Why do you (or don't you) hile solo?

[TCD]

"There are a lot more votes for solo hiking than what I see out hiking where most of the people I meet are in groups."

Good observation, that demonstrates that any poll results here need to be taken with a grain of salt. There are at least three factors affecting this: VFTT is not necessarily representative of the hiking public (probably more experienced/confident going solo); Poll respondents are self selected, and not necessarily representative of VFTT membership (more active posters, nore interested in topic); Many solo hikers are bushwhackers, so you are far less likely to encounter them, due to the vastly larger area involved.

 

[Pete Hogan]

Solo Thoughts

Solo thoughts.....

I solo more than I should, but less than I want. There are probably as many tangible reasons for solo hiking as there are against solo hiking. But it's the intangibles that seem to intrigue me and keep me coming back for more. Like spooking a foraging bear on the shores of Round Pond after a day on Dix or standing on the summit of Whiteface in the middle of winter with no one else around.

When I solo in the winter, I try to stay on more popular routes where there is a greater chance of "hiker traffic" for safety reasons. I truly enjoy the solitude of weekday hikes and not have to wonder about the weather for the weekend. I also enjoy the excitement and anxiety of a sudden t-storm or the insecurity of being overtaken by thick fog.

It also seems that when I hike alone, the mountains ask more of me and I gain more from them. I am totally immersed in every aspect of the experience from listening to the late afternoon song of the Wood Thrush to hearing snow softly land on my shoulder.

But I do have a few very close, trusted and valued hiking partners. It has taken years to find these kindred spirits. Their hiking pace is just right and they appreciate and have the same sense of wonder for everything from target lichen to Alpine azaleas to cloud formations...just like me!

Those folks I would gladly share a solo hike with, anytime.

 

[Stash]

"There are a lot more votes for solo hiking than what I see out hiking where most of the people I meet are in groups."

Good observation, that demonstrates that any poll results here need to be taken with a grain of salt. There are at least three factors affecting this: VFTT is not necessarily representative of the hiking public (probably more experienced/confident going solo); Poll respondents are self selected, and not necessarily representative of VFTT membership (more active posters, nore interested in topic); Many solo hikers are bushwhackers, so you are far less likely to encounter them, due to the vastly larger area involved.

...and if I may add... I do a lot of my hiking mid-week, which is why friends often can't come with me, and why I don't see others.

 

[iceNsnow]

Safer alone?!

Firstly - I love to hike and also love company, so when the two work out great! If not that's great too.

Secondly - I don't feel that much safer w/ others. Of course there have been a few times when it would have been a fright w/o anyone, but there are also plenty of times when we pushed the envelope because we had each other - there have been times when I would have turned back if I were solo. And there are times when others caused the pace to slow and get risky --- especially in winter . Many times I've given stuff from my pack to secure others and it could have jeopardized me. So I'm not totally sold on being safer w/ others all the time.

Not being married to a peakbagger, my husband goes along w/ this so he doesn't have to feel guilty! Isn't that great!

 

[marty]

I used to do mostly solo hiking, then I joined a "Northeast hiking and climbing community" website. Soon afterward, I began to meet some members of this community and now have LOTS of great hiking partners.

I answered 50/50 as I still hike solo, especially when up at my camp in Rangeley, ME and in doing winter jaunts in the state forest behind my house. I rarely do major winter hikes or bushwhacks alone these days.

I'm very happy to have such a awesome group of like-minded friends!

Marty

 

[Chip]

good points, iceNsnow ! I don't know if I'm actually safer when hiking with others, but at least there'd be someone to report back to my wife "He dead" as opposed to her thinking I just kept walking .

Actually my tending not to hike alone is my wife's fault; if I'm with someone she doesn't give the hike a second thought, which makes the hike much more enjoyable for me. If I'm alone she worries, which isn't much fun for her or me.

 

[Christa]

In general, I tend to hike with at least one other person (it helps to be dating a fellow hiker - makes it pretty easy to find a willing hiking partner), and we do frequently hike in small groups, although there's been many hikes with just the two of us.

I have hiked solo a few times. Those hikes, I find that I tend to stay to known trails that are generally shorter and easier than I would if hiking with someone else. They're known trails that I've been on before and I know that I'm not going to come across anything too challenging, like high river crossings, iffy, slick wet ledges, etc. In other words, I try to maximize my safety.

Also, on those rare occassions where I do hike solo, as a female, for safety purposes, I tend to pick more popular trails that I know that a fair number of other people are going to be on. It makes me feel safer that others have at least seen me during the day and/or, if I do get injured on the trail, I'm more likely to have someone come across me and be able to help me out if necessary. You're probably not going to find me solo in the Dry River Widerness or out to Owl's Head any time soon.

 

[TrishandAlex]

I enjoy hiking with other people, but I definitely need my solo time. One of my goals is to re-do each of the 48 solo, both during the day and the night, in winter and during the "normal" hiking season.

I like being able to stop whenever I want to for whatever reason, and I like going at my own desired pace. I also enjoy the solitude...something I haven't gotten much of since becoming a mother almost 7 years ago.

 

[TDawg]

I tend to be a fair weather hiker and live locally so its easier to go solo sometimes on a great day than to make arrangements in advance to go hiking and take chances on the weather....

What he said. That's pretty much what it usually is for me living up here.

And when it comes to hiking, many of my "non-hiker" friends are all talk with a few beers in em. But when it comes down to it they bail. And to most of my buds, anything over like 5 miles is a "long hike." *sigh*

Fortunately, I do have a couple reliable partners around so I was able to choose the "Mostly solo" option.

When it comes down to it, I wouldn't hike nearly as much if I waited for company. This is unacceptable so I set off solo whenever the feeling strikes me. I love living in such close proximity to a number of trailheads so spur of the moment woods romps are possible.

 

[Puma concolor]

Solo flyer ... I liked the answers Stash and Nessmuk gave earlier. Not all the time, but 98-percent of the time. I figure I hiked all NE 115 solo and 34/35 Catskill 3500 solo so I've earned the right to call myself a lone wolf. The one exception ... yeah, I married and have had two kids with her.

Anyway, it's mostly a product of having weekdays off and just enjoying the solitude. I have at times found hiking with others to be awkward when I've done it although I have hit it off with a couple of folks.

 

[iceNsnow]

maybe I checked the wrong BOX???!!!

I'm kind of wondering if indeed I actually do hike more solo trips than w/others. It may just feel that solo efforts are more intense. Gotta check the journals!

more again soon -
Inge

 

[Neil]

The poll results clearly demonstrate that people who hike alone at least 50% of the time respond to internet polls.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

I checked 'Lone Wolf' although trust me I'm no 'wolf'. I also almost never hike alone. I have done almost all my hikes in the last nine years with either Duffy or Lauky. I'm supposing for the purposes of the poll that those two don't count, but I truly don't feel alone.

I've never been into 'group' hikes and have only very rarely done it. I'm not adverse to hikes with one or two but have not done much of that recently. When Duffy and I did the NE 67 we did most of them with one or two others. The final 33 we did alone. Most of the summer when we did the Maine and NH bushwhacks we didn't even see anyone else.

Since doing those final 33, which was about three years ago, I have come to truly love the 'silence' of the woods (yes I know they aren't silent--but it's different) and I have found that the sound of voices breaks the 'magic' of that spell.

Be that as it may, on the occasional trips when we have hooked up with another hiker we have throughly enjoyed it.

 

[carole]

One of my goals is to re-do each of the 48 solo,

After finishing my first round of the 48 I repeated them in winter and solo. I would be hard pressed to say which I enjoyed more.

 

[--M.]

I have three or four different fellow-hiker options, and still find myself solo a little more than half the time. Now that I've amassed a quorum, I find that I enjoy/need the alone-time, too, and slip off by myself.

I am not yet at the point of going anywhere alone, and have had to wait for some things as a result. But those results have been among the best ever: Tripyramid slides, winter Pemi traverse, Half-Dome, winter Santanoni (attempt), Tuck's in April, like that. Really great times with close friends. Will be trying that Santa thing again this winter, and gosh-darn it, we'll make it, 'cause people like us!

 

[alpino]

I have a few people that I hike with, but I really enjoy being out there alone for the same reasons you mentioned in your initial post. I'd say I'm solo about 50% of the time.

 

[Nessmuk]

...(as an ex-caver I consider it normal to hike in pitch dark) and I will jigger my schedule as required to hike mostly in good weather.

Thread side trip ---- Hey ex-caver... we used to plan our longer expeditions so that we'd emerge in daylight which often meant going in late in the day. Some of the more memorable underground trips were up to 20 hours long. Don't know where you explored... do the names McFails, Skull, Onesquethaw, and Knox mean anything to you?

 

[forestgnome]

100% solo...but I'm never alone.

Sorry to get fancy, but hiking alone isn't really the same thing as group hiking without the group. It's completely different. A nice quiet hike through the forest without any noise from anyone else, just your own breathing and heartbeat and the sounds of the forest, is a vastly different experience than you would have with a group of hikers who have a geographical destination. There's no criticism whatsoever about that sort of hike, I'm just defining the huge difference. And some hike solo to bag list peaks, as well.

But solo hiking just for the sake of actual hiking and just enjoying and intensly observing the forest is very, very different than hiking in a group to a destination. I even tape my zipper handles because I can't tolerate the jingly sound they make and it's way too loud.

I think it's much more dangerous to be off trail alone than with a group. So what? It's also dangerous to be laying on my belly or sitting about 10' away from a moose or two. So what? I live life while I can.

happy trails

 

[TrishandAlex]

100% solo...but I'm never alone.

Sorry to get fancy, but hiking alone isn't really the same thing as group hiking without the group. It's completely different. A nice quiet hike through the forest without any noise from anyone else, just your own breathing and heartbeat and the sounds of the forest, is a vastly different experience than you would have with a group of hikers who have a geographical destination. There's no criticism whatsoever about that sort of hike, I'm just defining the huge difference. And some hike solo to bag list peaks, as well.

But solo hiking just for the sake of actual hiking and just enjoying and intensly observing the forest is very, very different than hiking in a group to a destination. I even tape my zipper handles because I can't tolerate the jingly sound they make and it's way too loud.

I think it's much more dangerous to be off trail alone than with a group. So what? It's also dangerous to be laying on my belly or sitting about 10' away from a moose or two. So what? I live life while I can.

happy trails

Nicely put.

 

[iceNsnow]

checking back -

Looks like I should have called it 50/50 - must be more social than I thought!