Winter Hiking - I Hate It

Yes You read that title correctly. I'm obsessed with hiking but winter hiking I really can't stand I know, "Gasp" right?!

Living in new England you would figure that I would love the snowy white wintery cold icy hikes. Nooooope, Hate hate hate it!!

I hate bundling up, I hate being cold I don't like being wet and cold and it's gets dark to early, now add that all together, it's just not my thing. To me it's misery. Lol

Yes the scenery is beautiful, the right perfect amount of snow blanketing the spruces and pines. The quiet calm stillness is thee best most relaxing thing ever and breathing in the fresh crisp air!! Sounds dreamy and it is dreamy, and yet it's so drab and barren on the other hand. Ice cold death looking lol I love taking photos of that cold dark dreary look with no leaves on the trees, dark skies , makes for awesome photography shots, just don't like being in it.

I hate when you have to bundle up , hats coats gloves heavy jackets scarves, I'm getting anxiety thinking about it, lmao. Then when you head out to the trailhead dressed up looking like the kid from the A Christmas story movie, you start sweating 15 minutes in because of the 273 layers of clothes you have on, start peeling layers off , now I'm pissed because my pack isn't big enough to carry the layers. So now you're down to thin layers sweating , it's a whopping 20 degrees out and Boom you're sick the next day!

Then there's the cold ripping in your face, ripping red face ears picking like needles, nose running , now you have to get the tissue out of your pocket or pack but it's a task now because your gloves are in the way. It's just all to much for me to deal with.

And then theres the time. It gets dark out at 4pm. So if you want to get any sort of decent hike in and do some dillydallying on the trail you must get up at the asscrack of dawn , especially if you have to travel a bit away from home to do a trail...It just feels to rushed for me .

Yes I realize that not everyday is dark, bone cold and dreary and that the sun does shine, and we have mild days. But it's just not in me to go bundle up and hike. It's not for everyone and it doesn't make me any less of a hiker than someone who enjoys hiking 4 seasons. I'm a 2 season kind of 3 season , lol

I just can't seem to relax and enjoy a hike in the winter. I hate winter even when I wasn't into hiking. Being a new Englander my whole life you'd think I'd like winter. Nooooooo

Like I said before, the scenery and views are absolutely gorgeous in the winter ( when not looking and drab and lifeless) but I just prefer to see them out the window with blanket on curled up all warm and snuggly.

Give me a nice spring or fall day where I can just throw on a tshirt, shorts, trail shoes and my backpack and off i go. Notice i said spring and fall, because i hate summer, or should i say half of summer, lol That's going to be a whole different blog about Summer hiking lol

Ya never know, someday I may fall in love with winter hiking , doubt it, but it may happen. My introverted side shines more in the winter, a Wintrovert , Yes! im a Wintrovert, I just made that up and cracked myself up at the same time. Oh look i multi-tasked also ..

Sooooo what i do all winter to get by is lurk on AllTrails and add trails to my list of trails to do. I search online for places to go in other states in New England to hike. For instance, I've planned to hike sections of the NET, ( New England Trail) and some of the North South Trail. Purchased my NET trail maps on Amazon already. Stuff like that! as I patiently wait for the end of March beginning of April to get here so I can go back out. Hikes are muddy at the start of my hiking season but that's a-ok in my world, nothing like a good dirty hike with mud lmao

And there it is, I hate winter in general lol

Drop a comment down below and let me hear your thoughts about winter hiking, whether you love it or loathe it.

HAPPY HIKES!!