Dating for Single Hikers

[Water Rat]

It's pretty simple - she is already out there on the trail. The woman you are describing is not the type to sit around, waiting for someone to contact her to go hiking/backpacking. She is already out there. Many women grow up knowing how hard it is to find hiking partners, so we just get out there and enjoy our time on the trail. Anything else just falls into place.

There is also a downside in trying to date someone who only has one common interest - what happens if one of you ends up with an injury and has to stop hiking?

[Dogwood]

Couldn't have said it better than Illabelle, Mags, and Scarebears last post #38

Best in context answer for their post on the thread was Scarebear's quote of Harry Callahan "a man has got to know his limitations."

Join a trail club, do co ed trail maintenance crews, and engage in adventure. Adventurous folks usually are attracted to other adventurous people even if they haven't tried your brands of adventure. Make a play(ask the potential SO out on a backpacking trip) being yourself, honest, without the pretentiousness while going to a climbing gym, walking the dog, to the fitness center, walking a river trail, at a museum, walking a Botanical Garden, taking group tennis lessons, joining a road or MBing group ...

[Dogwood]

The world is yours and it's a BIIIG Place with lots of women.

[mml373]

It seems all the woman I meet on the trail are either too young or married. Neither of those are a problem for me, but apparently it is for them.

Oh, Good Lord!

[mml373]

The world is yours and it's a BIIIG Place with lots of women.

Thank you, Dogwood. Very true...

[windlion]

Have you considered volunteering on your local trail maintenance crew? In NY, there are always NY-NJ Trail Conference volunteer projects. Maybe things like that would be good.

Confirming on trail work crews. Met an incredibly wonderful woman who mentored me up to being a safe backpacker, and we're still friends. Easier for women to express interest on a work weekend than on the trail, I think.

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[mml373]

Have you considered volunteering on your local trail maintenance crew? In NY, there are always NY-NJ Trail Conference volunteer projects. Maybe things like that would be good.

I agree. :-) I'll check to see what's on with the Ozark Trail...not sure they're going to be active maintaining again till Fall.

[Runner2017]

Here's the best advice:

Stay single. You are the envy of many men currently in dead end relationships. All women start off sweet and cute and before you know it, you wake up next to complete opposite. Take a few deep breaths and this desire to find a mate will soon disappear. Being single isnt sad; its liberating; the solitude, the peace, the tranquility Vs a lifetime of nagging, whinning and bitching!))

Amen!

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[TOW]

Note from a single guy who's been using "traditional" online dating sites to meet a lady hiker for far too long...without success, in terms of actually meeting someone who "really hikes." :-) And, evidently "camping" means RVing...not really camping. :-)

Are there any resources out there that can help single hikers meet? Match dot com is worthless in terms of meeting people who really are into hiking/backpacking at the level I enjoy (intent to through hike the AT.) I am aware of Meetup, but unfortunately I work rotating shifts and am unable to participate in my local hiking group's outings because I never know my work schedule far enough in advance (they book up more than a month out.) Still, backpacking (and perhaps an AT through hike) is something I want to share with someone special and cannot imagine ever being with someone who doesn't have a passion for the trail.

I see all these couples that have relatively little in common, always fighting, and just can't imagine ever going down that road.

Just trying to come up with options or see how others couples met through their love of backpacking. I'm an early/mid 40s guy near St. Louis, looking to find someone who understands this whole active lifestyle/backpacking thing that so many of us here enjoy. There's so much to see, to learn, and to experience and it would better to experience it all with someone.


Thanks in advance for helpful replies. :-)

Go to the trails you want to meet a lady, just get out there. No match.com, there is no easy way to do it man. Been there done that.Just go to the woods....she will be there..........

[mml373]

Go to the trails you want to meet a lady, just get out there. No match.com, there is no easy way to do it man. Been there done that.Just go to the woods....she will be there..........

Ha! I see you run a Hostel... ;-)

That actually fits into a dream of mine...to run such a place with a special someone.

Anyhow... Will be in touch when I'm heading through your neck of the woods!

[chasingthewind]

All the advice here seems spot on. I imagine walking into a club and saying "Hey ladies, anyone wanna hike 2000 miles?" is going to be pretty ineffective.

[JFKinYK]

Great advice so far. I'll add one piece that isn't mentioned. Move - west and/or north (Canada) to a smaller outdoorsy town.

I think you live in Illinois? Hit the Rockies and there are outdoor women hanging from the trees. Small towns have a tight sense of community with multiple clubs and mixer opportunities. Single affords flexibility - use it (and it worked for me...)

[Ethesis]

Amen!

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ive only been married 32 years or so so my wife is still in the seeet and cute stage.

[ScareBear]

Great advice so far. I'll add one piece that isn't mentioned. Move - west and/or north (Canada) to a smaller outdoorsy town.

I think you live in Illinois? Hit the Rockies and there are outdoor women hanging from the trees. Small towns have a tight sense of community with multiple clubs and mixer opportunities. Single affords flexibility - use it (and it worked for me...)

I'm trying to get a visual image of "outdoor women hanging from the trees"...

So, Yellowknife is the singles mecca of Canada? I suppose things get real interesting in January, eh?

Yellowknife and hot night life....well...when the night lasts 20 hours I suppose something has to happen/give/break...

Yikes.

[Marie]

Sadly I can relate to this. My last relationship was "surprised by how much" I wanted to hike. Like the fact I stated, over and over "I only care about hiking, I only wanna hike, I NEED TO HIKE ALL THE TIME" wasn't clear. He liked hiking and camping too but didn't crave it the way I do. I just, at this point, assume I'm an anomaly & destined to wander alone. And I tell ya what...there's FAR worse things than that!!

[Praha4]

the AT is good place to meet an earthy woman

[George]

it is a pretty small niche statistically that will do long term hiking, in the US in any given year - I would guess only 7000 per year in the US will hike for a month or more, 1000 of whom will not be US residents - of those maybe 1/3 female - so 2000 out of a 160 million females in the US - that is 1 in 80,000

next with the OP's age say a candidate would be 30 - 50 year old, not married or in a committed relationship and within an hour drive, the potential pool may be 10 or possibly zero

it is easy to slam hikers for "pink blazing" but realistically many have little other options for connecting otherwise

[nadine3dogs]

Why not start a section in the forum for this purpose? I'm in the same boat and was thinking about this today while I hiked alone.

[NY HIKER 50]

Let's face it. I know the problems he has and I've given up altogether and just go alone. Too young. Too old. Like he said, crowded campgrounds, RV's and all the rest of the problems. I don't need to put up with that.

[MuddyWaters]

it is easy to slam hikers for "pink blazing" but realistically many have little other options for connecting otherwise

As they say in Co ski towns, where ski bum guys outnumber girls by a large margin:

Either bring it with you, or plan to do without.