Section Hiking Alone..

[pattydivins]

How many of you guys have started out on hikes (section or thru) alone? I am thinking about doing a few sections this summer, but I am not sure if I will be able to find any hiking partners for them.

What is the experience like? I know there are a lot of people out there hiking during the summer months on the AT, so I assume that I would most likely not be hiking alone the entire time (this adds some comfort to potential bad situation of needing help when I am out there).

[jbwood5]

There are many solo hikers on the AT and you will often find yourself hooking up with someone along the way. Most of the time I hike solo. If you plan to stay near a shelter, you will usually hook up by the 2nd or third day if you and another hiker want to. Personally, that is the way I like to do it.

While hiking last week in NC, the ratio of solo female to solo male hikers was close to even, although there may have been groups or partners just walking a different paces and temporarily seperated.

[Gray Blazer]

Sometimes you see a lot of hikers and sometimes none at all. I used to go alone, but, now I always hike with my dog (on a leash of course).

[10-K]

A lot depends on when you're hiking... I went on a hike in North Carolina his weekend and I don't think I went an hour without seeing someone else hiking - the trail is down right crowded right now.

Personally, I'd be absolutely miserable hiking with that many people.....

[Alligator]

It's a lot quieter and of course self-paced:sun. It's nice for those who like being alone and probably not fun for those who are people orientated. Traffic is affected greatly by proximity to the thruhiker bubble and day of the week, but it's common to pass someone during the day in the summer.

[Trillium]

yes, I've hiked alone. I did a section in CT/Mass and was alone the entire time. Another time I hiked 3 days into Trail Days and at lunch on the first day, I found several others to hike and camp with.

I'm planning to do a section starting just south of Great Barrington north in late July; any interest?

[dzierzak]

I usually hike alone - I'm a rather slow hiker. Or, am I just slow.... Most everyone else out there is faster than me. I guess that makes me a slow solo hiker...

ed

[Gray Blazer]

I usually hike alone - I'm a rather slow hiker. Or, am I just slow.... Most everyone else out there is faster than me. I guess that makes me a slow solo hiker...

ed

Any trail you can hike, I can hike slower. I can hike any trail slower than you.

[dzierzak]

Well, we could find out... Couldn't call it a race though... Should call in SHOE (slowest hiker on earth - saw her name somewhere) to judge...

BTW, what tune goes with your post? Are we dating ourselves?

Hint first appeared before BOTH our times..

[Gray Blazer]

Well, we could find out... Couldn't call it a race though... Should call in SHOE (slowest hiker on earth - saw her name somewhere) to judge...

BTW, what tune goes with your post? Are we dating ourselves?

Hint first appeared before BOTH our times..

You were supposed to say, "No, you can't."

Annie Get Your Gun

[dzierzak]

Yes, I can.:p

[Cookerhiker]

....I know there are a lot of people out there hiking during the summer months on the AT, so I assume that I would most likely not be hiking alone the entire time (this adds some comfort to potential bad situation of needing help when I am out there).

I think this sentence nicely sums up the situation - in summer, you'll never really be "alone."

I've done the whole AT in section hikes of varying length and as you might expect, the most solitude I experienced was the dead of winter (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=89382) with November (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=121875)being a close second. But any other times of the year, you'll find other hikers.

[Hikes in Rain]

All but perhaps 30 miles or so of the 238 miles of the trail I've hiked to date have been solo. It can be very self-indulgent. Hike as long or as short as you want, eat when and where you want, sleep as late as you want or get up early...the only person you have to please it yourself. It's always just a little unsettling to walk off into the woods alone, probably because I don't get to hike near as often as I'd like to, but the rhythems of the trail soon take over. And as has been said, you're not really alone all that often out there.

I recognized the tune right away. Not sure if that makes me happy or not. :)

[peakbagger]

I tend to cover more miles when I solo hike. My pace varies with the terrain and when I am not trying to adjust may pace to another hiker, I end up doing more miles in a day and not really being anymore tired as I was at my optiimum pace. I also tend to hike for more hours per day.

I wouldnt be paranoid about being totally alone on the trail, if you are hiking during reasonable weather there are usually folks out on the trail, you dont tend to notice them when hiking unless they overtake you or you overtake them. If you are stopped and are hurt or in trouble, odds are someone will go by in less than an hour. These days, cell coverage is pretty good along the trail and text coverage is even better when the signal is marginal. By the way, there are a lot of roads that cross the trail in most areas, granted they may be dirt or seasonal but if you know how to use a map its usually pretty easy to estimate where the next road crossing is and how close it is to civilization.

The normal response to someone that you dont know inquiry if you are hiking alone, is to say that you are waiting for friends to catch up and not sure where you are going to be camping that night.

[sbhikes]

I hiked the PCT alone. It was wonderful. There was less chance of seeing other people than on the AT. I sometimes went for days without seeing another person. I loved it. I enjoy solitude so if you're someone who needs a lot of noise and distraction, this much solitude might not be for you.

[tiptoe]

Alone is best. As others have said, you'll see people fairly often most of the time, and you can be as social as you want to be, or not social at all. When you hike alone, you can do as you please in terms of distance per day, rate, resting, town stops, and so on.

[pattydivins]

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I do in fact enjoy solitude. I play golf a decent amount and I would much rather go out and play by myself then with a group of people. However, an occasional round with a group of friends is great. I am sure I will know what type of balance I will enjoy when I am out there, especially considering the primary reason I am out there is to enjoy the whole thing!

[Bilko]

Like Johnny Cash, I walk alone. 1500 miles on the trail. The seasons make a big difference. Location along the trail makes a big difference, by a big city or metropolitan area Baltimore, DC area, or wilderness, etc. There are even gaps between large groups of hikers. Sometimes you are overloaded with hikers some times you walk alone.

[Marta]

The advantages of hiking solo hugely outweigh the advantages of find some random person to hike with. If you're solo you can suit yourself in every particular--timing, speed, cost, gear... If you tie yourself to a partner, everything has to be negotiated and you'll lose most of your freedom and a good deal of your chance of success. Once you steel yourself to go alone, you'll be glad you did.

[Press]

I hike by myself all the time. I work daily with a great team of people but am highly dependent on others' needs, requests, requirements, schedules and so forth. I love getting out on the trail and just walking, stopping when I want to, consulting no one on my next move. I really really enjoy the solitude.

[OldStormcrow]

I've section hiked the southern third of the Trail, primarily in winter and almost always solo. It's nearly impossible to find someone who hikes the same speed as yourself, finds the same views worth slowing down for, likes the same brand of whiskey, wants to take a "zero" or "nero" day sometimes, wants to hike late into the evening or go naked night hiking (weather permitting), etc. Being somewhat schizophrenic, I make pretty good company for myself.

[astrogirl]

I've done almost all of my 1,500 section miles solo, most of them in early May and late April (except New England - I've been doing that in the fall, and that's where my remaining miles are).

[Kerosene]

I love to hike alone, even when I'm hiking a section with others. To me, there's nothing worse than trying to hold a conversation while walking, or walking nose-to-butt. I'm comfortable being by myself for long periods of time, but it is kind of nice to share a meal or a view with a friend.

[Jonnycat]

I hike alone exclusively, and I run into many other hikers who are hiking alone also, both men and women.

[SugarLand]

I am looking forward to my first ever section hike - and I'm doing it alone. Days I'm not worried about - I just hope I don't come screaming out of the woods the first night. :o