Winter backpacking

[Kyle]

Anyone hike/backpack/camp in the cold weather? If so where have you gone?

[Kevin]

The winter is my favorite time for outdoor activities in general. But Hiking/Camping is even better. I have visited the ADKs in the winter, the Pine Barons, Poconos (a couple local state parks), Vermont and off trail in New Hampshire. Colorado is always great and always cold.

[Random Walker]

Bandelier National Park I have returned to many times in all seasons.
Sangre De Cristo Mountains and the Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico.
Olympic National Park, Mount Rainer National Park in Washington.

[Rory Partalis]

I don't usually get much snow in Georgia, but if I head into the north GA mountains in the winter, I've been lucky on several occasions to get some snow when the lower areas don't. Being from Colorado originally, snow is a good thing to me.

[Johnny Molloy]

I just went on a 3 night trip on the Art Loeb Trail in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard. Did a loop with the Davidson River. Great views from Pilot Mountain, Johns Rock. Good solitude and the open rock faces are a sight to behold.

[Jennyjerz]

Ive been to South Central Alaska... Eagle River has some cool trails to hike and Hatcher Pass is just breathtakingly beautiful. The best part besides the beautiful scenery is that the bears are sleeping in the winter!

[Ray Stallings]

I have been in the Grand Canyon area SO & No. rims during snow season. Was there this March also in Bryce March & Sept,08 Yosemite(High Sierras) in May08 Sequoia in late May08 and got lots of snow up high. Will try to post some pictures ,could already have some posted will ck,

[Ed Denbow]

I've winter backpacked-skied and camped in Denali Alaska, Minnesota, The Grand Canyon, and hut-to-hut skied in the Alps of Switzerland.

[Katana Guttman]

Yes, I have camped a few times in the winter. I went to Frontenac Provincial Park which is just north east of, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is so much fun, espcially making and sleeping in a quinzee! A tent in winter is okay too, but not nearly as much fun or warm as sleeping in a quinzee made out of snow!

[James S]

i snowshoe all the time in winter up in the mountains here in idaho. it's a lot more strenuous than hiking, and it's easy to get off the trail, as sometimes here there's 4-5 feet of snow. so i recommend a gps also. and realize that the weather can change incredibly fast. i've stayed in what they call a " yurt " in winter. they are sort of like a teepee with heavy duty tarp with wood stoves etc. very cosy actually. i enjoy snowshoeing a lot. but winter involves greater risks also. i'd recommend going in a area your very familiar with and with someone who's gone before.

[Kevin]

Very true, the risks are far greater in any extreme weather. Dress appropriately and in layers so you can shed when you need to. Overheating/Sweating in the freezing cold is the easiest thing to do, not pay attention to and fall ill incredibly fast. Even when you are sleeping, you should check to see if you are seating when you wake up throughout the middle of the night.

[Matt Beaver]

We hike more in the winter than any time of the year. Our Malamutes love hiking but they don't like it much in the summer. We usually stay fairly close to home due to transporting the dogs. But within 25-50 miles in any direction here in central Pa there is great hiking. I haven't done any winter camping in quite a while when I was a 15-21 I winter camped alot. And the best thing to keep you war, when cold weather camping is two 130 lbs fur blankets that throw off more heat than a propane heater.

Matt

[Jody A Mills]

I haven't done any winter camping but Iam planning on doing some Fall/Winter hiking, and once we get snow in the hills, I'll be strapping on some snowshoes. My stomping grounds are in central Oregon so we have some nice high desert hiking as well as some forest/alpine hiking/snowshoeing/cross-country skiing in the winter time.