[pct-l] Hiking Alone

[Bill]

I have come to love hiking alone, but every couple days I enjoy a comrade at
night.  I like catching up on how it has been, what worked what didn't, "did
you see. . ."  and laughs.   I love to laugh.   My best days have been spent
with other very experienced hikers that I need not worry about or wonder
about and basically looking at the map and deciding where we should shoot
for that evening or the next couple days.   Then we spend the day hiking
alone perhaps to camp together at night, or meet up in a couple days in
town.   I like to drift without effort in and out of my company.   To pull
this off, my hiking partners need to be on the same wave pattern.

When hiking alone for days on end I can get lonely and at the same time love
the solitude.  Being alone brings moments of clarity I can not explain.  I
often have this thought when it happens, "I wish you could be here alone
with me right now".  Of course you see the contradiction.  You can't be
alone with me.   A significant part of the stark, stripped down moment I am
having, that I want to share, has been baking all day in the solitude - so
it is impossible to share.  Once "you" show up, we blinked and it is gone.
I can not say what that moment is.  I can not define what veil has been
lifted, but some filter is gone and this is a fragile moment.  In those
instances the edge between me and this is indeterminate.  And when the
moment passes my eyes will mist and I look around for someone to make eye
contact with just to quietly mind-whisper, "wow, yea".  Then I realize
again, that I am alone.

As for group hiking versus alone hiking and which is hiking your own hike, I
think that deciding to hike with a group and being part of a group decision
process is as much hiking your own hike as any other style.   If you make a
choice to be part of the group, then it is a choice, it is your choice, it
then is your hike and the results of that decision create a hike that is as
much your own as anyone's.  Hiking your own hike is at its core about
choosing your own methods and paths.   That would include deciding on hiking
with others and deciding to participate in a quorum and deciding when not
to.

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of jeff.singewald at comcast.net
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 2:03 PM
To: Paul Magnanti; PCT MailingList
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hiking Alone

Mags,

Great post!  I concur with you that it is more likely a personality thing.
I am one of those that thoroughly enjoyed the long periods of solo time that
I spent on the trail in 2006.

I know that I'll probably catch some flack for this, but in my humble
opinion, as soon as you make the decision to hike with others and form the
ad-hoc social groups that are often seen along the trail, one is no longer
"hiking your own hike".  Nope, at that point a good majority of the people
are "hiking the group hike".  Decisions are made as a group and frankly
there is compromise and give and take.  Nothing wrong with this style of
hike, but rarely would groups stay together for long periods of time if each
person were truely "hiking your own hike".

In 2006 I spent the better part of 1000 miles hiking with a wonderful couple
and I will cherish this time forever, however, I rarely felt as though the
decisions the group made were mine.  I know that I compromised my own
personal desires at times to remain wit these wonderful folks.  Heck, we
were the three amigos!

Anyhow, in Old Station, I decided it was time that I truely attempted to
hike my own hike and the only way to accomplish this was to set off on my
own and this is what I did all the way to the Canadian Border.  It was a
wonderful experience and I thoroughly enjoyed confronting the challenges and
decisions with no other input.  There was no pressure from others as to make
or not make a town stop, to zero or nero, to walk through the fire closure
or to hike 3 miles or 30 miles in a day.

I realize this type of hike is not for everyone.  Not preaching this at all.

Elevator  

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Paul Magnanti <pmags at yahoo.com> 

> >>I also have found that the younger you are, the more likely you are to 
> >>be uncomfortable being alone. Have others seen this too??? 
> My long hikes have been solo affairs. 
> 
> I did my first long(ish) hike in 1997 at 23 yo. It was Vermont's Long
Trail and 
> the thought of hiking of nearly 300 miles 
> with another person never crossed my mind. 
> 
> Since that first step in Vermont, my long distance hiking "career" has
been one 
> of loose partnerships at best 
> , but being by myself for the most part. 
> 
> I don't know if it is an age thing, but a personality thing. 
> 
> Many of my friends can't comprehend thet "Thanks, but I'd rather hike by
myself" 
> sentiment. Many thru-hikers don't like hiking solo either 
> 
> At this point in my life, I estimate I've spent ~2 yrs cumulative by
myself in 
> th backcountry, (Long hikes, throw in some weekend or so things too). 
> 
> That's a long time to be in your own head. It may also explain a lot about
me. 
> :D 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************************************ 
> The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust 
> caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched 
> --Thoreau 
> http://www.pmags.com 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Pct-l mailing list 
> Pct-l at backcountry.net 
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l 
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