[pct-l] Solo Woes

[PCT at DelNorteResort.Com (stillroaming)]

In '02 I hiked from Campo to Agua Dulce alone, '03 Sisters, Or to Stehekin,
Wa alone and '05 Campo to Cajon Pass alone.

It's not the trail per se, it's what you bring with you *to* the trail.

Personally, I prefer and enjoy hiking alone. In the everyday world it seems
that someone wants to impose their constraints upon you. From what you buy
at the store, to what you wear, demands by your spouse or boss, what to
watch on *gulp* TV and on and on and .....

On the trail that daily interaction immediately goes out the
window....buh-bye! Some folks enjoy the solitude, others simply cannot
handle the cold-turkey transition. You will be able to identify them on the
trail (puppy-dogs). And it's not a bad thing, it's just the way some folks
are built. Their life requires an 'audience' if you will. Folks who validate
their lives with the lives of others.

Hiking with someone through the Sierra's was fantastic for all the practical
reasons. Personally, I wouldn't want to go through all those snowy passes
alone. Hiking with someone provided me with a sense of security. Maybe a
false sense of security, but security none the less.

I've had 2 night time bear encounters while alone. Both times I was too
tired to be bothered by it. The next morning in both cases, I admit, I was a
bit rattled.

In '02 there was a hiker a ran into a few times and I'd say to myself,
"There goes so and so with their entourage in tow." Now, on the list I've
heard that person talk about the solitude and it makes me chuckle. (No Mags,
it's not you! :)

Hiking in any direction you will meet plenty of people along the trail.
However, you may go for 2-3 days without seeing anyone. While it may make
you lonely, ask yourself, when was the last time you went 2 complete days
without any human interaction? For me, the experience gives me a greater
appreciation for those around me.

I hope that confounds and irritates everyone around me. ;)

Scott Parks
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