12 Essentials of Christmas Hiking
It's almost officially winter. Do you have these 12 Essentials?
Happy holidays! It's almost officially winter, and we're marking the occasion by highlighting the 12 signature things you can expect on your winter hikes this season.
Enjoy.
On the 12th day of winter my hiking partner gave to me...
12 piping ounces
A hot thermos of something warm can make a chilly hike many times more enjoyable. Photo by Susannah Holmes.
Having a hot drink (or soup) in a thermos on trail is primo. WTA staff highly recommend chicken or miso broth, but tea, coffee or another warm bev also work.
11 friends a-planning
Two's company, three's a crowd, four is a pretty good showing for a cold winter day. Photo by trip reporter snowCat.
People here love planning hikes. But snow, social obligations and darkness-triggered inertia can prune your hiking team quickly. Luckily, a smaller group fits better into one car, so you can all carpool together to the trailhead.
10 (thousand) geese a-flying
Snow geese arrive in early November and stick around until February. Photo by Page Lane.
Such majesty. Such chaos. So much poop.
9 critters begging
Chipmunks are classic tricksters. Don't let them fool you into feeding them. Photo from WTA photo contest archives.
Whether it's a chipmunk, a bird or a squirrel, they sure are cute. But don't feed them.
8 hands a-warming
All four of you who actually made it out the door for your winter hike better have gloves — it's cold out there! Did you decide to volunteer? Your gloves will serve you well there, too. If you need a recommendation, we gotcha covered.
7 extra layers
Anyone have an extra glove? Photo from WTA photo contest archives.
Layering is key on winter hikes. Some start cold, some wear everything they own. Either way, have something cozy to put on after your hike.
6 a.m. start
Headlamp art. Photo by Kristen Sapowicz.
There's nothing like an alpine start to let you take full advantage of the 4 seconds of sunlight we get in the winter. Better get to bed early so you can hit the trail in the dark.
5 bags of snacks
Fritos — also good for scooping chili, if you brought your thermos. Photo by Erika Haugen-Goodman.
Maybe don't bring 5 bags of Fritos, but trail mix, chips, dried fruit, M&Ms and sunflower seeds? Heck yeah. Whatever you crave, bring plenty of it for those chilly winter hikes.
4 types of weather
Man, what a great view. Photo by trip reporter cristina.
It'll be raining at home, snowing on the way to the trailhead, and clear on trail, but did you really go hiking in the winter if it's not cloudy at the top? Hope you brought those layers.
3 different passes
A Discover Pass and a NW Forest Pass are your best bet for the most year-round hiking access, but you'll want a Sno-Park Pass in the winter to visit places like Gold Creek Pond. Photo by Erika Haugen-Goodman.
Sno-park? Discover? NW Forest Pass? If you didn't check our Hiking Guide before you left for the trailhead, just get all three and throw them all on your dashboard.
2 backup plans
If the trailhead looks like this, it's time for Plan B. Photo by trip reporter marbysdo.
Just in case the trailhead is packed. Or the road sucks.
... and a hiking app on your phone
If your backup plans failed you (or didn't exist in the first place), WTA Trailblazer (for iOS and Android) will bail you out in a pinch with our "hikes near me" feature. Get into it.
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