For most hikers winter means putting away the hiking boots and maps and hunkering down in front of a warm fire in the fireplace. But in San Diego, dry winter air means clear vistas atop some of the area’s most picturesque peaks, making it the best time of year to get outside. Not only that, winter means spectacular sunrises and sunsets and, according to the San Diego Reader, Cowles Mountain in San Carlos and Woodson Mountain near Ramona offer the best sunset views in winter.

Here in the southeast winter means great views as well - though here it’s all about the leaves falling off the trees to reveal awesome mountain vistas. Many of my favorite mountain hikes and bike rides take on a totally new look in winter which makes them feel brand new, even if I’ve done them dozens of times before.

With the kids out of school and time off work, the winter holidays are a great time to get out and hike or camp! I have my own New Year’s tradition of taking a mountain bike ride on New Year’s day - this year I’ll be heading down to Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama - see you on the trail!

Related posts:

1. Winter ice storm means indoor camping in northeast
2. Packing a pulk for winter camping
3. Winter camping in Utah
4. Proof that winter camping can be fun
5. Staying clean & sanitary while camping

This entry was posted on Monday, December 29th, 2008 at 8:49 am and is filed under hiking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.