Okay, this is another long post, but Wondering_Daisy's post about an "Unplanned Night Out" got me to thinking...

I think it's fair to say that most hikes are planned around certain trails or destinations, and I certainly do that too, but I've also planned trips that had other goals in mind.

I've had a lot of fun focusing on the time and place, as opposed to just the place.

For example, I've done midnight hikes when the moon was full and the ground covered with snow, just to see how the forest looked on nights like that (it's very bright, no flashlights needed

I've hiked to peaks and knobs when there was a new moon just to see the stars or meteor showers on dark clear nights.

I've sat in a tent or hiked by the side of creeks and rivers when storms were coming or ice was jamming so I could watch them rise and see and hear the ice crushing and cracking.

I've bushwhacked to waterfalls after ice storms to see the ice crystals and icicles that formed under and around them.

These were short trips, just one or two night adventures that were planned around unique, "Had to be there", moments. Sometimes planned to be ready at a moment's notice.

I also bring this up because, as opposed to getting caught out in a bad situation, I've also went out when an event was likely to occur, picked my spot, and observed, and I believe that I've learned a lot by doing this.

At the very least, I've certainly learned from when I was not warm enough, from when my tent leaked, that it takes a lot longer to make coffee with ice than water, and that there are no spooks in Devils Den in the Hercules Glades Wilderness on Halloween Night.

I've also learned that if you come prepared you can be quite comfortable, see some amazing stuff, and have a good nights sleep and a good breakfast in most any conditions.

I know others here have planned and made similar trips, and I think it's worth exploring this some more.

From a "Planning it for fun" aspect, or "Doing it for the learning experience" aspect, this kind of trip planning has potential that may not have been fully considered by any of us yet.

I'd really like to hear what others have done and think about the subject.


Bill

Bill,
This is a great thought! I want to get over to Arkansas and do some hiking for waterfalls and the best times for that would be right after the rains when the creeks are rising.

Just this past weekend, we went canoeing over at Caddo Lake (you can do a google search about it and its unique features).
As we were paddling through the swamp and "boat trails" I kept thinking that this would be really neat thing to do on a full-moon night. The spanish moss hanging from the trees and the potential fog coming off the water would be spooky, especially if there were red, beady eyes staring back at you.

Earlier this year we were at Enchanted Rock in central Texas and I would love to be out there during a meteor shower.

Big Bend during the winter to do some star gazing.

Winter in Yellowstone would be awesome.

I learned from my dog's getting sick last summer (which at least made me miss the joys of a snowstorm at 11,000 feet) that it's a good idea to build at least one day off into your trip, maybe more. This will allow you a rest day if you're not feeling up to par or just want to hang around a beautiful place longer or want to dayhike to explore something. It will also allow you to hunker down in bad weather (such as above-mentioned snowstorm) or allow a blister to heal or (in my case) nurse the dog back to health so the trip can continue. Of course if none of these contingencies occur and nothing along your trip seems worth an extra day of either exploration or R&R--well, if the trip was that bad you can go out a day early!

Flexibility in planning is a good thing, IMHO!

Flexibility is a really good idea. You from time to time read of trips gone bad, sometimes really bad, because people pressed on, regardless of conditions, because they had to meet a plane, or some other sort of scheduled event. A trip takes as much time as it takes, maybe a little more, maybe a little less, than you had planned.

On the other hand, I need to plan on longer hikes as I tend to finish a trip early. I'll start thinking about how cold that ice cream back home would be or that slice of watermelon or how comfortable a real bed would be and hike further for a few days instead of taking it easy since I am on vacation.

3 cheers to the OP.

i often only did these extreme weekend style trips, specifally seeking out elements, and situations i normally would not...part thrill part learning....now i'm feel quite confident in any situation that may arise...

most recently spent 2 nights out in NW NJ near the NY border during the 18"+ snow storm we had...lesson learned....you may need a shovel to clear a vestibule that gets drifted over?!! Also snow on a fly is crazy crazy warm and hard to vent....

Reminds me of the apple I left in the cooler in my car which started calling me the second last day of a trip a couple of years ago. I had planned to camp the last night several miles from the trailhead so I could go out the next noon. Instead, I hiked the extra several miles and got to the trailhead about sunset. The apple was rather warm (after 6 days) but tasted wonderful!

Back to more on the topic--planning an "unplanned" night out is probably a good idea. I know a couple of people who try to do this once a year. Of course, when you plan it, it isn't "unplanned" any more, but oh, well!

I also have planned a few short trips for different experiances. A trip to camp on the beach when the hurricane was passing off shore, truely tested the windproof traits of my gear and watching the waves come crashing in was nice. In the winter a big snow storm forcast for a friday night is a dream, get tot the mountains and get the camp set up and then just enjoy the views and quiet during and after the storm. Kayaking trips planned around when the waves will be big. If you really plan ahead you can use the diffrences to see if you have the skills to handle really bad things that might happen on a longer trip when you can't bail. From the hurricane trip I know that I can camp and stay "dry" in heavy rain with 40+ steady winds. Would I want to do it for a extended time, no thanks but if a storm comes through in the middle of a week long trip I'm not going to loose a lot of sleep over it. I take our scouts on a night hike up a local mountain every fall and it always amazes the new parents that thier little "joey" can hike in the dark and enjoy it. Full moon and a little snow and you are right leave the lights off and just look out of the little twiggs hanging out into the trail.

Bob

I like to physically and mentally test myself and learn from difficult experiences. In the last few days I have gone out in bad weather and done two training rides on my bikes. One day the wind was so fierce it would actually skid my back tire on the gravel (we were under a high wind/tornado watch). That day I did 44 miles on my moutain bike on dirt roads.

Friday I did 73 miles in 95 degree heat and high winds out on my road bike on the eastern plains of CO. I ran out of water twice and there isn't much in the way of civilization out there.

The reason I did it was to make myself physically and mentally tough for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. I push myself in training so that the bad weather, altitude, and distance don't get me down during the race. When you've pushed your comfort limits the obstacles presented in backpacking, cycling, whatever don't seem so great.

-Skippy