leafwalker
Trail Wise!
peace on earth and good will toward all - om shanti
Posts: 526 
|
Post by leafwalker on Nov 29, 2020 20:08:30 GMT -8
Wife and I got off my duffs last night and drove out to a MO conservation area about 7 miles from home for a night hike.. 7:30 and 37 degrees. Armed with headlamps on the outside of our stocking hats. Clear skies under a big, almost full moon. Leaving the light of the car we waited a bit for our eyes to adjust to the moon light. Chose to hike a familiar trail of about two and half miles. All things ready and off we went planning to hike down a gentle hill in the mostly leaf fallen oak woods to a small wetland and swing back around and up the hill to make a circle. Most pleasant. Never did turn the headlamps on as the clear sky moon provided our light.
Poetry in shadows, moon light. Bare trees ghost like in the light. Two great horned owls calling their appreciation of the moon for the entire journey. Coyotes called their presence twice. Once to our right not too far off and then once to our left across the narrow wetland. We stood still for a long chorus both times of woofs, barks and yelps. Owls calling. As we, somewhat gingerly knowing the trail along the wetland is wet with some areas of tricky footing, walked along the wetland of ghost trees, water scatterings, and grasses we heard a loud bang. Probably a dead tree falling. Or? As we stood listening to the owls a loud splash in the water drew us in to a new sound. A beaver slapping its tail we suspected. We stood still and hoped to hear a second. Moving on we startled a deer that snorted off. Or, maybe it startled us. Owls calling. Moving on a bit and just about back to the car something ran across the trail in front of us. Fast. Almost between us. Unseen, but movement heard and felt. Obviously startled. Heard a roosted bird take off. Probably a turkey judging by the sound of crashing. In the moon light with the owls calling we secured our journey to memory.
|
|
|
|
Post by johntpenca on Nov 29, 2020 21:02:57 GMT -8
Sweet!
I love hiking under a full moon. One of my most pleasant memories was XC skiing up Rock Creek Canyon/Little Lake Valley (sierra) on a clear, full moon night. With the snow it was so bright there was no need for headlamps. So quiet except for the wind in the trees. Returning to a friends cabin above Rock Creek Lake for a wood fireplace to warm up by and a few beers. Good friends, good times.
|
|
|
|
Post by Coolkat on Nov 30, 2020 5:02:41 GMT -8
This brings back lot of good memories doing night XC skiing with my father at night. Didn't have to travel though. The neighbor has about 40 acres and that we were free to use whenever we wanted. Back then I didn't even know what a headlamp was. But didn't need one anyway since a full moon on snow is already bright enough. Thanks for the good memories!
|
|
|
|
Post by cweston on Nov 30, 2020 7:01:02 GMT -8
Nice. One of my favorite parts of BPing is the dark. I love just sitting in camp and watching it get dark. And I try to get up pre-dawn for possible alpenglow at least one morning per trip. I'm usually too tired for an actual hike in the full moon, but have done it from camp a few times.
Every now and then I go for a full moon stroll around home. We live in the sticks. Sometimes I go out after dark and just walk around the property enjoying the stars or the full moon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lamebeaver on Nov 30, 2020 7:52:05 GMT -8
Woodsie used to organize these once in a while. They were fun!
|
|
rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,666 
|
Post by rebeccad on Nov 30, 2020 7:57:21 GMT -8
I have fond memories of a long-ago hike which was supposed to be moonlit, I think. We’d driven out from Seattle after dinner and had to hike about 3 miles to camp—in a t-storm, as it turned out. Lightning flashes to aid navigation! (This was back in the days of large, heavy, and not very effective headlamps, too. The lightning did help).
|
|
|
|
Post by autumnmist on Nov 30, 2020 10:24:10 GMT -8
leafwalker, your post was so graphic and vivid that I felt as if I was walking alongside. You've created such vivid descriptions. I think tonight I'll go out and walk in the anticipated snow.
|
|
|
|
Post by burntfoot on Nov 30, 2020 20:54:42 GMT -8
In the late 1990's and early 2000's, I'd go off on a full moon hike almost every September or October.
One time, I drove up to Monarch Pass and hiked to the top of the tram lift and then all the way east to the last (4th) radar dish.
I had a snack there and waited until the sun set and then hiked back under the almost-full moon. I tried to hike 2-3 days prior to the actual full moon, so that it would be pretty high in the sky when it got dark, and almost as bright.
Another time, I hiked from the ghost town of Tincup up to Napoleon Pass arriving just after sunset. Then I walked the ridge over 2 or 3 peaks to Cumberland Pass and took that dirt road back down to Tincup. About 15 miles, but it was a Friday night with no school on Saturday.
Another time, I hiked from Cottonwood Pass after school to Mt. Kreutzer south of that pass along the ridge and got there just in time to photograph the cross with the sunsetting behind it.
Another time, I hiked from Silver Jack Reservoir up to Lou Creek Pass, and then north along that ridge to Monument, and then Slagle Passes. Descended to the east to the Silver Jack road and had 7 miles to get back to my truck under full moon. That one was about 20 miles.
The most dangerous hike I did was from the Bear Creek Trail north of Ouray up to Yellow Jacket Mine and then over that divide to the Lake City side. I then hiked north crossing the divide 2 or 3 more times ending up on the Bridge of Heaven south of Ouray. It was sunset, and I had about 3,000 feet to descend. Rather than taking the trail down to the Bridge of Heaven trailhead, I made a beeline to Ouray via an old unmaintained route that was showing on my old topo map (with a mile being like 2 inches). That worked great, and I was able to follow the trail until being cliffed out at something called Sky Rocket drainage. I found the trail had switched-backed down and to the right, and that happened twice more. Then the 4th time it didn't switchback. But, I spooked a deer that went right across that steep drainage. The trail crossed there on steep, narrow scree. The rest of the way was easy. I had a steak in Ouray and then walked back up to the Bear Creek Trail under full moon. I can't remember the mileage on that one, but it was over 15.
The one that scared me the most was the hike up to the Continental Divide from one of the forks of the Arkansas River. I got to the top at sunset, but then the clouds rolled in. There was a lightning storm to the east with the TOP of the lightning being below me. Then, I realized that due to full moon I hadn't brought my head lamp. It took 2 hours to go 1/2 mile through willows back to the road.
I've also done full-moon cross-country skiing. My favorite was a 7-mile from Waunita Hot Springs up to Black Sage Pass and back. Easy going on snowmobile tracks. But, it was minus 20, which was interesting.
And, I broke a ski binding at the ghost town of Floresta once on a weekend ski trip. Took 3 hours with one good ski to get back to the Kebler Pass Road where I was able to hitch a ride with a snowmobiler. It was way after dark by that time.
Finally, there was my 56-mile ski trip under full moon one year during Christmas break. It was meant to be 100 miles with 2 days AND 2 nights under full moon. I started at the Old Monarch Pass road, went over that pass down to the White Pine Road. From there, I went up and over Black Sage Pass and over to Waunita Hot Springs where I checked in with my friend. I skied over Waunita Pass and down to Pitkin where I had arranged a meal with a band parent of a student of mine. After the meal and checking in, it was minus 20 as I headed up towards Cumberland Pass with a warning from my friends about mountain lions in that valley. I bivouacked about a mile and a half before the pass. My water bottles were both frozen solid, and I was getting very thirsty. So, I put a foam pad on the snowmobile tracks, followed by a sleeping bag, and then a space blanket over the top. And, I climbed in with both water bottles and slept for 4 hours from 3 AM to 7 AM. That put me behind. The next morning I got an early start (forgot to put the ski boots into the sleeping bag also - and they were stiff) and went up and over Cumberland Pass and down to Tincup. A mile beyond, Search and Rescue found me as I was hurrying to get out to Taylor Park Trading Post. But, my friend had called them when I didn't check in at 9:00 AM. They offered me a ride to the Trading Post, but I told them to just call my friend and have him drive up to get me while I skied out. I had a huge blister on my right heel about an inch in diameter due to the stiff boots, so I called it quits there. My original plan on that second day was to ski up to the Reno Divide from Taylor Park, and then down to Cement Creek. Do the nordic trails to Crested Butte, where I would have another steak. Then under the full moon that second night I had intended to ski up to Kebler and Ohio Creek Passes, and down to where the plows stopped plowing in the winter on the Ohio Creek Road. That all would have been about 100 miles.
|
|
|
|
Post by starwalker on Nov 30, 2020 22:27:09 GMT -8
My favorite full-moon hike was the West Rim at Zion National Park. My boss organized it and we were out all night. I had to be back at work at 8 AM, got back to the dorm at 6 AM, slept one hour, got breakfast and went to work. She, on the other hand, didn't have to go to work until noon. Of course, she didn't give me any problems about napping on the job in the Cafe at the Lodge.
I hiked up on the Game Refuge behind my house for my 50th birthday on a full-moon night and stealth camped for the night. A near-by ant hill population woke me up quite early.
Last night, I went walking through my pasture, and tonight again. Much like leafwalker, I heard all sorts of animal noises, including coyotes, owls and deer. I didn't hear any trees come crashing down though the wind was strong.
I cowboyed one full moon night above the Grand Canyon on the East Rim. It was beautiful there too.
My first full moon hike was a late night hike up Urraca Mesa at Philmont Scout Ranch from where I was working at Rayado. I was bored, so I took off, letting my tentmate know where I was going, and got back before midnight. It was a bit spooky as a few days earlier some Cub Scouts had discovered the remains of a 1800's trapper who had probably fallen into a crevasse on the Mesa.
|
|
desert dweller
Trail Wise!
Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
Posts: 6,291
|
Post by desert dweller on Dec 1, 2020 5:28:32 GMT -8
Hiking in the desert during a full moon is like hiking during broad daylight. Of course there isn't any color just shades of grey that concentrate into black that represent green vegetation. The few times I've mountain hiked it was the moonlight illuminating the icicles hanging from three limbs would put indoor Christmas decorations to shame
It's been a while since I've done any extended full moon hike. Time to do it again soon. Thanks for the memories and motivation.
|
|
