Spring hiking can be great, just don’t head up too high or you’ll hit that snow…unless of course you want to.
These 3 spring hiking tips will help you find the best places to go hiking at this great time of year. Spring in the Rocky Mountains is a wonderful, albeit brief time of year.
Spring is always such a joyous time of year. After a long, cold winter it is time to get outside in something other than long pants and a jacket. Spring brings so many great things to the Rocky Mountains, such as flowers blooming, and birds chirping. However, just because it’s warmer and flowers are beginning to bloom it doesn’t mean you can go charging up those mountain peaks yet. These spring hiking tips will help you find the best places to go.
3 Spring Hiking Tips
Stay At Lower Elevations
In general when you go hiking in the spring you’ll want to stay at lower elevations because there is still snow higher up. Spring is the perfect time to go hiking in the foothills and other lower areas that get too hot in the middle of summer.
Look For Trails That Are South Facing
All trails and parts of a mountain face different directions. In the Rockies those areas that are south facing will receive more sunlight than the north facing slopes. This aspect is crucial in determining what grows there.
The south facing slopes are good places to go hiking in the spring because the snow will have melted off of them faster than the shady or north facing areas.
We used to do a lot of hiking in Mill Creek Canyon in Salt Lake City. That is where I really learned this lesson. During spring the trails on the south facing slope were always snow free and warm as the sun soaked them up. Across the narrow canyon the trails on the other side (north facing) were always much colder and snowier.
Plan Trips To Stay At Lower Latitudes In Early Spring
This may sound like kind of a strange tip, but this is aimed at helping those of you planning trips. If you are planning a trip to do some camping or hiking then you need to keep this in mind.
As you go up in altitude (going north towards northern Montana like Glacier National Park) is similar to going up in elevation. This means that spring arrives later the further north you travel.
Our hiking trip to Glacier National Park in the summer was a bit chilly.
One year my family and I took a trip to Glacier National Park in the middle of summer (early July). We went from 90 degree, sunny days in Salt Lake City to cold, spring days in Glacier. It was a bit of a shock and did not feel like we were on our summer holiday. There was still lots of snow on many of the trails and it was cold!