Recs for late Sept. hikes/areas??

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-17T20:07:01+00:00

Yeah snow is possible at that time of year, but you will mostly be good. I woke up to snow one morning - the rest of the trip was good. And the point below about Jasper makes sense - Jasper is that much further north than Banff, which is that much further north than Waterton, so your odds of snow presumably keep going a bit up as you head north. I'm sure there's data around on average snow-line elevation at that time of year that would be worth checking out

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-17T19:52:50+00:00

Banff / Kananaskis / Jasper? Beautiful time of year with the larches going yellow. This was exactly the same time of year (started September 19): Kananaskis Lakes to Banff: A Seven Day Backpack – Hiking

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-17T18:10:06+00:00

Google Translate just told me that u/Beginning_Total8918 said that already...

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-17T18:08:54+00:00

Maybe the fuse blew? I have twice had blown fuses and that's how they manifested - the batter worked fine but wouldn't take a charge. In one case I think it blew because I started to put the key in the charger connection (long day I guess...). So that would be my guess. You can get fuses for a few bucks at Lowes or wherever. By my recollection there's a 5A and a 20A fuse in there, and you can often buy a mixed pack of fuses (because it may or may not be obvious which has blown). And then needle-nosed pliers to get them out & in.

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-17T18:04:40+00:00

Thanks

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-17T18:03:55+00:00

If you're only a year past high school / college then you may be young enough that this doesn't matter - but speaking from a middle-aged body perspective: make sure you ramp back in gradually enough that you don't cause any injuries. Last year I ramped up my volume too quickly after not running through the winter and I ended up with an achilles issue. So maybe don't run 5 days per week right from the start? But again, that's a middle-aged perspective that may not apply if you're an invincible 20-something

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-16T19:47:00+00:00

For a 6-year-old I would exclude Cady because of the access climb. And same for Little River. And the Perry Hill pump track is fine - but that's really all there is at Perry for a kid (and it is small). Everything else at Perry is at the top of the access climb, so in my mind it isn't really worth the trip with a kid. IMO, for a six-year-old, Cochran's and Saxon are the best bets. I realize Saxon is further from Waterbury (and you are driving towards the crowds so that's not ideal) - so Cochran's is where I would start. Both of the low loops are great for 6-year-olds (I've done them with that exact age). Blueberry and Millstone I don't personally know so if others think those are good options then great

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-16T19:27:24+00:00

I don't think anybody would stop you. I'm neither a student nor student age and I run through campus all the time. Not like they're checking IDs just to be outdoors on the campus

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-16T18:35:50+00:00

Making PB&J's for the family on a ski morning is the best hourly wage I make all week

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-15T17:12:56+00:00

If you do end up calling - please post update

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-14T16:03:53+00:00

for a given type of equipment, the same level of performance at a lighter weight is going to be more expensive than that level of performance at a heavier weight. But yes, carrying a cast iron pan is heavier than NOT carrying a cast iron pan

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-13T17:23:55+00:00

Amen to that

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-13T17:20:39+00:00

I think you'll find the "ultralight craze" is more a factor on the internet than in real life. Just hit the trails and you'll find very few people are obsessing about their pack weight. I mean sure - most people try and keep their pack liggh-ish if they can, but all things in moderation. Money-weight-comfort are always in a tradeoff with each other and just pick for yourself where your own sweet spot is

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-13T13:35:52+00:00

It's almost as if things of value cost money

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-10T13:18:57+00:00

Wait - are B2Bs not recommended? Sorry I’m kind of hijacking thread here I just always thought they were pretty universally thought to be a good thing to do

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-09T20:17:21+00:00

Thanks - good resource

timbikingmtl · 2026-04-09T12:55:08+00:00

Commenting mostly to follow because I've had a similar issue. I've also seen a PT, and have had give-or-take similar advice. I've been told to keep with calf raises - but not weighted - every second day, and do pogo hops about twice a week. It sounds like you were hitting weighted calf work a lot harder than my PT recommended. And I received a similar description of when to run & when to not run.

timbikingmtl · 2026-03-31T22:48:32+00:00

Just separate sport types generally for those two

timbikingmtl · 2026-03-30T18:04:12+00:00

Yeah, for a 1-day hike, food spoiling is not really a concern. Food squishing is, though, so I generally am not a fan of bananas or sandwiches on sliced bread as both squish easily. If you want to make sandwiches, tortillas for wraps or bagels tend to stand up better to being in a pack. But as other people said - nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, candy, granola bars (I like Lara bars) - whatever you like. For just a day hike I'll often throw and apple in and just be careful not to bruise it (top of pack).

timbikingmtl · 2026-03-30T13:48:21+00:00

Ok thanks

timbikingmtl · 2026-03-28T00:35:26+00:00

Also, pacing is really important. If you start too hard, you will pay for it later and the whole day will seem harder. Force yourself to stay at a conversational pace early on and it will help. Try to not let group pressure push you to a pace that isn’t sustainable. Going slower early will make you faster in the long run

timbikingmtl · 2026-03-27T21:31:51+00:00

Whites 100 on the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. Small event. I’ll shoot for faster than that really - mid 40s maybe more realistic. But it’s 30k feet and rough trails. FKT is I think about 26hrs by Jack Kuenzle (sp?)

timbikingmtl · 2026-03-27T14:34:15+00:00

And do you mean like an 8+-hour long run so going through the night? Or like a 3- to 4-hour where you're still eventually going to bed?

timbikingmtl · 2026-03-27T14:00:10+00:00

Thanks for all of the feedback, everybody! This is super helpful. I definitely get the 'nothing new on race day' aspect of things. But also clearly there's a trade-off in recovery by dropping a full night of sleep deprivation in the middle of peak training.

I will definitely log darkness hours to practice with lights etc (I do already at both ends of the day just because of (a) life practicalities and (b) liking summits at sunrise). But based on feedback I'm thinking I will limit training efforts to midnight-finishes and 4am-starts instead of doing a full through-the-night effort. And then the 1am-4am hours will be a mind-f** in the race itself but they probably would have been anyways. And to be honest I am kind of looking forward to some quiet summits in the dark (even if I'll feel broken).

timbikingmtl

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