Winter backpacking

[Chip]

...and am envious of those who have found significant others who also like to do so.

I've given up trying to convince my wife to go, but that hasn't stopped me from starting my own "Farm Team".

 

[Pete_Hickey]

The hardest thing about winter backpacking, besides the effort, are the loooooong nights. Away from locations where snowdepth, temperatures, practicality, or environmental concerns preclude a fire, you get into sleeping bags around 6pm or 7pm.

Wow. You stay up late! I'm just about always solo on my winter backpacks, and when it gets dark, with nobody to talk to, I head to bed. Usually by 5. Then I fall asleep, have a good long sleep, then wake up.. look at the time, and it's only 9:00PM

 

[cp2000]

I guess Ill just have tah try it befor I knock it and bring some Jimmy Beam black(sorry Dave M but the kickin' chickin never did it for me)

Thanks 4 thah reps ya'll

hoo haa

 

[blacklab2020]

Wow. You stay up late! I'm just about always solo on my winter backpacks, and when it gets dark, with nobody to talk to, I head to bed. Usually by 5. Then I fall asleep, have a good long sleep, then wake up.. look at the time, and it's only 9:00PM

Ain't this the truth...

I usually wake up around 10:30 or 11... but its not just the winter, all year round.

 

[ralphnetta]

I thought that I would never like to hike/camp in the Winter. But that all changed after I tried it . I simply love to sit in my stormproof winter tent listening to a distant storm start to growl off in the distance. As it forms rapidly into a howling white fog laced with ice pellets hitting your shelter. You climb out of your -40 degree down bag in the morning, poke your head outside and the sun is shining and everything is covered with fresh, clean white powder; if it's still a storm you simply stay in the bag like a piece of toast. I can go on but I think you get the picture.

 

[paul ron]

Stop It! Stop It!

If you guys keep giving such beautiful descriptions everyone will want to winter backpack and we'll be fighting crowds again. So let's just keep telling everyone it sucks? OK?

 

[Lawn Sale]

If you guys keep giving such beautiful descriptions everyone will want to winter backpack and we'll be fighting crowds again. So let's just keep telling everyone it sucks? OK?

Have you ever been up to Hermit Lake Shelters in the winter? On more than one weekend I've found them packed.

There are a lot of places to hike in the winter that people don't go. I've done the Camden Hills (local) a few times in winter and almost always been the only one on the trails. Even fired up the stove on the Mt. Battie Parapet with no issues, simply awesome.

 

[KayakDan]

Associating winter camping with peakbagging can be pretty hardcore

Oh yeah! We decided to start doing the 48 4k's by camping the summits-in winter. What the hell were we thinking?
After spending one night near the summit of Jackson,thinking we would probably wake up in Pittsburg 'cause the wind was screamin' so hard.
So now we're going with "camp low-climb high",but the peakbagging just isn't that important. There are a lot of great pond trails and ridges with great views.
But I sure do love the winter treks above treeline!