[pct-l] Newbie - 'alone in the dark' freak outs on the trail

[Lindsey Sommer]

I've had this problem for years, you're definitely not alone. I worked for
years as an archaeologist and have spent many many nights out in various
places, but always with people I was working with. I too am planning to do
as much of the PCT in 2013 (the UCLA school year schedule probably won't
permit a thru-hike), and am nervous about the "alone" thing, and would hate
to have to always rely on having someone else around to make me feel less
nervous at night.

So, here's my solution I'm currently working on: I'm learning AS MUCH as I
can about the plants, animals, and ecosystems that I'm likely to encounter.

I'm planning on taking several short naturalist courses via the wilderness
awareness school in Washington, and will put that into practice doing
shorter trips closer to home. As a woman who loves to hike, I'm oftentimes
more outdoorsy than any of my friends, and I tend to do a lot of solo
hiking. I've found that I feel more at home and more comfortable in the
backcountry when I feel secure in my knowledge and strength to take care of
myself. I'm learning what plants grow near water, what bird calls mean,
what animals like to forge in certain areas and their night time habits.

Anyways, that my current agenda for teaching myself how to be more relaxed
at night (and during the day) when alone. It's yet unknown how much it will
help, but it's certainly worth a try.

Cheers,
Lindsey


On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 1:33 PM, JJ Briggs <skihikejj at gmail.com> wrote:

> I to had the fear of the night time before I left on my hike. I went so far
> as to get a mini prescription of sleeping pills. The first 2 nights on the
> trail I took them, and they did help with the sleep part, and I didn't get
> the heeby geebies. After the initial week or so, I still had nights that
> scared me mainly because of all the little critters skittering around at
> night. My solution for that was - ear plugs (I like the wax ones over the
> foam plugs, doesn't hurt the ears as much). Some people questioned me about
> not being able to hear if a bear was going to get me in the night or
> anything like that and my thought behind it was, I would rather not know I
> was going to be mauled in the night. The ear plugs were great, and I still
> use them anytime I camp because they really did take the "bump in the
> night" issue out of my worries.
>
> Fluffy Puff
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