[pct-l] solo female thru-hiker

[Malloree Weinheimer]

hi, i'm planning to hike the pct this 2011 season and i'm slowly realizing that i'm probably going to be doing a good chunk of it solo. i'm a single female in my mid twenties and my mom almost had a heart attack when she learned that i might be doing this alone. i am okay with this, and actually would really like to tackle much of it solo. can anyone tell me what to expect? any advice? i've been thinking about this a lot, especially as far as safety goes and i'd like to get as much input and advice to prepare as i can. 

aside from general information and advice, i had a few specific questions as well;
-as far as safety goes, what to bring for defense, if anything? i'm more concerned about safety from humans than wildlife. 
-aaand, are there any other solo hikers out there for the season that might be interested in something like a buddy/support system?
-as the trail gets more popular and since there is a window of opportunity to hike it in, how many people do you run into on the trail per day, or are aware of in your area (in case of emergency, or whatever)? less than five? more than five?

thanks for the help, malloree