Your Guide to Winter Hiking
November and December are my favorite time of year for hiking, even with what seems to be an endless drizzle of rain. The first few feet of snow grace the mountain tops and offer a soft, powdery surface for hiking and snowshoeing. By January, the snow has accumulated so much where avalanches pose a threat and by April, you’re just tired of the slushy snow, but in November and December the snow is ideal for some cold weather hiking. And the views are nothing short of spectacular!
Hiking during wintertime can be intimidating – it’s cold and there’s so much snow! – but the benefits are great. Spending time outside in winter improves your mood, health, and fitness. In these posts, I cover the reasons that you should opt outside this winter!
Your Guide to Winter Hiking: Everything You Need from Gear to Safety
5 Reasons You Should Try Winter Hiking
Why You Should Opt Outside this Winter
Food and clothing are essentials, especially for outdoor activities. Many running clothes transition well into hiking, but there’s a few other consideration such as boots and jackets. As for food, just as with running you need to fuel your body to go the distance while staying warm.
What to Wear for Hiking in Cold Weather
Healthy Snacks to Fuel Your Hiking
When you hike anytime of year – but especially in winter when it’s cold and snowy – you need to take safety precautions and practice proper trail etiquette. These posts guide you through how to avoid winter-specific issues such as avalanches and hypothermia, cover what gear you need to bring and what you can expect, and discuss how to balance hiking with running.
4 Tips for Staying Safe on Winter Hikes
How to Balance Hiking with Long Distance Running
Most of all, you just need to get outside and go! As with running, you keep hiking as simple or as involved as you wish. What matters is getting out there!
[Tweet “@thisrunrecipes shares her guide to winter hiking! #optoutside #hiking #theoutbound #choosemountains”]
What are your plans this weekend?
What’s your favorite outdoor sport in winter?
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12 Responses
We hiked year ’round before the kids were born. And even after they arrived, we took them on shorter hikes regardless of the weather. Our weekends are kind of jam packed with skiing and other sports for most of the winter but we’ll try to make it out as much as possible. There’s magic in seeing freshly fallen snow on a trail.
Skiing is such a fun winter sport as well! There is something so magical about the fresh snow in the mountains.
The only hiking we o around here is over snow banks. Hiking in the wilderness in winter sounds like fun, hiking in the city in winter, NOT SO MUCH
I remember that hiking from NW Indiana! Just getting from the dorm to classroom was a hike with 5 foot tall snow drifts. Not as fun indeed.
well, my favorite winter sport is hockey – not to play it but to watch it. I wish they featured more games outside though – I do love sitting outdoors in the winter for football games even when it’s freezing!
There’s something so fun about being outdoors in winter!
I’ve never hiked in the winter but I’ve always wanted to try it. Maybe this will be the year! Like someone above mentioned, though, living in a city makes it a little harder. We have to go out of our way for hiking, and let’s be honest, the incentive to do that isn’t as strong in the winter!
We have to go out of our way as well – hiking is a good 1-2 hour drive from the Seattle area, unless you live in the highlands. But it’s always worth it – especially in winter when any fresh air and exercise is good for the mind and body.
Such a great pic of you looking all cool cat in your sunglasses in the snow! Was that from last year or recently? Lots of kids’ soccer games going on this weekend, as usual. Hopefully it’s not too cold (for me to stand there and watch, lol).
Thank you! It’s from January, we don’t have that much snow yet in the mountains! Standing out in the cold is hard – moving makes it feel so much less cold, but standing makes it feel even colder than it actually is.
I got some snowshoes at the end of last winter that I’m ready take on some hikes – except where is the snow?!
I know – where is it already!?! Snowshoeing is so fun!