Whether on a date, introducing myself at a meetup, chatting with friends, or talking about my travels with family, there is one question I hear all the time. A question, that on the surface sounds pretty strait forward, but one I've never had a really good answer for: "What is your favorite season?"
Why is this such a hard thing for me to answer? Because, I simply don't know how to. Favorite season? That's like trying to ask me which neice or nephew I love more or which friends I like to spend more time with. I just can't answer that simply. Just like best friends, lovers, kids, each season is unique and different. Each one has its draw backs, its merits, and it's activities that are best done during it.
Now you might be thinking, "How can you not have a favorite season?" My response to that, oh ye of little faith, is to simply show you our take on the seasons here at Wonder Bound and how each one is amazing in its own way.
Winter (AKA Snow Season)
The best way to start, is to kick things off with the current season. This is probably one of the easier seasons, and for most one of the least loved of the four. Winter is amazing because it is the only season with snow. This means that winter is the only season for snow sports. Snow shoeing, ice climbing, skiing, snow boarding, sledding, ice skating, etc. Unless you live in mountains that get snow year round, winter is your only season for this.
However, snow sports are not the only thing winter is good for. After a good snow, winter produces a scenery that is unlike anything you've ever see. Raven and I have more than once made a winter trip to a trail hiked in summer for none other that the vast difference between to two hikes. Fallen leaves let you can see deeper into the forest, moonlight reflecting off of fresh snow creates one uniquely bright nighttime hikes, not to mention snow's natural sound dampening gives a winter hike a sense calm solace that can't be found any other time of the year. Depending on where you go, winter hikes tend to be more scarcely populated. Your average person doesn't like the cold, which means you get to experience hikes that are less crowded, and less likely to feel rushed. Add a fresh snow to cover any previous tracks, and you get to feel like you are the first person to explore an area. After playing all day in the snow, winter means you also get to come in, strip off your wet clothes, get under a warm blanket, and sip hot cocoa. If you've never experienced that feeling when your body is warming up from the cocoa but your skin is still icy to the touch and you can feel your own body heat being reflected at you from a blanket, you are sorely missing out.
Don't have the cold weather gear to brave to outdoors or hiking just isn't your thing? There is another great parts of winter. Winter is Museum Season. Not to say that you can't or shouldn't go to museums during other seasons but, if the weather's too cold, and there isn't enough snow on the ground to enjoy it, a museum is the best place to go. It's the middle of the school year, so you won't have to compete with field trips like you would in late spring or early summer, and museums can make for a great way to spend a snow day while you wait for fresh powder to build up. Finally if you have a exceptional loathing for that cold, many larger museum and Zoos have areas that simulate warm weather for the animals house there. The Butterfly house inside teh Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Amazon House at the D.C. National Zoo, and Tropical area of Chicago's Shedd Aquarium are all such place that will give you a summer Oasis in the dead of winter.
Spring (AKA Mud Season)
Spring is an odd ball season. It gets lots of love because it's the season where you can start breaking out your summer gear as it slowly gets warmer, and it means that your favorite summer activity is right around the corner. At the same time, it's too cold for most summer adventures like going to the beach, and it's too warm to do most winter activities. The icing on the cake, as this section's title hints, all that melting snow and chilly spring rains mean that there is mud. And I mean a lot of mud.
Spring brings many nice features after a long winter of outdoors activities. First, spring means you can start to shed some of the weight from the gear and layers needed for winter activities as well so spring hikes tend to be easier. On top of that, as we witnessed on our Mt. Hood hike, depending on where you are, you can continue to ski or snow shoe well into May while wearing tank tops or shorts. Lastly, similar to winter, many hikes are relatively empty. This is because most people who don't like to hike in the cold, don't enjoy a hike in the rain or mud. Which leaves you with more opportunities to feel alone in nature.
Hiking isn't the only thing to do in this season. It is the first point in the year you can camp with 3-season gear. This means if you aren't able to own the 4-season gear needed to camp in the winter, spring is your first chance to start sleeping outdoors again. With camping comes campfires and spring tends to also mean that most of the dry weather burn ban warnings for camp fires normally end in spring. Spring is also the season, in many areas, the start of the outdoor climbing season. Most crags we visit here in the Mid Atlantic region require no more than a puffy in the cold early mornings, but warm afternoons heat the rocks and means the majority of the day can be spent in relatively comfortable temperatures.
Last, spring is the best season to start white water sports. Most rivers ice over or run shallow in the winter. And summer and autumn require rain prior to a trip. Spring however, with its constant flow of snow melt and regular showers, ensures that while you may need to pack a wet suit, the water levels are beyond adequate all season.
Summer This is probably going to be the one of the shorter sections of this article. Summer is the season that everyone expects to be an outdoorsy type's favorite season. To an extent, that is true. Aside from snow sports, this is the the season where pretty much every activity can be done. Camping, Hiking, Kayaking, Climbing, the list goes on and on.
This is also the season where the temperatures peak. Waterfalls, while still cold, are now swimmable, and you can start paddle boarding, surfing, and other beach activities without needing special equipment like a wet suit.
Whether you are hiking, backpacking, or climbing, your weight load considerably decreases. This is because in most places, summer means you no longer need a majority of the gear you might need in other seasons. Pants can be replaced with shorts, thermals can be replaced with silk base layers or nothing at all, heavy coats can be replaced with super light puffies. Summer, in my experience, is the season you get to push yourself, as long stretches of good weather mean much of your gear can be shed and, only carrying the essentials means you can put more energy towards a goal.
With that all said, summer does have one draw back. Summer is hot. Now this is not to say people are wrong that summer is the best season. No, summer is amazing, but you are limited with how long you are able to do certain activities and how many breaks you need to hydrate and cool off drastically increase when the daily high temp is hitting 100°F (38°C).
Autumn (AKA Camping Season)
Last we come to Autumn which is very similar to spring. Rain, in most areas, causes a second mud season and, just like in spring, this mud doesn't mean you have to stop doing things like hiking and climbing, it just means you're going to get a bit dirty doing it.
There is, however, a major difference between spring and autumn. In spring, the days are still pretty short, and snow may still be on the ground. In autumn, however, days are still rather long, and any precipitation is going to be rain. What this means, unlike spring where things are still uniformly chilly, autumn has temperatures that remain more warm in the day and tapper to cool at night, making it prime hammock camping weather and the perfect time of the year to sit around a campfire making s'mores.
Autumn is the season of relaxing after challenging yourself for a year. Raven and I enjoy watching movies at drive in theaters as one of our main activities. Shortening days and cooler temps make the best time of the year for it.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, each season has something that makes it amazing. Of course, this is all up to you. If you don't like museums, or going to the beach isn't your thing, certain seasons might not have a lot to offer you. That said, there are also a lot of things that can be done year round no matter the season or weather. Things such as going to museums, fishing, and hiking can be done pretty much anytime anywhere. Further, traveling and exploring places like breweries, restaurants, and local shops can also be done year round. We don't have a favorite season because every season is amazing. Adventuring and exploring is something that can be done 365 days of the year. This is just what a year looks like for us, here at Wonder Bound. You don't have to be limited in your adventures because a season is over. Observe the conditions and what the seasons have to offer you where you live, and plan your own calendar of things to do and places to see all year round. If you do, I promise you will find yourself thinking the same thing as us when it comes to your favorite season, "Do I have to pick just one?"
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