solo 100-mile

Fellow hikers -- I have the unique opportunity with time off from work to do hiking (i.e. unemployment). I have been toying with the idea of doing the 100-mile wilderness as a solo hike. I actually did the first 35 miles (north to south) with a friend, but due to schedule we didn't finish. I want to go back and finish it.

I am nervous to be a solo hiker. I know many people hike this section so i doubt i'll be completely solo for the whole trip. I felt more confortable hiking it with my friend. I am mostly worried about the fording (as i can't swim and water levels are high this year) and what to do in an emergency like an injury. Do solists have emergency plans for rescue, or is this the risk of hiking solo? I assume there is no cell reception in the area, so i'm not sure what could be done in case of an emergency.

Any thoughts advice would be appreciated, thank you!

I have hiked solo with my dogs most of my adult life. I knew very few folks who were into hiking and the few that liked it most often had work schedules that conflicted with mine. Long ago I made the decision that I could hike solo or grow old in my rocking chair.
I have had countless incredible adventures hiking solo and I continue to do this in my "declining" years.


I carry DOG HALT, "dog strength' red pepper spray . Some states have laws again carrying the stronger sprays without permits. I can vouch for it's effectiveness because I was testing it one fine day and the wind blew it back at me. I do carry it.... not in my pack.... but in my pocket, easy access, alway ready. Best not to have to fiddle with zippers and have your finger on the trigger when you pull it out. You can buy it on Amazon. I have it in my tent close by when I am sleeping.

I have a PLB for life threatening med. emergencies. The $250 bucks was worth it for the POM it gives me. Bought that about 2 yrs ago. Should not have waited so long.

Hiking with two people is not insurance that you will not encounter some weirdo, armed or not, with evil intent. I try not to dwell on this but am cautious. There were two women murdered in VA on the AT several years ago in their lean to. We had a young Amherst student murdered in a mall parking lot where people abound. You can only do so much and use caution.

IF you plan on hiking more solos, I would highly recommend a good medium or large dog. Train him well and they can be good deterrents and wonderful companions.

I would also recommend this book. I am thinking you are a woman hiker.
The title is SOLO , On her Own Adventure, edited by Susan Fox Rogers

Hope you get to do your trip. Enjoy!

Eh, don't worry about it. Nothing ever happens when you hike with other people, you've got no more objective danger alone. Just go and have fun.

Whenever I think of Baxter and the surrounding areas this time of year - all I think of are how bad the black flies can be. JFYI

The 100 mile wilderness is a great solo hike. Like Chugach said, your objective danger is no greater when alone than with a group; I would say less since you have no one to trip over

The consequences of bad decisions however can be much worse when alone. Bring what you need for survival situations, and if you can't swim, I would be very, very careful with fording. Perhaps a lightweight inflatable PFD would be a good option to put on in the event you were swept by the current, or slipped on a mossy rock. You can of course always retreat as well. You'll likely have plenty of food with you, making the fordings a bit more treacherous. I'd get current data on the rivers. Good luck - you'll see plenty of others along the way.

I hike solo a lot including backpacking in fairly remote places out west and I rarely carry cell.. The worst thing that ever happened was I got attacked and bloodied by a goshawk in Colorado.
When are you planning this hike.? From Mid july on the Wilderness is fairly busy. Not like the Presidentials but you'll usually see someome daily. More at busy spots such as Gulf Hagas area or Little Wilson Falls. Despite the Wilderness name there are lots of access points so in a jam you can hold tight along most of these roads and a truck will pass probably sooner than later.
Solo hiking is enjoyable, you get a greater awareness of the surroundings and sounds. You can control the hike, when you stop, eat, rest, etc. It can be psychologically challenging if you can't stand to be alone for a week alone, especially in bad weather. I hiked in 7 out of 10 days in rain and was quite cranky. (a 2nd hiker helps make light of the situation)
Hiking alone for days is especially The AT is straightforward so route finding isn't an issue. Unless it has just rained , the Pleasant River is about Knee deep and recedes quickly each day after dry weather. Past the White Cap range you stay low and it will be mosquitoey more than anything so bring some spray. The Barren Chairback range and White Cap ranges are only mountain stretches, the rest stays in the lowlands which tend to be buggy and muddy with lots of roots.
As for a spot, I tried one and in the thick maine woods it didn't receive points unless I was above treeline. I wouldn't sweat it. Have fun is the key. Tenting is remote place alone for first time tends to be unnerving as you hear every sound in the woods, but it passes quickly. I have over 100 solo backcountry nice and my worst encounters involved rodents. In fact expect rodents, especially if you stay in a shelter. At the very least check out Screw Auger Falls at Gulf Hagas, it's very close to the AT, a few tenths of a mile at most. I Hike here regularly so if you have any specific questions let me know.

thank you all very much for your feedback/advice/encouragement. I plan on going within the next few weeks as i have good trail legs right now and i don't want to loose them. I need to tweak some gear before i head out. I should mention that i'm not a woman hiker, but i am still trying to be very cautious and the advice is still pertinent. And i will look into the PLB. I was looking for a gps watch which could upload my location on a website and have friends/fam track my route. all the GPS devices tend to be pricy, which is a little tough to take being that i'm currently unemployed. I will check to see if there are any posts about the level of the fordings. I was told that there is a guide line strung over the larger fords, which would be a big help.

Thanks again, advice is experienced hikes is great!

If you hike the 100 Mile Wilderness solo in the summer, you will be far from alone. Thru hikers and sections hikers will be there in large numbers. There's an even chance that there will be others in the shelters every night you're there.

As for timing. I would put it off as much as you can for cooler weather and lower stream levels at the several fords. September is best but I realize you're itchy to get going.

Rg

tomcat32 said:

When are you planning this hike.? From Mid july on the Wilderness is fairly busy. Not like the Presidentials but you'll usually see someome daily. More at busy spots such as Gulf Hagas area or Little Wilson Falls. Despite the Wilderness name there are lots of access points so in a jam you can hold tight along most of these roads and a truck will pass probably sooner than later.
Solo hiking is enjoyable, you get a greater awareness of the surroundings and sounds. You can control the hike, when you stop, eat, rest, etc. It can be psychologically challenging if you can't stand to be alone for a week alone, especially in bad weather. I hiked in 7 out of 10 days in rain and was quite cranky. (a 2nd hiker helps make light of the situation)
Hiking alone for days is especially The AT is straightforward so route finding isn't an issue. Unless it has just rained , the Pleasant River is about Knee deep and recedes quickly each day after dry weather. Past the White Cap range you stay low and it will be mosquitoey more than anything so bring some spray. The Barren Chairback range and White Cap ranges are only mountain stretches, the rest stays in the lowlands which tend to be buggy and muddy with lots of roots.
As for a spot, I tried one and in the thick maine woods it didn't receive points unless I was above treeline. I wouldn't sweat it. Have fun is the key. Tenting is remote place alone for first time tends to be unnerving as you hear every sound in the woods, but it passes quickly. I have over 100 solo backcountry nice and my worst encounters involved rodents. In fact expect rodents, especially if you stay in a shelter. At the very least check out Screw Auger Falls at Gulf Hagas, it's very close to the AT, a few tenths of a mile at most.

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Tomcat has it right. I have done the HMW solo and it was so nice I'm taking the wife this year. There may be stretches you don't see people, but odds are good you'll run into someone every day.

I hike with a SPOT Connect in case there is no cell reception, and there isn't any in most of the HMW. The SPOT will allow you to get a message out to other people even if you can't receive one, and short of White Cap (not sure about Barren, can't remember) and Rainbow Ledges, I doubt you'll have a signal. Most of the time I leave the cellphone off and in the pack since there is no point having it on, but I turn it on when I reach a peak just in case I can get a message. There is nothing worse than finding out about an accident or incident in the family days after the fact. It was also useful near the end of the trail to secure a camping spot in Baxter rather than relying on the AT spots not being full.

Despite the name, there are enough backroads in the HMW that you can day hike the whole thing, so it's not like you're totally isolated and without means of someone getting to you, but they have to know where you are to do that. Couple that with the people you'll meet along the way and I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Rodents may be the most you'll encounter as a problem. I had a rabbit come screaming into the side of the tent one night around midnight, but that was my fault for pitching it in the rabbits trail. There was a moose when I arrived at the Sydney Tappan campsite, but it left as soon as it saw people and I didn't want it returning in the middle of the night and stepping on my tent. Otherwise it was pretty uneventful other than the colorful trail characters you'll meet along the way. I chose to bring a tent since a few of the shelters had some unsavory looking and acting people in them and was glad to tent solo off in the woods. Bring earplugs if you want to be able to sleep at night, because if you're not used to it, the woods will sound like a superhighway with all the sounds.

Otherwise hike your own hike and have fun doing it. If you're not having fun, then why do it. Take time to see the sights, soak up the rays near a lake, and converse with other hikers and it'll be more enjoyable.

Ive soloed my whole life, there is nothing to fear in the east, you will not be alone. Water crossing's are the most dangerous times, do not chance a questionable crossing, unhook your waist belt and sternum strap, my technique involves tying my pack to me with cord, so I can get it off me to swim, but I will still not lose it, which would be very bad. I also carry a pretty good first aid kit with me, roll of athletic tape, duck tape and a good assortment of bandages. I also carry cord, a good knife, two ways to start a fire ( lighter, matches).

"Rodents may be the most you'll encounter as a problem. I had a rabbit come screaming into the side of the tent one night around midnight, but that was my fault for pitching it in the rabbits trail. There was a moose when I arrived at the Sydney Tappan campsite, but it left as soon as it saw people and I didn't want it returning in the middle of the night and stepping on my tent. Otherwise it was pretty uneventful other than the colorful trail characters you'll meet along the way. I chose to bring a tent since a few of the shelters had some unsavory looking and acting people in them and was glad to tent solo off in the woods. Bring earplugs if you want to be able to sleep at night, because if you're not used to it, the woods will sound like a superhighway with all the sounds. "

I tried to quote that but not sure how.....
Anyway.. The rodents are by far your biggest night time enemy. I had a hare chew through my camelbak tube overnight. Also on AT near Baldpate I was tenting near shelter and the mice were so abundant and loud hopping through woods I would have thought it was MUCH larger animals. Shining the head lamp into the dark you could see I swear a dozen mice at any time. They ended up crawling over tent and my pack all night. And yet another occasion on the AT in VA I slept under stars without tent and had a larger rodent, chipmunk, or squirrel maybe run over me three times before I moved. On my AT thru hike and Long Trail hike, be surprised if the shelters don't have mice. While on northern Cohos trail a very large animal was walking by my tent, my guess a moose. I had a hard time sleeping after every sound that night.

If you are out long enough, you'll be so glad to be in sleeping bag at night you won't hear the normal woodland noises.

some solid advice by other commenters! when I backpack, I do bring some safety items, helps me sleep! on the inside of my tent, I line up a whistle, mace, knife.. the only thing I've ever used is the whistle to chase a bear away.. when I'm hiking I keep the mace and whistle in 1 of my hip pockets, I may never need these items, but a little lightweight protection in the middle of nowhere isn't a bad thing and I think guns should stay off the trails.. have fun I want to do this section @ some point... I like solo as much as going with friends, polar opposites, but both rewarding..

@sierra Can you explain how you tie your pack for crossings? Is this is like a slip knot to make it easy to untie if necessary? As i understand it the hardest fording is at the south end of the 100-Mile wilderness, which is way i will start from the north. If anything bad happens i shouldn't be too far from the end, and hopefully i'll have met up with some other hikers.

@tomcat32 Did you just have water in your chewed camelbak? I usually hand my food, but never thought to protect the camelbak since its just water.

Good points about rodents. i heard of many thru hikers not hanging bear bags, but hanging food out of reach of rodents. Many lean-tos have rodent-resistant hangers. On one recent hike a lean-to was kind of trashed by other hikers, and rodents were abondent around that area. I've never had them run over me while i sleep ... yet! I will have to invest in a decent whistle, the only one i have is the built-in whistle that came with my osprey bag, which i doubt is as loud as the stand-alone whistles.

I believe i will go on this hike, i really want to. it is a unique opportunity so i might as well use it to my advantage.

I had just water in the camelbak. The tube does hang against my body and probably had sweat on it so the hare was eating the salt I guess. Earlier I saw the hare eating the vegetation where I had peed. I heard it nibbling around the area but didn't think about my bladder laying outside.
The hangers in shelters aka mouse trapezes are a string running through an upside down tuna can and a hanging stick at the bottom. In theory the mouse can't pass around the can. I did witness them trying to leap from the rafters and land on the bag on a shelter on the northern Long Trail. As far as I can tell they weren't successful...no holes in my bag. Along the AT I always used mouse trapezes for food unless it was a noted bear area such as the Smokeys or New Jersey.
It's been a while since I was between White Cap and Baxter State Park but the biggest ford I recall is Pleasant River just after Katahdin Iron Works Road after Chairback Mtn. It is on average knee deep but can fluctuate quickly with heavy rain. I've forded it 4 times and never had higher than mid shin and seen it as low as a rock hop in a real dry year. A few weeks ago I hiked Gulf Hagas and skipped the ford because it was rumored to be waist deep, but this was day after 2 inches of rain and a very wet month. Look up and down stream at the fords for potentially easier crossings. You don't have to cross exactly where the trail crosses.
By all means go if you can. You don't want to miss out on opportunity.
If you can, about 8-9 miles south of Abol Bridge is Nahmakanta Lake. There is a sandy beach there near just off the AT. It's a nice place to camp on the beach. As long at isn't raining. If it rains the sand sticks to everything but it's a nice soft place to camp with a good swimming hole. I camped there on my thru hike and it stands out as one of my favorite camping spots on all of AT

I had just water in the camelbak. The tube does hang against my body and probably had sweat on it so the hare was eating the salt I guess. Earlier I saw the hare eating the vegetation where I had peed. I heard it nibbling around the area but didn't think about my bladder laying outside.
The hangers in shelters aka mouse trapezes are a string running through an upside down tuna can and a hanging stick at the bottom. In theory the mouse can't pass around the can. I did witness them trying to leap from the rafters and land on the bag on a shelter on the northern Long Trail. As far as I can tell they weren't successful...no holes in my bag. Along the AT I always used mouse trapezes for food unless it was a noted bear area such as the Smokeys or New Jersey.
It's been a while since I was between White Cap and Baxter State Park but the biggest ford I recall is Pleasant River just after Katahdin Iron Works Road after Chairback Mtn. It is on average knee deep but can fluctuate quickly with heavy rain. I've forded it 4 times and never had higher than mid shin and seen it as low as a rock hop in a real dry year. A few weeks ago I hiked Gulf Hagas and skipped the ford because it was rumored to be waist deep, but this was day after 2 inches of rain and a very wet month. Look up and down stream at the fords for potentially easier crossings. You don't have to cross exactly where the trail crosses.
By all means go if you can. You don't want to miss out on opportunity.
If you can, about 8-9 miles south of Abol Bridge is Nahmakanta Lake. There is a sandy beach there near just off the AT. It's a nice place to camp on the beach. As long at isn't raining. If it rains the sand sticks to everything but it's a nice soft place to camp with a good swimming hole. I camped there on my thru hike and it stands out as one of my favorite camping spots on all of AT

bkn said:

@sierra Can you explain how you tie your pack for crossings?

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I wouldn't tie anything to my body--its dangerous. You can get tangled in the cord or the object on the other end can get swept away or caught. If you fall in and get swept downstream, the tension on the cord can hold you under and kill you.

The pack is replaceable--you are not.

(FWIW, my background includes white water boating and water rescue techniques.)

Doug

tomcat32 said:

...the biggest ford I recall is Pleasant River just after Katahdin Iron Works Road after Chairback Mtn. It is on average knee deep but can fluctuate quickly with heavy rain. I've forded it 4 times and never had higher than mid shin and seen it as low as a rock hop in a real dry year. .

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Two ideas about water crossings:
* When I was doing island peakbagging over ice I wore a jacket-style PFD instead of an insulated vest
* Bring a genuine waterproof bag for important gear (boater's dry bag) and leave plenty of air in when you seal it, that way your pack will float instead of sink

The crossing W of Barren had a rope across when I was there but I didn't use it

RoySwkr said:

The crossing W of Barren had a rope across when I was there but I didn't use it

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Neither did we. It's on the right.

@royswkr thanks for the advice, the air pocket sounds like a good idea. I usually have most things stuffed in dry sacks. I'm learning far more than i expected when i started this thread.

@lawn Sale: Cool pictures. those crosses look fairly straightforward. When were those taken? When i did some crossings earlier this month the water current was fairly high. Of course, it was after 3 days of rain (or 4 days of rain, i lost count).

I've been trying to search around for water levels on other forums, but haven't really found much on it. I'm a very sure-foot hiker as long as the water level isn't much deeper than my knees.

You guys are great, thanks for all the tips!