Originally Posted by
datlas
It's sad because days are shorter and temps are cooler.
That's actually an important factor when planning tours this time off year. If they are hilly, slow days, you can find yourself rushed to get stuff done while it's still light out. During my latest trip I found myself pitching my tent in the dark a some nights because I decided to relax, shower and cook first. And I was always getting up to make coffee and eat breakfast in the dark. All that impacts headlamp battery usage. You also tend to trip over things like rocks and roots at your campsite.
Montana/Idaho in mid to late-June is the complete opposite, especially the farther north you are. A couple of nights I have camped near the western border of Montana and then spent the next night near the eastern border of Idaho. The border serves as the border between MDT and PDT. So on day one, if sunrise in Montana is at 6:00 it is at 5 the next morning in Idaho. On the flip side, it gets darker an hour earlier than in Montana.