What's your style?

[Neil]

After doing a few hikes in the ADK's and trying different things Dom and I think we've hit on our favourite hiking style.

Drive down close to the TH the night before and stay at a motel (or car crash if its not winter).

Do a really ambitious dayhike that has a twist to it if possible.
Crash at the motel.

Recover and have fun planning the next adventure.

Adventure is the key word and is what I mean by the twist. It dosn't have to be a big thing. Skiing out in the dark with headlamps is a twist, so is bushwhacking to the Wright slide early in the morning. I don't like danger but not knowing if I'll succeed or if maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew adds a tiny bit of prehike uncertainty that I really like. It also makes for great tasting beer at the end of the day.

So, what's your style?

[lumberzac]

In spring, summer, and fall:
Friday: Arrive at trailhead around 7pm, sometimes later. Hike in 3 to 4 miles and set up camp.
Saturday: Break down camp and pack up. Backpack all day. Setup new camp.
Sunday: Break down camp, hike out, and stop at a local diner for some food.

[mike1889]

Get up early (pre-dawn) after sleeping a few hours (hopefully), drive 2 or 2.5 hours to trailhead (High Peaks), hike part or all day, almost always get out before dark, drive home, sometimes stop at a restaurant to get a quick meal or at convenience store to grab a snack, sleep in my warm bed.

[NukedRocket]

Get up early (pre-dawn) after sleeping a few hours (hopefully), drive 2 or 2.5 hours to trailhead (High Peaks), hike part or all day, almost always get out before dark, drive home, sometimes stop at a restaurant to get a quick meal or at convenience store to grab a snack, sleep in my warm bed.

Ditto...except I gotta stop at the McDonalds in Warrensburg (I-87 exit 23 south) for the biggest chocolate shake I can get my hands on! It's a ritual, Kevin knows what I'm talking about

[Rik]

Get up early (pre-dawn) after sleeping a few hours (hopefully), drive 2 or 2.5 hours to trailhead (High Peaks), hike part or all day, almost always get out before dark, drive home, sometimes stop at a restaurant to get a quick meal or at convenience store to grab a snack, sleep in my warm bed.

This is my winter style as well. The only thing I would add is a beer in lot after the hike and before the ride home.

[shaggy]

I am a teacher, so.....

when school is in session style - friday after school drive from binghamton to a hiking friends house in albany or watertown, crash, get up at 3 in the morning, drive to TH, dayhike, drive to their house, crash, drive homw sunday.

When school is out of session / summer - drive up, set up base camp and live out of my pack and/or car for 5 days, drive home, sleeping at rest stops along the way.

either way, we always end up going to noonmark one way or another afterwards. not the best food ever, but just tradition.

shaggy

[Sparky]

Get up early (pre-dawn) after sleeping a few hours (hopefully), drive 2 or 2.5 hours to trailhead (High Peaks), hike part or all day, almost always get out before dark, drive home, sometimes stop at a restaurant to get a quick meal or at convenience store to grab a snack, sleep in my warm bed.

Same here, usually stopping at the Noonmark.

[soco7tyx7]

base camp style so far. since i dont live close enough to drive for a day we usually drive thurs. night or friday morning real early. get the the TH before noon (hopefully) hike in to a lean-to or site, set up, and do about 20-30 miles in dayhikes on connecting trails over the weekend. i'd like to mix it up tho and do some longer backpacking trips, but so far thats been working out pretty good.

[kwc]

style? I ain't got no stinkin' style ...

(my wife will gladly verify this upon request)

[Hakuna Matada]

Get up at 3 or 4 in the morning and drive 3 or 4 hours to the trailhead. Start hiking at daybreak or shortly after and hike all day. We used to drive back that night but after a few scary rides (window down and radio full blast) we learned we could throw in the tent and pull over at Coreys Road. Then drive back the next day after a leisurely,short day kayaking.

[Kevin]

Ditto...except I gotta stop at the McDonalds in Warrensburg (I-87 exit 23 south) for the biggest chocolate shake I can get my hands on! It's a ritual, Kevin knows what I'm talking about

Used to, I haven't been lately. Hope they're still in business without me!

Not that I'm trying to eat healthy, but I've doing doing all group hikes and no one shares the same enthusiasm for McDonalds after a hike as I do, so it's been mostly diner food lately. Hopefully this summer I'll be back on track with my saturated fats. You'll probably be around for some of the summer hikes too, so that's the sort of negative influence I need .

I'm a dayhiker by choice. Sometimes I like getting out for a weekend, so I go camping rather than hike, camp, hike camp hike camp. Setting up and breaking down everyday annoys me to some extent, unless it's out of necessity. MOST hikes I'm interested in doing can be done in a day. This also allows me to do other things on my other weekend day off (yes, I have a life aside from being outdoors).

[Judgeh]

Used to leave my house at 3 or 4 AM and start hiking by ten or later. I discovered that a late start just added pressure to a hike and I tired easily after a drive. Sooooooooo, now I set up camp at my favorite base in the DAKS and start hiking the next morning. Sometimes just dayhikes for several days and sometimes backpacking to a lean to climb tall hills from there.

[Rivet]

I am a day hiker. I usually don't plan too far ahead either. Just go wherever depending on weather conditions and my energy level (plus when I get my butt out of bed).

I would never sleep at a rest area. Too creepy.

[Kevin]

Used to leave my house at 3 or 4 AM and start hiking by ten or later. I discovered that a late start just added pressure to a hike and I tired easily after a drive. Sooooooooo, now I set up camp at my favorite base in the DAKS and start hiking the next morning. Sometimes just dayhikes for several days and sometimes backpacking to a lean to climb tall hills from there.

If I had to drive 3-4+ hours I'd probably do the same thing. Being only 2-2.5 hours from anywhere in the adirondacks makes dayhiking a reality.

[Neil]

I did Allen as a home to home day hike and just about fell asleep at the wheel on the way home. I decided that hikes of that magnitude rate a night or two at a motel and/or car crashing from now on.