Hiking Solo?

Yesterday's news about the unfortunate hiker losing his life, as well as various discussions on other threads has brought me back to thoughts about hiking solo. When I tell other people that I never hike alone, I frequently get stunned responses. I believe they are thinking "what's the matter with this guy? Is he afraid of something, or just no confidence?" The truth is I never hike alone for 2 reasons: One is safety (I'm getting older and more fragile, like it or not), and the second is that I don't enjoy it as much. I like having my son, daughter, a friend, or some Scouts to enjoy the trip with. I also like meeting people on the trail for a 2 minute, or sometimes 2 hour chat (you can meet the most fascinating people!). From reading all the posts for a while I notice that a lot of hikers go alone without a second thought, and I'm quite sure this is fine for them. We don't live in a "one size fits all" world. My question is; what is your limit? At what point do you say "nah, I wouldn't do that alone, that’s just dumb"? I'm not being critical of anyone's style here, as a matter of fact I admire your confidence and self-assurance. In 30 years I've done more than my share of stupid mistakes, and have had some close calls that I've wangled my way out of either because I knew what to do or was just plain lucky (mostly lucky, I think).
For myself, I will go out alone on popular and usually short trails, like a quick hike up and down Overlook Mtn., but I won't for instance, do 7-10 miles on a less traveled route. I always leave a hike plan at home with someone, and (because my wife can no longer hike with me) I usually call home when I hit the summit, just to let the wife know everyone's ok and if there are any route or schedule changes.
So what's your limit, and do you have one?
Tom

i allways hike alone. i prefer it that way becuase then i dont have to worry i am walking to fast or to slow for someone else.

Tom,

I hope to write an article on that topic soon. It is a fascinating one.

Gene Daniell, my predecessor as Accidents editor of Appalachia, has written (I quote from memory) that "all serious winter hikers occasionally hike alone". He has also noted that the margin of safety is much less when doing so, hence much judgement is needed in deciding when (or indeed whether) to do so.

I have a few general principles that help keep me alive:

• "The mountain will be there next year, make sure you are". This is of course the basic rule. I have turned around after getting above the trees on Mt. Garfield because I did not have crampons and was unwilling to negotiate a hundred feet (probably less) of icy terrain without them.
• Avoid loops with their potential for surprises. If you run into problems halfway down a loop you have a very difficult choice: attack the problem or go back up.
• Avoid breaking trail. Trail breaking is hard work, best done with a team. I will happily snowshoe up in deep snow, but with the totally clear intention of turning around as soon as I start feeling tired. I will emphatically not attempt a peak under such conditions.
• Check the weather. I will not be hiking tomorrow (Saturday), waiting for the winds to fall on Sunday.
• So far I have never ventured really above treeline alone. I am unwilling to rule it out completely, as doing Mt. Madison or Mt. Moosilauke on a beautiful winter day seems safe enough. But I repeat, I have not yet done so.
• Never go up a peak I have not hiked in summer, and preferably also in winter. There is only so much information you can get from a guidebook!
• Carry lots of extra clothing. One of the first rules of hiking that I learned was that you must be able to survive a night out.

Note that I call them "general principles" and not rules. Different hikers will make different decisions, but by and large accidents do not happen when careful thought has been given to the conditions under which a trip is planned.

This is the first time that I have actually put the ideas that I have been thinking about "on paper", I have probably forgotten a few important points.

I did a stretch this year from mid March to mid September where I did 13 of my 14 hikes solo. I've soloed all the NH4K's and I will occasionally do a hike in winter solo but it is certainly not without a second thought. The margin of error in winter is certainly smaller than it is in the summer but in a way, that is part of the appeal.

There was a thread either here or on the AMC HJ site that asked what you think about when you hike. When I am solo in the winter I don't think of much of anything because I am so focused on what I am doing. One mis-step could be disastrous and it does not pay to let your mind wander. I enjoy the myopic feeling of emptying my mind of external thought, of being totally immersed in the moment of where I am and in what I am doing. The intensity of the focus in exhilarating.

I love being in the mountains and I enjoy pushing up against the edge of the envelope to test my limits. I derive a good bit of satisfaction at peering over the edge. But, a man's got to know his limitations and stay within them. I know what they are but I try to move them slightly outward all the time. There was a time or two when I got a glimpse of my own mortality and it's not a sight I hope to see again for a long long time.

Over dinner tonight my wife and I talked about this most recent unfortunate death of a hiker and what my hiking plans were for the weekend. It looks like this weekend will be another solo hike. This man's passing affects my thinking to some degree. I know that his death is not a contagious thing but it gives you pause for thought just the same. The romantic feeling that he died doing what he loved is grossly overrated and the pablum of noble Victorian thinking. He must have been very lonely when he realized that the end was at hand and my heart is sad for him. He should have died close to those who loved him. Where someone could hold his hand. And provide comfort.

JohnL

When I was more of a 'newbee' hiker, the thought of hiking alone scared me, but after I decided to go for the 46, I realized I would have to learn to hike alone or possibly wait years to finish them, so I did my research and started hiking alone.

Overall, I don’t prefer either group or solo hiking because they both have their advantages and disadvantages and I enjoy my solo hikes as much as my group hikes. Here's some of the thinking that got me to the point where I'm comfortable as a solo hiker:

· I live alone and don’t think there’s any significant increase in risk in the woods than in my home. If I fell in my basement and couldn’t get up, I would be at risk there too. So at least if I fall in the woods, I’m lying there in a place that makes me happy.

· You notice the woods more, seem to be more aware of its beauty, and see more wildlife when you hike alone.

· You hike on your own schedule when you’re solo. If you want to stop by a waterfall or sit and watch the shooting stars at night, nobody rushes you on or gets worried about hiking out in the dark. It’s amazing how many stars you see in the Adirondacks compared to home.

· I do take some precautions when I hike solo – if I feel it’s a riskier hike, I will tell someone where I plan to hike and give them a time that I should return by. I pay closer attention to maps and trail markers. I read up more on the hike before I go and check over the contents of my backpack a few more times. I’m more wary of my footing while I’m out there too.

· As far as limitations, I tend not to hike solo in extreme cold or snow. Also, even though hikers tend to be friendlier and nicer than the rest of the population, that doesn’t mean that you could never run into a jerk out there. So as a woman, I try to avoid areas where I might run into some two-legged jerk that thinks, “hmm . . . I think that girl’s alone.” I know it’s extremely unlikely to happen, but I would hate to have a problem, so I’m just as wary of my own personal safety in the woods as I am anywhere else. I have thought about bringing a gun with me in case I ever end up in a tight spot that I can’t talk my way out of but never have (and boy, I hope that doesn’t start a controversy about guns in the woods).

My comfort level for solo hiking is that I will not solo any bushwacks. Breaking a trail in winter is effectively a bushwack to me. Although I did try to solo Ethan Allan from wind gap in VT on the unbroken long trail a few winters ago. Did not go so well but I made it back in one piece. I also would not solo in mountain Lion country as I hear they look for soloers to pounce on.

I think that part of my own preoccupation with the "proper" amount of risk is the result of the mixed messages sent out by the hiking and mountaineering community. We praise those individuals who undertake bold challenges and pull them off. And we heap scorn and outrage on those who undertake bold challenges and then fail dramatically, often by dying. Though I grossly simplify, I suspect history goes on to call the former "brilliant," even if they took tremendous risks.* The latter will be called "unprepared and overconfident," though perhaps their error was minor.

Personally, I will solo in all seasons, though extreme cold and bushwhacking discourage me from traveling alone. I tend to set lofty goals, but then act on them rather conservatively. I have a long list of hikes and climbs to accomplish, and I have no intention of letting any one mountain keep me from all the future ones.


* I do not in any way mean to diminish the recent success of Frodo and Stinkyfeet. Three cheers for them!

cushetunk said:

I have no intention of letting any one mountain keep me from all the future ones.

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Well said. Sounds like a good thing to keep in mind.

I won't hestitate to solo in an area that I am familiar with, in generally good weather. Putting on a lot of miles at night solo last summer pretty much erased any fears I had about night hiking solo.

The fact that the fatality in NH involved an individual who had full gear but did not use it is a vivid illustration of the very short window of opportunity you have as as a solo hiker to take the correct actions when hypothermia begins to set in under these unusually extreme conditions.

I have no problem hiking solo in areas I'm familiar with, but not when the conditions are tough, such as really cold temps or pouring rain or snow. In the High peaks, hiking popular trails is not a problem, as there are plenty of people, but as someone mentioned, no solo bushwacks or breaking trail in heavy snow. I feel comfortable with the trails in my area (Cranberry - 5 ponds) but wouldn't go too far in solo in winter. I guess I'm cautiously willing to go it alone. But if I have a willing partner, I usually enjoy the company.

Keith

I usually don't hike solo because I find myself rather boring!

I appreciate what JohnL says about hiking solo; I get that when I hunt, when I turn all my senses up to "10" and try to move as silently as possible through the puckerbrush. My mind tends to wander when I hike, though, so it's more fun to wander with someone else.

All that said, I will go out solo if I can't find anyone to accompany me. My 16 year old daughter is getting way too busy with her own life!!!

i'm a bad boy. . .i hike solo in winter all the time. i'm careful though. pretty much. . .though i got knocked around on moosilauke one time.

I hike solo all the time, everywhere. In summer and winter while bushwacking or trailbreaking. I think I started soloing after my first 2 or 3 hiking trips which were with other people. I started winter soloing my 4th winter trip out.

I don't like it when people say soloing is too risky. It's up to the individual person to figure out if it's risky or not and if it's the right or wrong time to solo. While experience is important when soloing, it's not the only important attribute. No one can judge if someone they just met is able to solo or not.

As for risk taking, I've seen groups of people climb up Tuckerman Ravine when it's Considerable Avalanche danger. The caretaker at the hut there was telling me about people going up when it was High danger. Most of these people climb up with no problem. Maybe they really do have the skills to avoid getting in trouble, or maybe they are lucky. It's the people who get caught in the avalanches that make it on the news and get chastised. Too many people enjoy putting down other people.

So if you want to go soloing and feel you're able to do it, then try it. Sure you can get injured or killed doing it, just like all the people who are injured and killed commuting to work in the morning in their car. It's for the individual to decide if they should do it.

Once most of my hiking buddies moved away, it became evident that I'd never complete all the hikes I want to (including the 46) if I didn't do some solo climbs...generally, I avoid serious backcountry hikes and the deep winter as well, but with experience I've become comfortable out solo.

But I agree with what most of you said- you can't spend your whole life avoiding risks. Once you know what you're doing, have the proper gear, and use logic (including letting someone know where you're going and when you'll be out), you're probably almost as safe as when you go with fellow hikers. Plus, with the high traffic on the trails these days, odds are you'd run into someone if you had problems.

As far as hiking through avalanche areas during poor conditions, that's nuts.....

I agree with Alpine, its nice to have some congenial company on the trail(or bushwack) to talk.
I'm by myself a lot in my job, driving a couple of thousand miles a month so I don't need the time-for-reflection on hikes.
I will usually hook up with friends and go solo only if no one is available or if they don't want to get involved in one of my foolish hiking schemes.

In warmer weather, I'm never concerned abut going alone.
In challenging conditions there are the unexpected things that can occur almost regardless of your preparedness.
Once on Wright in below zero temps and high winds, I thoughlessly adjusted my crampons barehanded. In a flash, the feeling left my fingers and I could not get my hands back in my overmitts. I was fortunate to be with 2 good companions who assisted me. Solo, I would have been in deep doo-doo.
Another time I slipped on the back side of Pitchoff. Feet came right out and I fell 3'-4'. Point of impact was the tailbone, and only the fact of the bottom edge of my pack semi-cushioning the blow saved me. An inch or two difference and what merely stunned me, would have been a back country emergency.
Icy, wet or muddy rocks, broken snowshoes, broken bindings, corneal abrasions while hiking solo are not really things you can protect against if you're in the woods often.

I usually solo on trips during all four seasons -- though I am pretty much forced to since I really don't know anyone else who enjoys hiking as much as I do. My friends are up for occaisional trips, but they just plain don't want to go as often as I do. It comes down to going solo or not going at all.

That said, I try to be as cautious as possible, telling people where I'm headed and when I expect to return. I have a similar view as Mohammed -- the mountains will be there another day if I can't make it to the summit on a particular trip.

Especially in winter, I'm always willing to turn back if I start feeling tired or if conditions take a turn for the worse -- I am probably overly cautious in winter just because I don't have a whole lot of experience yet. In three season hiking, I'm a lot more confident and feel like I can handle anything that comes my way.

- Ivy

solo

The last solo trip I took was starting at Heart Lake, going over Algonquin and down to Lake Colden and out to Upper Works. This was a winter day hike but I had the gear to spend the night. I think if your fit and equiped and the temps are above 0, then go have a ball. I don't mind being alone any more than hiking with someone, since being with people, we never stay together on the trail. Always going our own speed to reach a point and then wait a few for the rest to catch up.

Hiking alone

My 10th rule of the trail

The goal is not the peak - It is the parking lot.

Peace

rev t

I generally hike alone. I do nature photography for a portion of my income so hiking alone happens a lot. The most I hike and shoot alone is 10 miles. I keep it to the trail with minor excursions. I bushwhacked for the first time in 2003 and enjoyed it a ton but i did that with a friend. I would need to do that a few times before soloing.

alone is fine but company is cool!

I treasure my hiking buddies, but often times I can't jive with their schedules.
So I agree with PoisonIvy - I'm not staying home because I don't have company.
It was cool to see Mohamed put many of my solo considerations on the printed page! Nice!

I will definitely push it further when I have companions and I greatly enjoy trail conversation, but like Pinpin Jr. says " The mountains call Us!"


Luckily the TV has never called me!!