The Advantages of Fall Hiking
You might think that Fall hiking in August is a bit premature. Summer runs its course by the calendar but also by the amount of water in the soil and most of all—temperature. August is the month when fall begins and it’s safe to say that by the end of August fall has arrived; it’s a certainty in the high country. Much of the ground cover starts to transition its green foliage to yellows and reds, perfect for photography.
At sea level August is the end of summer, but at 5,000 to 6,000 ft. the summer temperatures average about 55 to 45 degrees and less so on gray days. Just as the cooling begins to trigger changes, so does the lack of water. Mountain soils most often are built with course granules. Unlike soils that contain larger amounts of fine particles—like clay, coarse soils at altitude in the mountains lose water quickly and by August they may be exhausted.
Subalpine plants, short on water, daylight, and warmth recognize their need to transfer their energy from their aboveground structure to their roots.
This brief period between hot days and fall snow is a priceless opportunity for hikes draped in astounding color along with the absence of deer flies and mosquitoes. Fall hiking, aside from the wonderful colors, makes fording rivers easier. Snow melt is generally over by fall and rain is usually light in June and July. Stream flows decline rapidly in August and as such, fording in water at or below your knees is fall’s gift to you.
Snow collecting on the mountain meadows and rocky passes in the Olympic Mountains marks the end of fall and the dawn of winter.
As for the extremes, only four times in my 65 years of hiking the Olympic Mountains did the weather outsmart the seasons. Each of those times the weather was cold and wet from May through July. The result of the cold streak was that the snowpack didn’t completely melt out as you would expect and the snow pack began to grow in August and continued on through fall, winter and early spring. These four events were anomalies that stopped fall hiking before fall arrived.
Ordering “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains”
You can order the Book at Villagebooks.com. in August.
Enter “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” in the Villagebooks search box below their logo at the top of the opening page.
All of the past articles beginning with March are accessible. Click here to visit the Archive page. Additionally, if you’re interested in what’s coming next, here they are:
August 15: “The Last of Summer Hikes”
September 1: “Stay Fit”
September 15: “Planning Hikes for 2024”
October 1: “Order Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains”
Visit LoopHikes.com frequently. Photos, information and stories change periodically, but sharing information with you comes first. Questions? Contact me at LoopHikes@olympus.net. Your curiosity is the foundation of building a better understanding. Tell your friends.