HikerT wrote:Any recommendations for start times? I've read about 3AM start times for Longs, not sure if that's overkill or not, or if all peaks are subject to the same afternoon storms. I tend to be a fast hiker, but I'm not sure how I'll find the elevation. 10K is the highest elevation I've hiked to.
I generally plan my start times as if all peaks are subject to afternoon storms. When you get a little closer to your planned hike date, use the weather links on this site to get a point forecast for a location close to the summit. For example, the Huron forecast is centered a little south of the summit and at 12,326'. I find these point forecasts to be more useful than forecasts for the nearest town. You can also scroll down and click the Hourly Weather Graphs to get a better idea of what time of day rain/thunder is predicted.
As for recommended start times, my basic method for Class 1/2 standard routes (with little to no snow) is to assume 1,000'/hr elevation gain and subtract from 10:00am. If the route is above treeline for lengthy sections, I might subtract from 9:00am instead of 10:00am.
If you were thinking of Huron's Northwest Slopes (3,500'), my default start time without taking into account forecast or other variables would be 6:30am. This method gets thrown off a little if you've got a lengthy/flat approach like walking up the road from Winfield. I've never walked that part of the road, but figure two miles might add 30-60 minutes, call it 5:45am start. If you consider yourself to be a fast hiker, 1,000'/hr is probably within your capabilities. To be conservative, you could assume 500'/hr for anything above 13,000' or something like that. I think of myself as a little slower than average pace.
I think this planning approach is conservative because I'm usually faster than 1,000'/hr on the standard routes and 10am is usually early enough to avoid afternoon storms. In my mind, it never hurts to start earlier for summertime conditions.
