#winter hiking

[uwhe-arts]

river saale on a winters day . . . | uwhe-arts

[aimeekb]

A snowy hike through the Wasatch Mountains, Utah

[zoeflake]

© LunaLadee

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Rocky Mountain National Park

Deer Mountain

(Image credit: SeanXu)

[cuddlybats]

I don't tell you enough ... <3

© 2023 Cuddly Bats  

WEBSITE - INSTAGRAM - KO-FI

[ultra-average]

[mountrainiernps]

It’s National Take a Hike Day! While many of Mount Rainier National Park’s higher elevation trails are covered in snow, if you are prepared there are still options to get out for a hike. For easy trails with less chance of snow, try Twin Firs Trail or Trail of the Shadows in Longmire. Rampart Ridge Trail or the Wonderland Trail also start from Longmire but are longer trails that climb to higher elevations. Westside Road, near the Nisqually Entrance, is closed to vehicles, but the first three miles is a gentle walk through the forest to Dry Creek. Carbon River in the northwest corner of the park is also a great lower elevation area for hiking. No matter the trail, be prepared for quickly changing conditions and carry the 10 Essentials, including food and water: https://go.nps.gov/MORASafety.

Where will you go for a hike? Learn more about winter hiking at Mount Rainier:

Longmire in Winter: https://go.nps.gov/LongmireWinter

Westside Road in Winter: https://go.nps.gov/WestsideRoadWinter

Carbon River in Winter: https://go.nps.gov/CarbonRiverWinter

NPS Photos of Carbon River Trail (8/30/23), Rampart Ridge Trail (10/4/23), and Trail of the Shadows (11/15/23). ~kl

[newtsnaturethings]

Man I love mountains

[xiaq]

An Xiaq in her natural habitat (hiding from predators).

[hiking-thoughts]

Norvan Falls, Vancouver, British Columbia.

[a-demain]

What's the best place for breakfast? Snowy forest in winter, of course.

I randomly decided to go on a short hike on a local trail today, while the snow still hasn't melted. Did like 12 km, give or take. It was sunny and around -4, so perfect weather for winter hiking. I saw a pack of wild boar! I was walking through the wood and suddenly like 20 meters before me there were like 6 of them running across the road! :O Fortunately they either didn't see me or completely ignored me. Big fan of being ignored by wild boar, ngl.

[aimeekb]

Traversing up the Middle Palisade glacier trail after fresh snowfall❄️

[zoeflake]

© LunaLadee

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Crunch through the snow surrounded by dazzling peaks on some of the best winter hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

(Image credit: Wayne Boland)

[schwarzkaeppchen]

It's okay for you to rest...

[mountrainiernps]

There’s something about the our home, the Pacific Northwest, that seems to make many people think of rain.

We do get quite a bit of our yearly precipitation during the winter months. At the higher elevations, like Paradise, it will probably be snow. At lower elevations, like Longmire and the Nisqually Entrance, it will probably be rain.

And you’d think with all this precipitation, finding drinking water during your hike, ski or snow shoe is no problem. It’s not, if you’re prepared. While you’re packing up your backpack at home, you run through your check list of 10 Essentials, packing everything you’ll need, and hydration is one of them.

Do you prefer to carry all your water for your hike or snowshoe? Bringing along a refillable bottle or two or three means you can drink while out having fun, and then refill at Longmire for the drive home. Some folks swear by a water bladder in the backpack. Did you know you can get insulated ones so it doesn’t freeze up in the freezing temperatures?

Or do you bring a refillable container plus a purification system? Whether filter or other options, it’s the smart, healthy thing to always purify natural water resources. In the winter, open water can be hard to find or access, which can mean you’d also need a way to heat and melt snow. The winter season 10 Essentials at some parks can include bringing a stove and fuel.

How do you like to plan ahead for hydration for your winter fun at Mount Rainier? ~ams

More information on the 10 Essentials can be found on this website https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm  Park information on winter safety can be found here https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-safety.htm  For current conditions, these webcams may be helpful https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

These photographs are from past years. NPS Photo. Longmire Administration building  with late autumn colors. Eagle Peak visible in background. November, 2015. NPS Photo. Nisqually River from Wonderland Trail between Cougar Rock and Longmire. Snow covers the ground, rocks and trees. February, 2014. NPS Photo. Snow covered trees at Paradise with clouds partly hiding Mount Rainier. December, 2021.