“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness.” John F. Kennedy
As an avid hiker, mountaineer and lover of the outdoors, I wanted to share this article I wrote as a Board Member of the Issaquah Alps Trail Club with our patients to encourage getting outside whenever possible. –Dr Selena Eon
On an after work hike to PooPoo Point, another hiker commented to me that they were surprised to not be the only people on the trail as the sun set. I chuckled and responded “I work the same hours regardless of season!”. With sunset coming as early as 4:17pm, and sunrise as late as 7:57am we have significant hours of darkness upon us during fall and winter. What’s a hiker to do? Gain comfort spending time outside in darkness!
It can be challenging to get comfortable in the dark of night when we’ve been trained to fear it. Yet, there is much to gain from spending time outside in darkness. If you notice fear outside in darkness, ask yourself what you are afraid of. For me, it was fear of “animals lurking” in the darkness. I realized that the animals present don’t change with the time of day, this is their home all the time! Soon I was comfortable with sunset bats overhead, the glowing eyes of deer next to the trail and adorable little mice running across the trail in my headlamp beam.
If you’re considering making the jump to hiking in the dark, read on for helpful ideas to change your hiking life!
- Lighting: Non-negotiable for hikes in darkness. If you own multiple flashlights and headlamps, try them out and see what works best for you. I prefer a 200-400 lumen beam that can highlight uneven spots in the trail so I can see where i’m going, but not so bright that I impact the woodland creatures negatively. I tested a 3000 lumen headlamp and was amazed at how far I could see! In foggy conditions, it is usually best to use a lesser amount of light as the fog can reflect light back towards you and make it harder to see. Check your battery power in advance, and always bring a backup lighting option in case your battery runs out. I keep tiny keychain lights clipped into all my packs just in case of emergency, and have given them to unprepared hikers. My phone and watch have built-in flashlights as well.
- Familiarity: New darkness hikers will be best served by choosing familiar locations. Go somewhere you’ve hiked many times. It’ll feel fresh and new in the darkness! Crowded hikes that you might avoid on sunny summer days feel spacious in darkness, but you may still find company. It is easier to get off-route when your visual input is limited, so be sure to have navigation aids on-hand to double check that you are on route.
- Company: It can feel more comfortable hiking in darkness with others. Invite your friends and family on a darkness hike!
- Animals: Those glowing eyes and shrubbery rustling are usually deer. I’ve also seen (or heard) owls, mice, voles and bats on Issaquah Alps hikes in the darkness. Common wisdom states that larger animals like cougar, bear and coyotes are more common around sunrise and sunset, although you are still extremely unlikely to encounter them, just like during daylight. On one sunrise hike to PooPoo Point, I noticed a bear running from the landing area. Perhaps they were enjoying the sunrise just like I was!
- Timing: You might prefer hiking in the morning versus hiking in the afternoon or evening. Experiencing sunrise and sunset have different flavors to them. Try both and see what resonates with you and your schedule.
Although I spend a fair amount of time hiking and trail running in darkness, I checked in with local ultrarunner, past IATC Board Member Mark Griffith. Mark trains in the early morning hours year-round, often starting and ending his trail runs in darkness. Mark keeps his headlamp charged up at his desk, a ultralight backup light in his running vest and wears a headlamp at his waist for extra visibility while running. Great ideas from an expert!
Enjoy the changing season and the new experiences it can provide you by finding peace in the hours of darkness each fall and winter season.