High Sierra Topix

Moonwalker wrote:The comment by gregodorizzi should give you pause, as the stream that stopped his trip is normally innocuous (when was that greg?).

It was July 22.

Greetings steiny98

In my first post to you I encouraged you to give it a go. I also suggested that on your first solo trip to stay within the limits of what you've done before.

Well, you can forget all that namby-pamby advice. Just watch "Jeremiah Johnson" and "The Revenant" and you will be totally well-equipped to deal with anything that happens in the outdoors.

You have to ask yourself. Are you happier when someone is with you to share the day's adventure, or do you just stare at your cup of whatever you eat? If people know you're heading out, they might come with or meet (if they have gear or you have gear to share.) My best times were with friends, especially at cooking time or the end of the day. Solo is just that. All you hear is the snow, or the silence. Solo can be ok, but my solo trips were interrupted by others to be part of the trip. Ok with that, but, that wasn't the point.

Good luck.

As someone who hikes solo 99.9% of the time, I can tell you that if you're in the general vicinity of the JMT and are even partially sociable, you'll run into other (friendly) hikers. If you want to be truly alone, then hike off trail at any number of locations. This can actually be fun for a few days in its own right. But if you loop back or traverse across the main spine, there are people everywhere.

Everyone is in the same boat as far as feeling fatigued, sweaty, dirty, (not) hungry, but also rushing on endorphin highs from the altitude, beauty and physical exertion. So, that drops all kinds of personal/social barriers and puts people in the mood for just hanging out and shooting the sh!t.

Also, chances are that by merely being a member of HST, you're probably - at a minimum - in the upper quartile in terms of capabilities, knowledge, physical condition, etc. You may not personally think of yourself as being particularly noteworthy, but to others you probably appear as fairly experienced. This sets up an interesting dynamic, because while you don't have to be a boorish 'mansplainer', you might get others initiating a few inquiries by just being calm & normal.

I can't tell you how many times I've had people start peppering me with questions, inviting me to camp, asking about my itinerary, make tentative plans to look out for another impromptu meet-up, etc. I guess what I'm saying is that by going solo, you really need to purposely & consciously search out specific areas if you want to be alone. Otherwise, there's a whole dynamic backwoods community out there that is easy to join, easy to leave, and in general is there if you want it, and not if you don't.

As everyone has said, you'll need to fully wrap your mind around being solely responsible for your own safety. Less risk taking and making sure that you're firing on all cylinders when making decisions. I don't think that any aspect of that can be stressed strongly enough. The rescues and recoveries are mostly coming in for solo hikers.

You'll have more weight, and you'll be doing it all yourself. That's fine and will work itself out. You'll also know within a day or two if soloing is for you or not. In that, I'm not saying that if you decide it's not that you'll write it off forever and never want to do it again, just that you'll have a better idea of what it's all about and how to do it: a new learning curve to ponder.

Psychologically, it is different, and you'll be inside your own head more. That can be good or bad. It can be cleansing and empowering, or boring and too full of all the things you worry about in life. You'll also have to sometimes talk yourself into doing things that are now twice as much work because you're alone. In the mornings, you'll be able to focus on packing up and the day ahead. On the trail, you may be able to stay on point more, or you'll miss the camaraderie and sharing the experience of hiking with someone else. It's the evenings when you're relaxing and winding down that will probably get to you the most. When I'm alone, I tend to read more and go to bed much earlier. And yes, there are times when I really need to stop looking at the map so intently and "staring into my cup".

Just some things to think about. Sometimes soloing is awesome and something you want and need, other times it's not such a good thing. Go for the experience, and reserve your own personal judgments for when you've had a chance to look at both sides of it.

mrphil wrote:As everyone has said, you'll need to fully wrap your mind around being solely responsible for your own safety. Less risk taking and making sure that you're firing on all cylinders when making decisions. I don't think that any aspect of that can be stressed strongly enough. The rescues and recoveries are mostly coming in for solo hikers.

You'll have more weight, and you'll be doing it all yourself. That's fine and will work itself out. You'll also know within a day or two if soloing is for you or not. In that, I'm not saying that if you decide it's not that you'll write it off forever and never want to do it again, just that you'll have a better idea of what it's all about and how to do it: a new learning curve to ponder.

Psychologically, it is different, and you'll be inside your own head more. That can be good or bad. It can be cleansing and empowering, or boring and too full of all the things you worry about in life. You'll also have to sometimes talk yourself into doing things that are now twice as much work because you're alone. In the mornings, you'll be able to focus on packing up and the day ahead. On the trail, you may be able to stay on point more, or you'll miss the camaraderie and sharing the experience of hiking with someone else. It's the evenings when you're relaxing and winding down that will probably get to you the most. When I'm alone, I tend to read more and go to bed much earlier. And yes, there are times when I really need to stop looking at the map so intently and "staring into my cup".

Just some things to think about. Sometimes soloing is awesome and something you want and need, other times it's not such a good thing. Go for the experience, and reserve your own personal judgments for when you've had a chance to look at both sides of it.

This is an extremely accurate portrayal of the solo hiking experience in every point articulated.

I recently started hiking again three years ago. I couldn't find anyone with a similar interest, so I tried going solo.

After about 10 solo trips, I prize my time solo now. I loved taking my daughter on one of my trips and it was a blast, but I do my best thinking alone.

Upside to Solo:
1. Go your own pace and stop when you want.
2. Change your itinerary on the fly.
3. Enjoy the solitude and sounds of nature.
4. No snoring to keep you awake (unless it's your own )
5. Plan your trip without compromising on where, when and what type of terrain.

Upside to having trip partners
1. Companionship
2. Sharing equipment to lessen the load or expand capabilities.
3. Backup for stream-crossings and to get help in case of an accident.
4. Someone to help push you past your limits
5. Second set of eyeballs when route finding.
6. Someone with info on new ideas for trip planning.

That said, if I had more friends that liked to hike, I probably wouldn't be hiking solo as often.


My recommendation is for the OP to go solo and see how much you like it. Counting on others can be disappointing when they flake.

Will echo many of prior sentiments on this board and add (i don't recall reading it) that one thing backpacking solo has impressed upon me even more (and also w/ groups too) is the need/use of the Reconn forms. I never even heard of such a thing 'til last summer when I was preparing for a solo trip. But realized the detail and thoroughness of the Reconn form, planning it and leaving at home, plus in car at trailhead, made me feel both a bit safer and also more strategic/thoughtful before hitting the trail.

Nothing beats having a companion to share your enjoyment and excitement over a special place. But I also treasure my solitude, the time to meditate, and to withdraw from the constant chatter that I am too prone to in civilization. So I have been continuing both kinds of trips, but relying more on solo trips since my enthusiasm for backpacking is greater than my companions'.

That said, I only started to solo from necessity, and after technology made it somewhat (but not altogether) safer. I rented a satellite phone when they first came out years ago for my first solo trip, now I simply carry a Spot. It won't make up for the lack of a companion in any number of real-time emergencies, but it could help in some situations. Mainly it reassures my wife. And I leave very, very elaborate itineraries with her and instructions on how to help SAR find me if I am overdue.

You can move the needle a little on your odds for making it out of a bad situation by taking all the proper precautions, keeping people informed, and taking the right gear for weather and first aid. But that is true for groups as well.

Also be aware that the riskiest thing you do on a backpacking trip will probably be driving to and from the trailhead. That doesn't mean we should ignore backpacking risks--rather that we should also think more about driving defensively and safely.

I had to stop and think why I started going solo.

I used to have a group of friends and we frequently hiked together. But we had to stop going as a group.

Would you want to go hiking with someone who always complained, whined about everything, lagged behind, had cheap gear that always failed, and shirked his camp chores?

My friends didn't either. So I had to start hiking alone.