Summer vs. Winter hiking

“I was just thinking. I know, its a first, but I like winter hiking more the summer. Both have pros and cons. Summer, there is less gear to carry, but I just hate all the bugs. Water is easier to get to, but you tend to drink more.

Winter on the other hand is great. I love the cold. I mean, sure your urine freezes in mid-stream. At least you know when the snow is yellow, dont eat it. I dont even mind the water tasting like pine needles. Nothing a little TnT wont take care of.

The only thing that really sucks with winter camping is putting your feet in your boots when you first wake up. The views are awesome and I love snow shoes. There are a lot less people too.

Just wondering what your opinions were.”

“I like backpacking in each.


Winter though does have more views tought.

8)”

“i'm lucky. i can easily backpack all winter without setting a foot on snow. i like my mild winters, but i lucked into a pair of snowshoes this summer and might give the snowy high country a try this year. summer is rough because i have to drive to the Sierra Nevada to get temperatures that are tolerable. locally, it's too %$#@& hot!”

“Favs in order: Fall, Spring/Winter (tie) and Summer (Yuck).

I could see a little change in the tree color in upper, lower Michigan. I have yet to use my snow shoes, maybe this year.”

“I love winter camping the best...no bugs....I learned something ....do not use wet wipes in winter...brrrrr...LOL....and nothing is more fun than crawling into your bag and drinking Peach Schanpps & cranberry juice (you need a straw) & talking & laughing late into the night with great friends.....Sipsey Wilderness is an awesome site when the water falls freeze!!!”

“Winter backpacking is fun. There is nothing better than trying out new building techniques for varios types of snow shelters. Sure I have to carry more gear, but it keeps me warmer while I am carrying it!”

“WINTER!!!!”

“Ok I want to go backpacking now!


See what you all did!


8)”

“I like fall best, when the nights are cool enough to cut down on the bug population. Next is winter because of the beautiful scenery in snow and ice and of course, no bugs. Summer comes next and spring is last. I don't like mud and I don't like getting wet and it seems that I get too much of both when hiking in the spring.”

“Rugby season is almost over and my hiking season is about to begin. Dare, get plastics - trust me.”

“Get AT bindings for downhill skis - mine are old ones with no side cut, but they're heavier than the new ones. Grivel Randonnée's or (my) Silvretta 500's will take plastic mountaineering boots.”

“so you reakon England to win the World Cup then Gremlin?”

“I'm definatly a winter person. When I hiked for the first time this summer, my thougths where this whould be much better in hte cold!!! I remember the bugs where wicked bad and I had the repel spray on. I think the repelr ended up in my eyes. I could not see well, I had this glaze over them everything looked foggy...haah
I think it was the repel ? anyways, I am going out on Oct 5. I already know I will like it better due I like the cold. Now I just need to get all the winter gear for this season. Any suggestions ?”

“But back to the subject in hand. I'd like to do more winter camping. I've only really done late-fall stuff. I generally prefer things a little cooler though.”

“I like winter.
In the '70s my pals and I would do at least one FYAO with barely adequate gear.

Hell, as long as you have a decent sleeping bag and shelter, get out there.
You can always run around or do push-ups to warm up.

We would wear flare-bottom jeans which turned into pretty good gaiters when they would freeze to about mid-calf.
The old Army field jacket with a sweater and hat and gloves and long underwear did OK.

The purity of the winter environment will keep me going back for more as long as I am able.

Over the years I have changed to better stuff but its always been about being out there.

As they say in the infantry, "any change is bound to be an improvement".”

“Sorry, I wasn't trying to change the subject. Have a good one.
I love Snow!”

“Snafu, no, it was me going off on a rugby tangent :o)”

“Uh, one FYAO every winter, that is.”

“Hey Dare,

Everyone pretty much summed it up; No bugs, beautiful scenery and awesome views because the leaves have all fallen, and alot less people (non-TTers of course)!

You can snowshoe and X-country ski and make decent travel time on trails that have become much more level due to snowpack.

I wore my plastic X-country boots on FYAO III and never had a frozen toe, and these boots worked in my snowshoe bindings as well as regular hiking boots too. Gotta get rid of the leather if you love the winter. There's nothing worse than squeezing your feet into ice-laden leather boots and waiting, waiting, if they will ever defrost.

2 cents from a bobo.”

“oh suuuure, encourage him on the plastics. Now I'll never get the kayak...

I always try to work the angle "but honey, plastic boots are for wimps. It takes a real man to brave the frozen boots each morning."

I don't think he's buying that though...”

“I like cool weather hiking. I hike sparingly in summer. The hot season is for canoe trips.”

“Winter.”

“Definately, fall/winter hiking. I hate bugs!!! 'specially 'skeatahs', ya know what I mean? I haven't done a real FYAO winter hike, I don't think I'd really enjoy that, that's a little too extreme for me. Can't wait for the snow to fall though...SKIING!!!”

“I really can't give you a favorite hiking season.

I love spring, everything starting to blum, and it's getting warmer. Did you ever smell spring air? Smells so good!!

I love hiking during summer, finally can get rid of some of the heavy cloth. Yeah, I know, I do not like the bugs either, but hey...and I don't mind a good sweat once in a while.

I love hiking during fall because I love the fall colors and the cooler weather sure feels good after a hot summer.

And I love winter hiking. Love the snow, how quit everything is, yes, and the views. Not a lot of hikers out there, and not much sweating going on either.

The best about all 4 seasons is, you hike the same trail, it looks different every single time.”

“Hmmmm, plastic boots. The boot seed has been planted. AmyG, you need to pick up more shifts at work. I need a new pair of boots...”

“Gemini said "blum"......that's cute!”

“DANG! I knew that! It's "bloom". Stupid mistakes once in a while.”

“Not stupid, Gemini!

Is that the German spelling?”

“honestly, I can't remember, but yes I think that's it. "blume" = "flower" The rest I forgot... strange how you can forget some words.”

“"...strange how you can forget some words."

Well, you are a granny ;]”

“Gemini, I couldn't have put it any better. I feel exactly the same way, as long as I'm alive I am loving every season!

The quote that sticks with me that I first saw in the horrid outdoor magazine, uhm.. buttpacker or something like that...

"There is no bad weather, only different forms of good weather".

Dare, The plastic boots I referred to were plastic X-country boots (NNN-BC, but I forget the brandname) and they were $100 at REI. That's not bad for a good pair of boots, is it?”

“I like all seasons for various reasons, but fall and winter are my favorites and I find myself doing more trips during those seasons.”