[pct-l] Lonliness/burn out

[jjolson@uwyo.edu (Jeffrey Olson)]

Strider said:

Mental Burn-out / Loneliness      -     High
>
> So, keep your pack on, avoid rednecks and find someone that you can talk
to
> and relate with, i.e., another PCT hiker.

> IMHO, hiking alone, whether female or male or in between, is not a good
idea
> on the PCT due to the remote nature of the trail should an accident happen
> and to the mental drain that loneliness can take in the face of many
physical
> challenges.

I wonder how many persons actually hike the trail alone.  I know on my
section hikes I have met only one or two persons hiking end-to-end alone.
More than once I've talked with thru-hikers who get a hollow, almost furtive
look in their eyes when talking about the emotions that arise when hiking
alone.  Hence people hiking in loose groups.

Here's a hypothesis that is probably easily falsified.  The younger the
hiker, the less likely s/he is to hike alone for any length of time and stay
on the trail!  I suggest this only because the persons I met who were alone
were in their 30s and 40s.

Jeffrey Olson
Laramie WY where it's over 50 degrees.  Shorts weather!!!