The Thrill of Night Hiking

Night hiking in the mountains is one of the coolest activities you can experience.  I have done it on a few occasions, from short distance trails near campgrounds to a couple hours trekking on the John Muir Trail at high altitude, and the sensual perceptions registered are seemingly more heightened, which produce an extra-euphoric feeling as surrounding environments are far more mysteriously majestic.

One trip that stands out in particular was a late night drive up to Road's End in Kings Canyon National Park for a weekend backpacking trip with a friend of mine that had been a former co-worker in that same area.  He got off work late on a Friday night, and we arrived at the trailhead at about 10:30 p.m. and quickly began our journey to a backcountry campground known as Upper Paradise Valley about 15 miles further into the Sierras.

The first few miles of the trail doubles as a day trail up to a popular waterfall called Mist Falls, but the trail continues on past it to three backcountry campgrounds (including the aforementioned Upper Paradise Valley campground) and eventually to the John Muir Trail.  It was thrilling walking parallel to and meandering along with the Kings River, and once the trail began to ascend, walking along the loud rushing rapids in the dark was quite an adrenaline-filled experience.

There were particularly beautiful sections of the hike that I remember especially well.  One being when openings in the thick tree canopy above allowed light to flicker like glitter on the foamy water and smooth, shiny rocks.  Another was when we ascended a rocky ledge where a moon-illuminated vista was visible to the south.  It looked surreal the way the barren granite walls and mounds of talus were gleaming seemingly candescently.  A little further up from there, a large portion of the southern Sierras was visible, and the luminescent peaks and ridges shadowing layers of jagged crags and spires created an eerie, gothic looking landscape.  

Here are some tips for night hiking, and here are some ideas to entertain if you want to go out and enjoy the experience yourself!