to experience the hills.

 

[RoySwkr]

I like hiking in twilight and being too lazy to get up early this occurs in the evening. Some times the twilight gets kinda dark

Only once have I started before daylight and hiked into the dark, I just don't have that much energy anymore

And as a lot of my hikes are bushwhacks so are night hikes

I often don't use lights at night and have climbed several peaks entirely in the dark

One of my favorite remarks was one time my sister asked when we had to leave home for a hike, and I said we had to leave at X to finish in daylight and she said "That's too early, let's leave an hour later!"

 

[Dave Bear]

Absolutely, and very fond of it under many circumstances and for numerous reasons. Its a whole world of new perceptions and experiences. Sometimes for peace of mind, such as leaving Lincoln Woods at 11:30PM and heading for the Bonds in January, no masses on the trail. Even my last bushwhack off FRT down to Owl's Head was mostly in the dark. This was by design so I would not be catching glimpses of the slide and navigating without truly dead-reckoning off map features and terrain. Sometimes my reasoning in the past with snowballing old Grivels was for firmer trail conditions and crossings during spring snow. Other times to enjoy the moonlight or challenge my eyes to adjust to an evening without moonlight. It has not been uncommon for fellow hikers that know me to call to me and ask if its me as I hike toward them in the darkness. A word of caution here though, I once was alert enough to realize I had been "red-dotted" by a hunting scope. Made my hair bristle a bit and I quickly turned on my headlamp cause most hunters know deer don't use them. I did calm down enough to have a leisurely conversation with him and his buddy as we walked off Starr King!

Like a rain or fog that takes away distant views, the night keeps your hike up close and personal. Everything near you sounds, looks and smells different as if you are more keenly aware. My first hike up Gale River was late at night with hobblebush blossoms shining fluorescently back at us like eyes along the trail. The sight, smells and sounds of that hike are still very vivid in my memories and I would not have done it any differently. Last year my daughter Kim and I started our Bonds Traverse in the evening and did not camp until 10PM. Her perception of ZeaCliff is a high cliff overlooking a deep dark abyss. She enjoyed that night hike and others like it with me but said she would not be comfortable doing it without me. Its not for everyone and there are genuine risks and fears but there are also sweet rewards like laying along side a brook and gazing at a zillion stars!

 

[J.Dub]

I frequently do alpine starts for long dayhikes, finding that it's safer to hike uphill in the dark when you're fresh rather than downhill in the dark when you're beat.

^^^This iz korrekt.

There was this one time, where I left the South Col at midnight....

 

[sardog1]

What's this about hiking in the daytime?

Pulling an all-nighter in the woods gives you a whole different perspective on the diurnal cycle of the woods. And when else are you gonna see Actias luna in flight?

 

[Tom Rankin]

What about Occasionally but without the stipulation of "short distances or on full-moon nights"?

I only usually hike at night if I have to - expected long day, alpine start, late departure due to schedule.
I'm not a fan of finishing in the dark if I can help it, especially being off trail in the dark. Route finding in the dark is just hard and takes so long - not very efficient, IMO. On trails it's not as much of an issue, but still, I prefer the day time.
Although I did go skiing in the backcountry once only with moonlight and that was pretty awesome.

Yeah, what he said!