You're longest stretch

I'm in the process of killing myself...

...I mean working, raising a family and going to school. When it's all done next spring (school, that is) I intend to spend a nice stretch of time under a rock to get back to my roots. I would like to spend a week and not have to see a sole.

What's your longest stretch in the woods without seeing anyone? It's OK if you had A partner (one).

A little over a day on the Northville-Placid trail. A friend and myself had just got to Spruce Lake as a group was leaving. We didn't see anyone else until the next day at Wakely Dam. Not bad considering it was Labor Day weekend.

4 days. In the remote woods of Baxter. Sweet. Very sweet.

4 full days on the Northville Placid Trail . . .

actually on that thru-hike of the NPT I saw a half dozen groups almost all headed in the opposite direction.

sli74

Only about 1 day (daylight hours) in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness.

Amusingly enough I was on a 4 day group hike. My hiking companions had really ticked me off the previous day, so I broke camp before them the next day and kicked into Pin Pin speed on the trail leaving them in the dust for the day.

On two different trips, I've had 48 hour stretches where I haven't seen a soul. Both times on hikes of the AT -- once in Massachusetts and the other in Vermont. Both times were trips when I was hiking on weekdays rather than the weekends.

- Ivy

One week. Wilderness Boundary Area of Denali.

3 Days on the NLP - Between Piseco and Wakely Dam.

I did a four day trip from Thornton to Mt Washington two years ago and only encountered 4 people the entire trip. After taking the Cedar Brook Trail, I didn’t see another person until reaching 302, and then they were all in cars. Once on the Davis Path, I was totally alone until just north of Boott Spur.

That I can remember: 2 days near Polychrome Glacier in Denali Nat. Park.

Jay

When we did the western Maine NE100 last fall, we didn't see anyone other than on the Snow Mtn Trail for 4 days. (although, we met BoB then, so it had it's good points!)

As far as being alone in the woods, the most I remember is 3 days, and that was a long time ago flyfishing on the Upper Magalloway River and Parmachenee Lake above Lake Aziscoos and Cupsuptic River near Little Boy Falls. Just me and my brother.

My wife and I, years ago (I'm guessing 19-20) stayed at Cathedral Pines mid week. We checked in, and did not see anyone (even the staff!) for 2 days. My wife kept saying "do you think there are any ax murderers around here?" The good old days

Edit: I just read Pete Hickey's "3 days of rain" comment below. I was on Stratton and Dorset last fall. One it started raining, the crowds disappeared. I had nearly 2 full days of solitude, and loved it.

4 days in the Monts Groulx, Quebec, early June.

Could have been more if we'd have stayed longer...

3 days

3 days when I was in Yellowstone. IT was Early October and no one around but me and a grizzly. If you ever goto Yellowstone go in the fall. Toourist sason is done

alone at last

Saw no one but my dog for 8 blessed days between 12/25/98 and 1/1/99 in the Green mountains, though they were white at the time.

Far from the madding crowds

It's hard to get away, but several times I have managed it.

Nevada- climbing up Boundary Peak my partner and I camped out for two nights "at Large" and didn't see anyone for three days, unless you count the band of wild horses.

New York State- In the Adirondacks one early march three day weekend I was camped on the flank of MacNaughton for two glorious nights of privacy. I saw no one from the time I left the car until my return three days later when not 50 feet from the parking area I was overtaken by a small group.
Another time I was camped not too far from Heart Lake in the week between Christmas and New Years Eve and for 5 days I saw no one.
In the western 'Dacks. One 5 day trip to Watson's Triangle, we saw people only when we were on Haul Road, but once on the trails-no one

Catskills- many times I have managed to remain unseen by anyone, or to see anyone, except the wild animals. This is probably because I bushwhack up most peaks, go out mostly during the less popular months, or during the week, and avoid Holiday weekends.

2.5 days on a throu hike of the AT in Massachusetts, the northern section. It was in January, but still I would have thought that I would have seen someone in the backcountry. Road crossings, and walking roads and through towns, and my 1 town stop where the exceptions along with residents looking out windows from houses close to the trails in some places. So after all that I guess I was not alone. I was the only one on the "trail" that I could see. I don't remember exactly where I was when there where no more people in site "on the trail", but I do know that the first person I saw after approx. 2.5 days was just short of the top of Mt. Greylock. Of all people to see after that long it was a (not sure if this is still PC) deaf person. He signed in layman’s terms “almost there”.

There was another time I was alone hiking the hole way up to HoJo’s. At the time I was working for American Money Collectors, oops I mean the AMC and I got off of work at something like 8pm after dish dogging. I decided to hike up in the dark (and yes I radio’d up to make sure they new I was coming in the dark winter weather). Obviously I would see no one hiking at 8pm at night in winter on the Tuck’s Trail, but for some reason, maybe because it is normally a very heavy use trail it struck me as kinda scary. I kept hearing “stuff” in the woods. I was all spooked out.

Try bushwhacking some around. I’m sure if you research some you probably could do several days in the Whites totally off trail and possibly see no one. You most likely would not be able to hit any peaks, but still a cool idea. Have you thought about kayaking. Being a river in the middle of no-where is a good place not to see anyone for a while!

I had one trip where I didn't see anyone for three days... in the high peaks area...including the summit of Marcy and Haystack.. I think I could do it again, too, if I wanted..

mid week... late October... 3 days of rain.

5 days in Olympia National Park. Week long BC trip. Started Sept 9, 2001.

Remember seeing our first soul very well. It was September 14, 2001, 3 days after 9/11. My wife and I remember after the guy told the story of that tragic day and we all went on our way, that he was some kind of nut…that was until we met up with another couple several hours later at a BC site and they told us the same thing. We had two days left but managed to hike out in one.

Those sound like some nice trips. I think I was on the Esarpment Trail for two whole days and didn't see anyone until the end of the second day. It was pretty cool.

Thanks!