Do a lot of people begin their thru-hike solo?
Do they just end up meeting people along the way to hike with?
Yup
Well that's just plain fantastic.
Some start solo and hook up.
Some start in pairs and then end up solo.
Some start solo and stay solo.
All kinds of stuff happens out there.
If you're trying to start a thread asking if you can hook up with the opposite sex, seems it's not allowed on this website.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
Originally Posted by fiddlehead
hahahaha that's not at all what this thread is for. I've just read alot about people who are hot and cold about hiking solo
Many people start out with someone they think they have a lot in common with but find out differently.
Pace is a biggie, miles per day is different for most.
Going alone has many advantages: Freedom to do what you want, when you want. Eating the food you want, injuries, snoring too loud, staying in towns longer or shorter than you like, going a little further if you feel like it when other's may stop earlier than you'd like, etc, etc, etc.
But, once you're out there, you may find people that hike more like you do and you enjoy their company. So, people spend time together on the trail. Works for some.
But remember, it is always best to keep your gear separate so that you always have the option of going back to solo hiking.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
That's some great advice. I'm def the kind of person who could take advantage of hiking alone..but I love socializing, so hiking with someone could have its benefits as well. I like the option of doing either though
I started out solo and ended solo.. but hiked with various groups along the way.
Yup. Solo.
I hiked solo the majority of the trip. The 5 days that I actually let someone talk me into hiking as partners were the worst 5 days of the hike. I had built up to 20-25 miles/day up to that point. Those 5 days I think we averaged 8. She liked to sleep in late and party half the night. I liked getting out early and getting miles in before the heat of the day. I was so happy to get out of that situation that I hiked 37.5 miles the first day after I left her, still sleeping at the campground.
There will be plenty of folks on the trail. You will find yourself flip-flopping with a large number of people while you are out there. You will catch those a day or two ahead of you when they stay in town, and the ones just behind will catch you when you go into town.
Although I hiked solo, I got the privilege of hiking with an getting to know about 100 people along my journey. There was always someone in camp at night to talk to. There were a few nights that I just felt like being alone. On those occassions, I would leave the shelter after I had fixed dinner and would hike until I found a really nice campsite. I got to see some pretty spectacular sunsets and sunrises because of it. It seems that most of the shelters are in the gaps (near water sources), but the views tend to be on the ridgelines.
And, although not part of your question, I will give some advice about 'pairing' up on the trail. There seems to be a pretty even number of single male and female hikers on the trail. What generally happens is that these hikers start pairing up after about 4-6 weeks on the trail. 'Dating' on the trail isnt like normal dating. you have to realize that you are likely going to be spending 24/7 with any hiking partner you pair up with on the trail. That is enough to test any type of relationship.
I hear a new verse to "50 ways to leave your lover"
"Going to the woods is going home" - John Muir
"Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truely get into the heart of the wilderness" - John Muir
The only go...
Part of the reason for being on the trail for me was the freedom of doing what I want, when I want and how I want. This may sound abrasive and cold but for some people it is important to spend time alone. However, on the AT, you are never alone for very long. I began on 3/1 as a solo. Within a week myself and 4 other hikes had formed a loose knit group know as team Deutschmark. We had all started as solo. Today we are good friends, yet solo hikers.
So, don't worry. You can have the best of both worlds.
Happy hiking.
20-25 miles a day? Were you riding a bike?
I met a young man on Lafayette this past August who at noon had already done 15 nobo and was looking to do another 10. He said he was averaging 25/day. Solo, he was.20-25 miles a day? Were you riding a bike?
I met other nobo'ers happy to do 10/day in the whites. many were hiking together at this pace.
So, it varies from hiker to hiker. just go... and figure it out as you go. planners always end up throwing away the plan. reality is an eye opener.
Actually.. 20 mile days from Daleville VA to about Kent CT are quite common. A hiker is finally in pretty good trail condition by then, the terrain is not as much vertical as it is on either end (never above 4500 ft), and the days are longer. In June and July, you will have about 15 hrs of daylight. The average hiker is doing approx 2.5 miles/hr in this stretch. If you get up early, and hike later into the day, and can manage to hike just 10 or 11 hours of the daylight hours, you could easily be getting to the 25-30 mile distances, if you wanted to.
My average from Springer to Harpers Ferry was 13 mile/day including 0 days. My average from Harpers to Katadin was 22 mile/day including 0 days. I wouldnt recommend that everyone hike 22 miles a day consistently, every single day, but it is definitely very manageable to do on a regular basis.
Of course, I was aided in my 20+ mile days by the fact that I could decide how far I would go based on weather, terrain, and how I felt. Couldnt always do that if I had to rely on a hiking partner agreeing with every decisions.
Those are all good points. I feel like I will begin to get my trail legs then decide on the best strategy.
I'm just tired of trying to plan and am ready to get out there!
now you are talking! you'll be fine.
I would recommend starting alone because if you leave Springer anytime from March 1 until 20 April there will be heaps of people out there. Over the years I've found that people who start together do so because they both like each other and get along well, but that doesn't mean much because one of the most important things will be your mileage compatibility, and financial situations.
So, if your friend likes to hike 12 miles per day, and you want to hike 20, then you have a problem. Likewise, if you have $5000 for the trip, and your buddy has $3000, you will have conflict as well.
By hiking alone you will be able to hike your own hike, stay where you want to, do 25 one day if you choose, 2 the next, take 3 zeros for no reason, etc... With another person - everything is a compromise, everything.
What generally happens when you hike alone is that you end up seeing the same people, the reason you end up seeing the same people is cause you are doing similar miles, staying in town for similar lengths, etc... This could take a few hundred miles to formulate, plus many people quit, but I found last year by the time I reached Hot Springs I was with a number of familiar faces for the next 300 miles, making no effort to stay together, we just had the same styles and financial situations.
We did it triple. Started as a family, ended up a double, met hikers along the way.
First thruhike, I started alone (but not alone - there were several of us who started at the same time). Most of the early group dropped out or I passed them and never saw them again. Met other hikers in NC that I leapfrogged with for the rest of the trail. Hiked with a couple of them for 300 or more miles at a stretch but always as a solo hiker. We'd meet up at the end of the day and in town, but maintained independence. It was what I needed at the time. I wanted to hike MY hike.
Second hike, I started alone, but began hiking with a group in Virginia that was slackpacking. Another group member and I split off from the group in Pennsylvania because it was getting too complicated. Finished the trail with him as partners. We got married four years later. I haven't hiked alone since.
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