Night Hiking - Appalachian Trail

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#1

To escape the summer heat and sun, I just tried night hiking with a friend, had a great time. I want to keep doing this to get in shape for my hike, and because it is magical, but now I have to go it alone.

I searched the forums and didn’t find much on it. The thing that bothers me is that my beam of light only extends so far in the darkness, and most carnivores decided a long time ago that they like night hiking too.

Plus, without my friend to talk to, I wonder if I might not be making enough noise to give the animals fair warning, and finally, that old joke about not having to outrun the mountain lion, just having to outrun your hiking pal keeps playing in the back of my mind, and it occurs to me that without a hiking pal, why, yes, I will have to outrun the mt. lion. (I know, I know, there aren’t hardly any mt. lions east of the Mississipi).

Can you offer advice from your experiences night hiking? If these concerns have some justification, how can I hike more wisely at night, particularly if I am going to be doing a lot of it? Has anyone had any bad experiences that would prove good notice? Thanks.

Aeschylus

#2

Don’t do much night-hiking around here – the desert boonies of Arizona. Can’t see the rattlesnakes. And I almost stepped on a terantula tonight right outside the house. I’m a Rhode Islander! What the heck am I doing HERE? (Sorry, Aeschylus, this post was of no help.)

ramkitten

#3

No need to worry about carnivores on the AT. Snakes? Maybe, but that has never stopped me from night hiking. I met a guy about 8 years ago in Vernon, NJ who was night thru-hiking SOBO. He’d hike a few hours every morning, then sleep until 5 PM, then hike til 2 or 3 AM every night. Said he didn’t care about the vistas. He was out there to get in shape.

Try losing the flashlight on nights when the moon is looming large. Its much easier on the eyes to hike without a flashlight.

Little Bear

#4

Night hiked in the Smokys in the snow. Full X-Files moon. It was cool.

Bushwhack

#5

Night hiking, it seems is either loved or hated by some. I love night hiking solo. The animals arent gonna bother you anymore or less because its night, I mean you look like a train coming down the Trail with your headlamp on. Green deer eyes glowing in the woods still gives me the willys.

bono

#6

I hike for the scenary - not just the exercise. I like looking out and watching the world go by, not just the rocks on the trail two feet ahead of me. I also hike in deep woods, where you have to be very careful where you step because there are a lot of branches to trip you up. I have had a couple of memorable night hikes (crossing the Mojave on the PCT, watching falling stars and satellites for one, being lost one evening near Tucson and discovering that there are a lot of deer and cattle trails out in the desert that seem to go around in circles). It has its attractions, but not as much as early morning or late evening hiking. I wouldn’t worry about wildlife, unless you are in an area with a lot of rattlesnakes, mountain lions or grizzlies. The night critters aren’t waiting for you, they’re more likely waiting for a mouse to wander by.

Spirit Walker

#7

I’ve not done it that much…but the times I have have been wonderful.

I did it once on a sliver of new moon…it was one of those times when the atmosphere amplifies the size of the moon to humongous…and it was the tiniest little sliver…but because it was soooooo big, I could still see the definition on the moon…it was awesome. Never had any problems with critters at night while hiking…don’t think it makes much difference to them.

-Howie

Hungry Howie

#8

Night-hiked a couple of times on my A.T. thru, once with Hacker from the road at Troutdale to Partnership Shelter. She turned off the flashlight – we were using just the one – and it was like Christmas lights along both sides of the trail. Glow bugs! That was really cool. Never knew there was such a thing, until that night. So I think it IS a neat experience, something to try at least once.

ramkitten

#9

Here in Shenandoah National Park, just a yodel away from home, I night-hike regularly after dinner–or maybe bring dinner with me and eat in the woods. But my night-hiking is on familiar trails I could probably do almost blindfolded. I’ve tried it on a trail or two that I had never hiked before up in Pennsylvania and it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable.

I think if the moon is bright and there is no fog it’s a joy to night-hike. Minus the bright moon, not as good but OK. Thick fog at night is the pits. I’ve never had a bad run-in with any four-legged (or two-legged) creatures in the woods at night, though I’ve heard rustling nearby and seen eyes staring back at me that I couldn’t identify. He/she/it was likely as wary of me as I was of him/her/it.

“Skyline”

#10

Right. I should mention I ran into a bear in Shenandoah on my first hike of the year there, which was so much fun. It was awesome!

I just didn’t like the idea of startling him if I came after visiting hours. So you think it is unnecessary to carry a radio, whistle or talk to myself to give fair warning?

Aeschylus

#11

Someone’s journal mentioned tying a bell to their pack. It wasn’t mentioned in relation to night hiking, just mentioned in general. Might be a good idea: no batteries, no trying to blow on a whistle while huffing and puffing up a mountain, no running out of things to say to yourself…but you do have to listen to the damn bell the whole time.

Tom

#12

I met a SOBO thru-hiker in Maine toward the end of my hike in 2000. He was wearing a bell, and did not answer me when I said hello to him. Turns out he was completely deaf. I can’t really see an application for wearing a bell east of the Mississippi (maybe in Griz Country??) unless you are deaf.

Hungry Howie, did you run into the hiker I’m talkin’ about??

Little Bear

Little Bear

#13

I night hiked in Feb northward out of Neels Gap after a severe ice storm the day prior. It was absolutely beautiful at night. All the trees were coated with ice like a forest of flocked Christmas trees. Hiking those few hours before daybreak was truly special. It was freezing and absolutely silent. No birds, etc. I did loose the ice covered trail for over an hour due to a fallen tree that obscured the blaze, but hiking at night heightened the excitement and beauty of that section of the trail. I look forward to night hiking in the future.

Zydecajun

#14

Yeah, I ran into him. I said “Howdy” to him and he didn’t even look up. I said it louder and He STILL didn’t look up. So I figured He wasn’t particularly friendly and made to just keep hiking, but as we passed, he saw me, waved, pointed at his ears and mouthed “I’m Deaf.” He was pretty cool.

-Howie

Hungry Howie

#15

I’ve night hiked and thoroughly enjoyed it. Never had a problem with animals. Have hiked familiar trails in Tennesse (Smokies) which was easy, nite hiked up Long’s Peak in CO., turned off my maglite and it was one of the most exhilarating hikes I’ve ever experienced. The sky was clear and the stars were more abundant and brighter than I’ve ever seen. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend doing so. By the way, Zydecajun, thanks for the aquaphor ointment.

Tennessee

#16

I’m no biologist, but as cold-blooded animals wouldn’t snakes be bedded down all night and really only out-and-about in the heat of the day?

I’d think most bigger predators would be sleeping at night, just like their prey. J

Joel

#17

Night hiking. Scary, dangerous. Therein lies the appeal. Many of animals of the Appalachians are night hunters. Owls, skunks, mice and even bears are active food hunters for at least part of the night. Even snakes will hunt in evening when temps are not too cool and I imagine those PA rock piles retain heat for a long time into the evening. Also, depth perception is impaired and rocky terrain can be a problem.

My favorite night hikes were unplanned. Had a blowout ascending the Blue Ridge and got tires in Elkin, NC. It was dark when I parked the car at Feathercamp Branch to start a circuit hike, staying the first night at Sandy Flats. Ice was dropping from the trees and it was still raining, a quiet and slightly spooky setting. My flashlight batteries were used, so I would illuminate a section of trail, turn the light off and walk on, repeat. I would need the light to find the shelter; I had never been there. From my right came a laughing song such as a twenty pound mutated loon might make. It was repeated and its effect was almost as electric as with the first. [anyone know what animal this could be?] Soon after there was a heavy thud and something heavy and loud was moving in the woods. It took a couple of breathless seconds to realize it was moving away from me. I fought the idea of returning to the car and the rest of the hike to the shelter was uneventful.

It was 10° at Groundhog Creek S. I couldn’t face life outside the bag until I had to. It didn’t warm up that much, but the wind picked up to about 30 knots steady. The reroute over Max Patch caught me up short; it added about 3 mi. It was neat, though, following the bobcat tracks in the snow on the new trail. He would leave the trail at intervals but never for long. At a clearing (or road) you could see the evidence of an attack on a hare. Looked like the hare got away. The tracks looked like those of a snowshoe hare. [ does anyone know if this is in their range?] At Lemon Gap, the light was gone. I stopped to rest and get the flashlight. I never needed it. The moon illuminated a serene snowy landscape. The trail moved towards a single electric light for a while and then ascended steeply away to the shelter.

Try it on some easy terrain at first. You might like it
:cheers :cheers :cheers

Groucho

#18

Aeschylus, first I don’t think there is such a thing as “after visiting hours” in the backcountry. Second, I think bear bells/whistles/radios in the East are overkill. When you come into a bear’s territory, just be aware of any cubs that may be nearby and don’t be in between the mother and her cubs (if you are, slowly/carefully back away); and don’t let food or anything that smells like food be a bear magnet.

Park rangers recommend talking out loud when a bear is nearby in a fairly normal conversational tone just to let the bear know where you are (he/she most likely already knows) and that you mean it no harm.

“Skyline”

#19

Love to hike/walk on a full moon night without a light. You get used to it. If the moon is really full and the sky is clear, it’s almost like daylight. I use a flashlight or headlamp as little as possible, but night hiking in the woods you’ll have to use it because of the absence of overhead light due to the tree canopy.

Rattlesnakes hunt mainly at night, because they use their infrared (heat seeking pits) senses to hunt prey (mice, etc). Hunting at night gives them the advantage of not being seen by their prey, yet they can see their prey with their infrared senses. Stay as much away from the really rocky cliffs and rocky areas as possible, because this is where they are found a lot.

Many animals like mice and rabbits forage and are out at night, due to predators (hawks) not being able to see them and hunt them at night. A lot more animals are active at night than in the day and include: bears, deer, mice, rabbits, owls, flying squirrels, rattlesnakes, etc. etc.

Night hiking is really very special and wonderful. It is really nice to do it in the summer when the days are really hot, you will stay a lot cooler hiking at night. Night hiking is no more dangerous than day hiking, and can be just as much fun and exciting with lots of great views (of animals and of the sky on tops of mountains, fallings stars, etc), many things you will not experience day hiking.

:cheers

Maintain

#20

I night hike the Phoenix Mountain Reserves all the time full moon or not. I use my little Petzl Tikka and I am fine. Now that it’s summer I am very aware of rattlesnakes and came upon one just a few nights ago. I watched it for a little while and then gave it plenty of room and went on my way. One night I heard and owl so I stopped and could see it silhouetted on top of a saguaro cactus, again I watched and it finally took off and flew right over me. What a great experience. One just has to be aware that’s all. The rest of the critters are no problem. I love night hiking.

:cheers

ANCIENTREKKER