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