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

[Susan Virnig]

Dear Anne,

I'd like to add my story to all the good information you've received.  I decided to start section-hiking the PCT in 1977 when I was 28 years old.  I knew no one in eastern Washington who was interested and felt fine about going alone, having gotten lots of good training through the Spokane Mountaineers.  With the exception of my supportive spouse, EVERYONE I talked to was appalled.  A young woman alone in the wilderness???  I quickly learned to keep my mouth shut about what I was doing.

My intention was to hike Rainy Pass south to Stevens Pass, about 120 miles, but I decided a shorter segment would be good to try things out, make some adjustments, then try the longer stretch.  I started at Hart's Pass hiking south to Rainy, about 30 miles.  The first night I pitched my tent between the trail and a small stream that was downhill a bit.  It was an old fluorescent orange hunting tent with lots of guy strings that stretched out in all directions.  As I lay inside after it got dark, I began to hear lots of noises, and then lots of tugs on all the guy strings.  I quivered in my bag and only slept fitfully.

The next morning I realized that I had pitched my tent in the middle of a faint animal track that lead down to the stream.  All these critters were simply trying to get to their normal drinking spot and had to detour around my tent.  Of course they ran into my guy strings.  First learning:  don't pitch your tent on the thoroughfare between the trail and a stream.  The next night I picked a nice dry spot away from a water source and had a blissfully quiet night.  Second learning:  go buy a proper backpacking tent.  I hiked my longer section, sometimes camping alone, sometimes ending up near someone else.  Since that first scary night, I finished the WA PCT by the early 80s, then got involved in other aspects of life -- having a child, graduate school, etc.  One day in my 50s I woke up with this thought in my mind:  if I'm going to finish the PCT in this lifetime, I better get going.  So I set a goal of finishing Oregon by the time I turned 60.  Now I've walked from Manning Provincial Park to Ashland, Oregon in an unbroken line of section hikes.  Of the approximately 1000 miles, I've done about a third of the distance solo.  I find that I am so much more attuned to the sights and sounds of the mountains, I notice so much more and my memories are so much sharper when I'm alone.  

Here's wishing you a great thru-hike.  I hope that you will come to enjoy hiking solo as much as I have.

--Susan from Spokane