Twilight 14ers

[ltlFish99]

I hiked Torreys later one day just to hang out on top for the sunset.
My favorite experience of this type was leaving camp Muir on Rainier at 1:00 am. It started l to light up as we approached dc, and was rising as we got above dc and headed for the summit. It was very enjoyable as I was young and had only started hiking about 18 months prior.

[Wentzl]

Full moons are nice, but I have learned that half full waxing is better than full if you want light after dark!

[pbarn]

I liked Antero at night by a full moon. I think the jeep trail up there is pretty ugly in the day, but by night you don't see it and it actually makes walking in the dark easier.

I once tried Pikes from Crags in the dark. Got up to just above treeline and stopped to have a snack, started feeling lonely up there all by myself, so turned around and came down. Whole way down through the trees I pictured that scene from Get Out where the guy is running straight at you through the trees and freaked myself out. So basically I drove to Colorado Springs to go for a walk by myself in the dark and scare myself s***less... A good time had by all.

[9patrickmurphy]

Full moons are nice, but I have learned that half full waxing is better than full if you want light after dark!

Why would this be? Does the moon stay out longer if it's still waxing? Been a while since middle school astronomy.

[Wentzl]

It is higher in the sky and provides more useful light when needed. A "full" moon rises at sunset, but not high enough to light many canyons until well after dark

[Reg0928]

I went up Shav on a full moon. Left Salida after work around 6:00pm and hit the summit at like 9:30-10:00 or so. The cows around the CT junction scared the hell out of me on the way down

[myfeetrock]

I did a full moon hike of Sherman in mid April a few years back. It was really cool to not have to use a headlamp. Incredibly bright. I did a late hike on Antero. I was chased down to treeline by storms, but went for it when the skies cleared. I was on the summit at 10PM. The moon came up not to long after. I didn't realize it was going to be a full moon, so this was a bonus. Handies was a sun set hike. No moon on the way down. Elbert was another full moon hike. All worth it.

[Ivar]

These stories are great to hear. My favorite: Capitol Peak, Friday the 13th, full harvest moon (Sept 13th, 2019). My buddy forgot his headlamp, but it was so bright we only occasionally turned on our one light. We arrived at the top around midnight and slept there, waking up to watch the shadow of the peak at sunrise, right next to the moonset. IMG_1665-smaller

[KingHenryJames3rd]

Anyone else feel...
Perfectly normal hiking in the dark in the morning, no worries?
But hiking down a peak in the dark evening feels eerie, noises are creepy, and you wonder what is watching you? Is that a cougar?
Why the difference? Maybe just used to the morning darkness?

Have done a few peaks at night. Mostly just to do it. Was OK. You can usually find people on the easier peaks during fool moons in the summer and early fall.

I really love sunsets on the summits. Few people, if any. Watching the colors change to the night sky, pretty incredible up high.

Joel

Definitely not alone in that feeling. It's weird I have no problem starting a hike at 12am to 3am but for whatever reason try to start at 9pm and I freak myself out. Makes no sense!

[WolverPete]

Safely finding your way in the dark up any peak is a challenge, especially if you are solo. But catching a sunrise from the top of a 14er is an incredible feeling. Should be on your bucket list to experience at least once in your life. Planning to get some Astro/Sunrise pics this year from the the top of a 13er/14er. That would be awesome. Just need to find out a good peak to summit.
Pic of sunrise over Kit Carson is from April 2019 from the top of Humboldt.

[Wentzl]

Finding your way up in the dark, especially in winter, where there is only snow, no obvious trail,can be tricky.

Finding your way down in the dark, especially in winter, when you have a nice snowshoe track to follow is usually easy.

So why does the consensus seem to lean toward starting in the dark to finish in light rather than the other way round?

Hey Ivar, Nice Photo!

[Wentzl]

Long's Peak some years ago. Started at 6:00 p.m looking forward to the nearly full moon later that night. Getting the the keyhole around 9:00 and the clouds are thickening. By 10:00, advancing to the top of the Trough, where the rock is now coated with a slick layer of ice, we pull through onto the narrows. Then the storm finds us. From 11:00 to 1:00 we hunker down while the weather comes down all around us. Later, after getting down, we learn that this storm washed away a mobile home park somewhere to the east.


Anyway, we take the beating and head down, not realizing that the worst has past. By the time we get back past the keyhole, the full moon is out and we regret not tagging the summit, but the decision has been made and the only thing to do is continue down.

3:00 a.m. we start meeting those starting up for the new day. What an odd convergence. What can be said? Did you have fun? Will you have fun?

Cross currents on the same river.