For most hikers, snow on the trails means that hiking is a no-go. However, there are some folks out there that aren’t deterred just because of a bit of snow. In fact, some of the more adventurous hikers lavish such trails, because of the challenges that they impose.
Going through hiking trails in the winter are a bit more of a challenging undertaking than your usual trail, as you’ll have to deal with cold (and even potentially freezing!) temperatures and run into other hazards that you would not run into on a regular trail, but while it is discouraged, it is by no means an impossible undertaking, especially with the proper preparations.
If you aim to do just that, then here are some tips that might serve you well.
Check which trails are open
During the winter, especially when the snow hits the ground hard, it is highly likely that most hiking trails will be closed for the safety of all hikers looking for a trail. Some of them might still be open, but others may be closed due to hazardous environment or potential hazards occurring on the trail (like avalanches).
Make sure you do your research prior to hitting the trail, ideally on the day itself– you don’t want to pack all your equipment only to be turned away at the entrance because the trail was snowed in the night before.
Hike early, finish early
During the winter season, the nights are longer and the days are shorter. This means that unless you want the early night to freeze you to death, you should start your hikes much earlier.
Plus, if you’re hiking during winter, your hike will be much slower than usual. Not just because of all the winter equipment you’ll be carrying, but because of all the obstacles that you might go through, most of which involve ice and snow. Prepare accordingly and expect that your hike on a path that normally takes 2 hours may instead increase to 2 hours and 30 minutes or even 3 hours. That also means leaving early to ensure that you still have the sun shining at your backs when you finish.
Check the weather before you go
It’s always a good idea to check the weather before going out on a hiking trail, but doubly so on a winter hike.
Snowstorms, in particular, can be very dangerous, especially to the unprepared hiker.
The best thing you can do is avoid them entirely, but if you want to press on with your hiking trail nonetheless, it is good to be aware of the chance that it might happen in the middle of your hike and to be adequately prepared when it does.
Watch out for potential hazards specific to winter
Alongside the other potential hazards that you’ll find in a regular trail, the cold winter season throws in its own mix of hazards that you’ll need to watch out for, like a video game stage slowly ramping up its obstacle difficulty.
- Icy paths and rivers – Some parts of the path might be quite slippery due to ice or melted snow, so make sure you watch your step while traversing. The fall can be quite painful or even cause injury. Rivers as well may be frozen over, but don’t try to climb or walk on them. There is a chance that they just froze recently and barely have any ice underneath, meaning that if you step on it now, you’ll fall through and land in freezing water. If you can, try to find another route if this trail requires passing through a river.
- Avalanches – Most notable in mountainous regions, but not an impossibility in hiking trails with some form of elevation. Keep your eyes peeled for any cracks on the packed snow, or for a loud rumbling sound, as that is the telltale sound that an avalanche may be occurring at that very moment. At the very least, they only occur on slopes of 30 degrees or more and are only disrupted with major vibrations on the ground (like an earthquake).
- Snowy Cliffs – The snowpack can make it difficult for one to distinguish how far a trail goes, as snow and ice have a tendency to extend far beyond the actual solid ground, giving the illusion of a longer path, when in reality the snow will give way and cause you to plummet to your doom if you step on it. The best way to avoid this scenario is to avoid cliff routes or trails that go through cliffs entirely.
Learn ascension and descension movement in the snow
While going uphill, don’t take too high steps, while “kicking” the snow back. If you see these kicked steps from previous hikers, don’t step on them, as they may be icy and slippery.
If you’re going downhill, use gravity to your advantage when stepping down instead of forward.
Finally, wear lots of layers!
This is a given for winter. If you are going out, make sure to dress appropriately. It’s cold as is, but it can definitely go for much lower than that, especially if the day starts getting late
Make sure your attire is enough to keep you warm… or at the very least keep you from freezing away.