Go Hiking Early

Frankly I did not want to write about this. I thought I would bury it somewhere deep in these posts. Why? Because it is a secret. It is the secret to a great hike.

Solitude

People are expected at the mall or on busy streets in downtown. Not on top of a mountain. I am writing this a few weeks after several climbers were killed on Mt Everest while waiting in line to summit. That is not right. It should not have happened. When you go hiking up your local mountain you are usually not faced with life and death situations, but that is still no reason to put up with people. The fewer the better.

When you are the first one on top of the mountain, it is quiet. You can hear God whisper. It is just you and nature. No distracting sounds of peoples voices.

Best Photographs

Do you like the picture I took in the Grand Cayon? I took that early too! You also can stand anywhere you want and get the best photographs. Who wants someone standing on top and there is no room for you? Who wants someone else in their photograph? You can choose where to stand and choose what scenery looks best without having to consider the crowd.

I have done commercials for products on top of a mountain. I couldn’t have taken those videos if there were people mulling around.

The Reality

You might ask yourself, “How can it be that bad?” Oh, it is bad. How do I know? It is because I count people coming up the mountain as I am going down. When I get to around twenty I stop counting. Those summits must be crawling with people. And then once I get back down to the trailhead there are no parking spots left. People are parked illegally.

The only way to avoid this nightmare is to get up very early. How early? Early enough so that you begin your hike at least an hour before sunrise. At least. Two hours is ideal. So go hiking early!