[pct-l] Solo vs. Partnered Hiking

[Rick Ostheimer]

Sean Carey  wrote:

"I might find that when I get there I want some company sometimes. I 
might also find I want to solo hike a lot of it. I don't really know 
yet. I guess I am really curious though about the possibilities of both. 
I am wondering what people have experienced and what they think about 
both? Also the possibilities or maybe if people just will run into 
others along the way and just hike for a bit and then break off?"

Well, Sean, you can have your cake and eat it too.  Join a group, hike a 
ways, break off and hike solo, join another group, repeat as desired.  
It's called "Hike your own hike (HYOH)".

I've done both the AT and PCT and in both cases I arrived at the 
trailhead without having arranged for a hiking partner.  Unless your 
start time is either very early or very late in the window, you'll find 
that you run into compatible partners along the way.  Within the bubble 
of thru-hikers which spreads out as it moves north from Campo there 
quickly develops a thru-hiker community.  By and large, the community 
supports the HYOH ethic.  Several groups of hikers that  I call  
'cohorts', with like hiking speeds and zero days, seem to ooze up the 
trail.  You can move from one to another as desired taking solo time in 
between.

Even though I left the trail twice for a total of 21 full days, I 
managed to join other thru-hikers when company was important (through 
parts of the Sierra) or enjoyable (in Oregon and Washington, 
particularly for the last miles).

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