I would like to hear from anyone that goes out in the woods and does things a little different these days after all this. Afterall we don't Want history to repeat itself, do we?
I know this is an old post... but when it initially popped up under "What's New?"... well I guess my most recent posts were related to bear encounters... so I initially read the title as...
"Scary Encounters WITH Women on the Trail" {you know... like if you just met a really pissed off 'Karen'}
I always answer this with another question: "Am I wearing pants?" (assuming you are)Originally Posted by KnightErrant
nous défions
It's gonna be ok.
Ditch Medicine: wash your hands and keep your booger-pickers off your face!
I had a recent experience that sort of relates to the differences women might experience. To put things in perspective, I'm a short pudgy white guy.
Last month I did a solo 3 day 2 night hike along the AT in the GSMNP. I typically wear orange (aside: people always ask if I'm trying to avoid getting shot. I reply, I'm making it easier for rescuers to find me) and I'm often noticed for my abundance of orange. My schedule happened to coincide with a woman about my age (mid 50s), and without making too big a deal let's just say she was a nice person and also nice to look at. While we weren't really hiking together, we often took breaks together and we were the only two people at a shelter site (we both tented) so we chatted and were generally friendly. On one stretch I happened to be a little bit ahead of her and three older (60s?) men came up on horseback. On this stretch that was allowed. I stepped aside, everyone had basic trail greetings and I didn't think much about it. Apparently when they were passing her they made a comment along the lines of, Are you hiking alone little lady? She replied, didn't you see my husband just ahead, wearing orange?
I don't know that they meant her any harm and the trail had enough traffic that they probably would have been seen if they had, but it did illustrate the very different experience we each had with the same people only minutes apart.
Last edited by perrymk; 12-25-2021 at 13:00.
Actually one of the funniest/strangest things I encountered on my thru hike was a male runner just north of Port Clinton on a Sunday morning. Wearing trail runners...and nothing else. Did NOT look comfortable, but to each their own.
I don’t think that the article has anything to do with women's safety. As others have said, everyone on the trail at that time was potentially in danger.
I’m a small 43-year-old female and I have had mostly good experiences on the AT. I always hike with my husband on long distance trails, but I do hike and trail run by myself during the day. I carry pepper spray, stay situationally aware and check my six often. I’ve had a few unnerving encounters, but I try to stay alert and luckily have not been scared out of the woods.
I’ve only had two scary situations on section hikes. Once, two young men passed our campsite at dusk..I think near Unicoi Gap on the AT. Not long later we started hearing what sounded like fake owl hoots. It went on for a while, so my hubby decided to pretend that he was showing me how to use his shotgun. After he racked it we didn’t hear another “owl” that night. They may have been just messing with us for fun, but you never know.
The second time was this past fall. We were at Big South Fork in Tennessee and had seen just a handful of other hikers the entire day. A park ranger stopped us when we got to our camp site and asked to see our permit. He then asked if we’d seen a man hiking with two fifteen year old's. We hadn’t. I asked if we should be worried, and he just said that their families were looking for them.
That night as I was just falling asleep my husband asked if I saw a flash light shining through the tent. I opened my eyes and see a light that was scanning our tent. We were camped on a huge sandbar with a creek loudly flowing around it (won’t do that again). Judging by the beam, whoever it was must have been standing level with us across the bank. After a long two minutes or so the light moved back up the hill off the bank. I was terrified. I mean shaking. I think it may have been the trio that the ranger was looking for (there was a trowel, pot holder, and trash in the fire pit at the camp), but I have no idea. The not knowing has filled my imagination with what-ifs. Honestly, I’m a little worried how I will sleep when we start hiking next spring.
I will always hike anything longer than a day hike with someone else. To each their own though
lol - and I"m debating myself on whether that flask of whiskey is worth the weight. Decision made; If JackieO can pack a shotgun then I'm taking my spirits with me
Regarding your sandbar camp. The person in question may have caught a reflection off your tent and then have been interested as to what the heck was in the stream. If it was an unexpected occurrence on the part of the light holder, they may have just been trying to reconcile why the tent was where it was. "What is that on the water...is that a tent? Is it floating, what's it doing there. Oh someone's camping there!" Alternatively, maybe they wanted to camp there also (you said it was big) and they were trying to figure out how much room there was, whether anyone was up, would they be disturbing you if they camped there, etc. People coming in to a shelter will do the same thing, scan the area to look for places to pitch camp. Anyone hiking at the end of the day or at night is usually mentally tired. Their reaction time is slower and typically need to eat. People can't see nearly as far in the dark and take longer to process what they are seeing. They're running through scenarios just like you are. "Where's a flat spot...What am I eating tonight I'm so hungry...where's the water...where's the privy...I should have packed more snacks...My feet hurt something awful...I gotta get out of these clothes and into something warmer...that is a tent over there on the bank!"I don’t think that the article has anything to do with women's safety. As others have said, everyone on the trail at that time was potentially in danger.
I’m a small 43-year-old female and I have had mostly good experiences on the AT. I always hike with my husband on long distance trails, but I do hike and trail run by myself during the day. I carry pepper spray, stay situationally aware and check my six often. I’ve had a few unnerving encounters, but I try to stay alert and luckily have not been scared out of the woods.
I’ve only had two scary situations on section hikes. Once, two young men passed our campsite at dusk..I think near Unicoi Gap on the AT. Not long later we started hearing what sounded like fake owl hoots. It went on for a while, so my hubby decided to pretend that he was showing me how to use his shotgun. After he racked it we didn’t hear another “owl” that night. They may have been just messing with us for fun, but you never know.
The second time was this past fall. We were at Big South Fork in Tennessee and had seen just a handful of other hikers the entire day. A park ranger stopped us when we got to our camp site and asked to see our permit. He then asked if we’d seen a man hiking with two fifteen year old's. We hadn’t. I asked if we should be worried, and he just said that their families were looking for them.
That night as I was just falling asleep my husband asked if I saw a flash light shining through the tent. I opened my eyes and see a light that was scanning our tent. We were camped on a huge sandbar with a creek loudly flowing around it (won’t do that again). Judging by the beam, whoever it was must have been standing level with us across the bank. After a long two minutes or so the light moved back up the hill off the bank. I was terrified. I mean shaking. I think it may have been the trio that the ranger was looking for (there was a trowel, pot holder, and trash in the fire pit at the camp), but I have no idea. The not knowing has filled my imagination with what-ifs. Honestly, I’m a little worried how I will sleep when we start hiking next spring.
I will always hike anything longer than a day hike with someone else. To each their own though
"Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
Call for his whisky
He can call for his tea
Call all he wanta but he can't call me..."
Robert Hunter & Ron McKernan
Whiteblaze.net User Agreement.
One thing we should be aware of is how a purely well intentioned conversation with a stranger can be unsettling when people are wary and anxious. Asking about where people are headed, plan to camp, if hiking alone can actually be scary questions.
It is terrible that we now have a missing female hiker who was in shenandoah, especially seeing that one story about the unreported attacks and rapes in that area.
Lol, it was my husband's first backpacking trip, and he insisted. He also brought MREs..sometimes people just have to learn on the old fashioned way!! In his defense he didn't complain once, although, he has since carried a handgun.lol - and I"m debating myself on whether that flask of whiskey is worth the weight. Decision made; If JackieO can pack a shotgun then I'm taking my spirits with me
You are absolutely right. We went over all the possibilities we could think of (didn't think about the floating tent), and in all likelihood there is an innocent explanation, but it sure didn't feel like it in the moment.
The first few times I was out camping alone (in a state park), I felt vulnerable and uncomfortable. When I went camping in the same park during the winter (i.e., nobody there), I felt even MORE vulnerable and uncomfortable. A few times, my anxiety was off the charts -- if I saw shapes in the dark, or lights that I didn't recognize. And even if a vehicle drove thru in the daylight, I had to resist a bizarre urge to hide and assess what they were up to.... And invariably, they were just ordinary people out for a nice drive in the park (who were almost certainly more alarmed seeing ME, someone out in the Scary Woods in the Winter!). The scary shapes in the dark were signposts, and the lights were street lights from the town across the river....
Finally at one point I asked myself just what it was I was really afraid of, and then I relaxed. First, here in Indiana we have no bears or wolves or mountain lions, so: No Problem. Second, a career spent in mental health, law enforcement, and corrections has taught me that real, Predatory Baddies are rare rare...and Opportunistic Baddies aren't going to hang out in the Scary Dark Cold Woods waiting for the off chance that some victim will happen to come along. Opportunistic Baddies are, almost by definition, too lazy to be out doing the relatively hard work [for them] of hiking & camping...and even if they are out there, their assumption about anyone else out there is that THEY might be armed & dangerous.
I know that I can say that nearly every criminal I ever met was afraid of the thought of being out in the woods. And I've met some very scary people.
Yes, there are outliers -- there are outlying individuals, and outlying situations, and awful things can and do happen. But we hear about these things and then we think that THAT'S what happens in the Big Woods, and we think that we have to worry about it. And it's just not true. We've all been watching too much television.
Maybe in my rant I've gone off the thread here; I apologize.
fortis fortuna adjuvat
That's interesting, I'm sure a lot comes down to how we're framing our experience in the woods. I remember the first time a bear entered camp at night. I woke up my husband to tell him, and he said, just because there is a bear out there doesn't mean it wants to eat you. Duh, that really put it into perspective.
It seems to be almost involuntary to ask someone where they are headed when hiking. That is almost always the primary question with every trail encounter. I've been bemused by it for years. If you answer evasively/ obscurely, many folks become uneasy that you don't want to tell them.
I'd read a funny line here on WB from Just Bill years ago that I've tried out a few times but it never worked to my satisfaction: when asked, "are you through-hiking?", reply with " no I'm going to keep going for a while".
I was thinking the same thing..Online, you read everywhere not to ask people about their itinerary, but in real life, 90% of the time that’s the second question asked after “how’s it going?” I usually answer with an “oooohhhhhh we’ll see how far I can get” and that does often cause strange looks, especially when it’s later in the day..
Thank you for this. I will certainly remember these comments on the nights when I solo camp and get scared; it's logical and calming. (except for bears - we have bears in Maryland)
Bear spray and a knife with a 4 inch blade can give one a certain sense of security and is better than a fist....
As for me,it's inappropriate to ask personal questions that really are none of my business,like where someone else plans to spend the night...
While I think what you say is objectively true, an alarming number of AT thru hikers (yes, thru hikers) have been killed by the hand of a perfect stranger.
Since citing the names and number (7) of AT thru hikers murdered creates cognitive dissonance among the vast majority of thru hikers whose personal experiences have been all good, it is near impossible to discuss the common factors among these horrific crimes.
Easy to google, though.
Another poster made the statement, "With increased hiking experience comes greater situational awareness so more experienced female hikers may have fewer issues. " and some may think I'm naive, but I also believe this.
I've hiked the three long-distance trails, some more than once, and I spend a lot of time on the AT section hiking since it is close to home. All of that is over about 35 years. In all that time, I've had what I would call one bad experience, one odd and one tense. Through all of these my hiking habits have evolved.
The drunk guy was at a remote road crossing on the AT in the southeast. It's a long story, so I'll just say he was so drunk I was able to exit the situation quickly.
The odd experience was in Maine. I was SOBO on the AT in 98. I arrived at a shelter to find two other SOBO hikers. As we all chatted, what appeared to be a hiker out for the day walked up and slung a leather suitcase up into the shelter as he muttered to himself. He was wearing khakis and a blue button-up shirt - like business casual. The male hikers said hello, but he just kept muttering to himself. I discreetly started packing up, as did the other two SOBO hikers and we announced, "break was over, and it was time to keep hiking." That was when the guy turned and just stared at us. We all hiked together that night, miles after dark, and were up before first light moving again, as far away as possible.
The tense situation was on the CDT in Wyoming, on a remote section of the trail. I had not seen anyone in a few days. As I traveled through the woods, a bow hunter suddenly stepped from the trees and started walking beside me, chatting like we were on a Sunday stroll. I never saw or heard him, and I'm pretty aware of my surroundings when I hike. He was fully camouflaged.
Every single alarm in my head screamed, but I politely asked him questions about hunting and the area in general. Then, as the trail narrowed, I dropped back and told him to walk ahead, saying he was walking faster. He walked ahead of me for another mile chattering away before we passed a camp I saw down in the woods with other men and women around it. He turned off here and wished me a good "walk." He never asked about me or my hike, only if I had seen any elk or deer.
When people ask if I feel safe hiking solo, I always say yes. I do take precautions. As a rule, I don't camp at shelters or designated campsites anymore. This is due to animals - two and four-legged. I stay at least two miles from a road crossing, if not more, including dirt roads or used fire service roads. I stealth camp if possible - meaning I camp out of sight of the trail. I also don't stay at most hostels anymore. Some of the sketchiest people I've met over the years are at hostels - usually not thru-hikers. I'm not bashing hostels. There are some excellent hostels.
As far as meeting people, some of my best friends are other hikers I've met over the years. I generally make direct eye contact and say hello when I meet people. I'm pretty self-confident and think it's important to appear strong and confidant. I'll sometimes stop and chat for a few minutes, sometimes longer. It depends on the person or group.
Over the years, the one thing I have found frustrating at times is the need to have the "I hike solo" conversation consistently. People seem to assume that other people want to hike in a group or are uncomfortable hiking alone. This is men and women. I enjoy hiking with other people and chatting but often find my speed does not match other hikers, so hiking my hike is easier.
I'm sorry this is so long - too long so I'll stop now. I just wanted to share some good and bad experiences.
One last thought - I never expect other people to take on my challenges on or off-trail. I stay prepared to handle what may arise.
While I agree with most of what this post said, and also with the saying "it's better to be judged by 12 than carried by six", it should be pointed out that it does say right on every can of wasp spray that it is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling (or something to that effect).
Most cans of wasp spray are large, bulky, and heavy, while there are several pepper spray options that are small and have a holster that can be worn right on the hip belt of a pack.
I read once, on this website I'm fairly sure, that bear spray is actually less potent that self defense pepper spray; as bears have FAR more sensitive noses, the more powerful self defense pepper spray is not necessary to deter them.
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