The National Parks have some of the great trail hikes.  The key is to go when no one else is there, which means: not summer.  Watch the weather maps and spot a window of opportunity for a pleasant, un-crowded hike.  Winters in Zion National Park are often mild with 60 degree daytime temperatures possible.  DayHiker has hiked this majestic red canyon the past two winters around Jan 1, found the weather great and the accommodations (Desert Pearl Inn, Springdale) upscale.

Access to controlled venues like city/state/U.S. parks can be problematic but appear to be opened for the most part (August 2020) as the U.S. struggles it way through the COVAD pandemic.

Many first experience the Teton Range as a visual drive-by on their way to Yellowstone on Route 89.  Stop next time and experience first hand the geologically-recent, dramatically uplifted mountains with canyons sculpted by glaciers.  This is the European Alps, the Colorado Rockies, the California Sierra Nevada’s, the Himalayas in compact form … easily accessible and hikeable on well maintained, gently sloped switch back trails.

Go Early: Would you rather start out in the dark or end in the dark? You can always sleep after the hike is over. Getting on the trail at 3 or 4 in the morning sounds extreme, but it makes sense.  High altitude hikes can be prone to afternoon thunderstorms.  It’s much better to reach the summit by 10-11am and be out of harms way by the time of afternoon thunderstorms. Another benefit of heading out at or before dawn is cooler weather.  Less heat means less sweating, therefore less water needed and a lighter load.

This is the third in a series of articles about walking from your home in a highly populated area.  Pt Loma to Oceanside is an 11-hour 39-mile marathon kept interesting by the bay, beaches, and bustle of activity along the scenic coastline and Pacific Coast Historic Highway 101..   I walked this twice (returned by car) as a training hike for the 100km one day 100k trek along the Potomac River starting in Washington DC.

“Where are you hiking, I was asked a few years ago?”  I replied, “Croatia.”  I might as well have answered, “Phoebe” (one of Saturn’s moons), after hearing the next questions: “Why?” “Isn’t it dangerous,” and, “Where is that?”  Yes, the Balkans did have tragic times in the 1990’s, unwinding their pent up political and ethnic differences after the fall of Tito; and clearly, international travel is burdened with security concerns but not is Croatia.

For a west coast hiker the quickest way to get a flavor of east coast hiking is to do all or part of the Presidential Traverse. New Hampshire, the “Granite State” with its motto, “Live Free or Die,” gives a hint about the trails. They are free from the structure of easy sloping switchbacks trails so familiar around Europe and the western U.S. The hikes are characterized by constant ups and downs and the pace is slow. The deciduous trees of the lower slopes often blanket a rugged trail of granite-lined ravines.