Solo Backpacking

Question:

<snip I would refer you to the excellent web page by Steven P. French, M.D. Co-Director, Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation IUCN Bear Specialists Group Adjunct Assistant Professor, Montana State University Director of Emergency Medicine, IHC Evanston Regional Hospital Bud, You left off the most important part, the URL!?

whoops! NOW who’s brain dead??? here it is: http://www.desktop.org/ygff/YGF.Res.Attacks.html — Bud Kuenzli WL7CIK XLTRMK In cyberspace after you get where you’re going you still don’t know where you are.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Here’s another "voice" who can relate to your situation. My preference is day hikes, but will admit to just being a beginner. Anyways, I’ve found it difficult-to-impossible to get someone to go hiking with or even go on the trails I’d prefer to try (eg. the rock scrambles at Mohonk). However, I’ll try not to let that stop me from going on further excursions (esp. this Fall!!!). BTW, I recently joined the New York/New Jersey Trail Conference, primarily to take part in trail maintenance and any group hikes that get organized. I’m sure there are a number of other such organizations/groups which offer the opportunity to hike/backpack with other folks. Finally, for me safety is a big issue and I try to take all the necessary precautions. And sometimes being alone helps for clearer thinking. –john

I see you mention Mohonk, so you must hike some of the Catskills. I’m actually more afraid of racoons at night anymore that I ever would be of a black bear in these mountains. Before I got married a few years back, I hiked from Pine Hill, over to Slide Mt., down to Woodland Valley, over to Mt. Tremper, Sugar Loaf, Twin Mts., Indian Head, High Top, and eventually made it to North Lake. All of this in a 10 day period taking my time as I was recovering from a major back operation from 3 months previous. My very first night on the trail was spent at the McKinley Hollow Shelter. Around dusk I saw this shadowy "thing" approaching the small clearing. It was about three to four feet in height and was moving very slowly. I was a little concerned about it. OK, I was very concerned. I was all alone and I couldn’t tell what it was and it was my first night on this solo trip. I picked up my walking staff and started to walk toward the "thing". When it saw me it took off thru the air like a jet. It was a turkey! The first sight of it though had me going. Later that night as I was sleeping, a racoon came right into the shelter and made for my backpack. Although I hit it with my staff it kept coming back again and again. Had I a rock, I would have thrown it at it, and if I had killed it I wouldn’t have felt any remorse, but I didn’t have a rock I had my staff and I hit it quite a few times. The dam thing actually bared it’s teeth at me. Anyway, it finally left me alone. Today in the Catskills and the Hudson Valley there is a terrible epidemic of rabies in racoons and other animals. I think I’d actually welcome a bear visit than a racoon visit, although there’s nothing to say the bear couldn’t have the disease. I guess my point is go for it! Take the solo trip(s)! In years to come they’ll be your favorite memories. I know the solo trips I’ve taken since then have always been mine. The usual disclaimers apply.

Response:

depressing). Reading the responses to this thread reminded me of an old Bruce Springsteen lyric: "It’s a sad man, my friend/who’s living in his own skin/and can’t stand the company." Soloing forces you to spend all your time inside your own head, and some (most?) people just can’t take that kind of self-scrutiny. I like to solo for the obvious reasons: I can set the pace, make all the decisions about routes and campsites, and not have anyone else to worry about. Going with my wife is wonderful, but I find that I’m constantly worrying about her trip, and not my own. Even better, I find that I come home from a solo trip relaxed and refreshed, and that whatever problems I’ve been chewing on for the trip suddenly look a lot smaller. The major problem with soloing is having to come back. It is addictive. . . . Cheers, Ken (BTW, I hope ASCAP doesn’t come after me for a "public performance" of the Boss’ lyrics. I’m pretty broke.)

Response:

Again, dinner might be fun….it isn’t "false information" Bud, just the sum of my experiences to date. Happy trails, mon frer.

Whats better then personal experience to gain knowledge from?

Response:

Black bears have never been know to kill anyone within several hundred miles of here. I’ve never even heard of any injuries.

There have been three or four attacks by black bears on sleeping boy scouts in the Southern California mountains in the past few years that have resulted in injuries (to the boy scouts; they always find a bear to kill afterward). A buddy of mine has worked for many years in the National Park Service and U.S.F.S. all over the country and has solo backpacked the Appalachina Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail and practically every other trial you could mention. I think he would consider your warnings a bit exagerated. He’s seen bears many times but has never been threatened.

The bears in Yosemite in Kearsarge Pass (Southern Sierras) *will* visit your camp during the night. Unfortunately, they’ve become all too familiar with backpackers. The only defense (for your food) seems to be bear canisters or bear boxes; if you can hang it, they can get it. But (to my knowledge) the Yosemite and Kearsarge bears have not been known to attack humans. (There’s been a Ranger missing in Kearsarge for a month, but the cause is unknown). The San Bernardino bears are different. They may be confused – they always break off the attack very quickly, when they clearly have the capability to finish off a scout. But they *will* attack. And from Big Pine to Mammoth (*between* Kearsarge and Yosemite) I’ve never seen a bear. So you’d better ask the locals wherever you go. — http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/3969/

Response:

What are some of your views on solo backpacking (=going backpacking alone in bear country)? I have started doing just that lately, since this summer I pretty much had no one to go backpacking with me (very depressing). A lot of people don’t find it their cup o’ tea, though. I’ve known a couple who tried it and became so unnerved by the loneliness, especially that of the forest night, that they wouldn’t go into the woods again for a couple of years. If you have to ask, you’re probably still too unsure about it to plunge in.

I just wished to create conversation.

Response:

Black bears might be that aggressive in some areas but not here in western Mass. I’m a forester and have been out in the woods almost daily for 25 years and have yet to even see a black bear (except while I was driving and I see them along a road). The bears are abundant in this area but there is a hunting season which probably keeps the bears wary of humans. Black bears have never been know to kill anyone within several hundred miles of here. I’ve never even heard of any injuries. A buddy of mine has worked for many years in the National Park Service and U.S.F.S. all over the country and has solo backpacked the Appalachina Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail and practically every other trial you could mention. I think he would consider your warnings a bit exagerated. He’s seen bears many times but has never been threatened. Currently he’s working in the Smokies and he just mentioned that this year a bear draged someone out of his tent. The guy had food in the tent and in the Smokies people still have the bad habit of feeding the bears.

Response:

I’d also recommend starting with something most of this group doesn’t think of. Car camping. At a State or National Park or Forest campgrounds. Particularly if you go other than on a weekend. It gives a nice safe feeling start to going solo. You’re alone, but you’ve got the car right there if you find you just don’t like it. And fear isn’t the only reason (even if it’s the most quoted) for people to not want to solo. Some people just don’t like being alone. No shame if you don’t, even if those of us who do will never understand that. At least after the first few solo trips. I never minded it much and now am so into it that I only go on group ones if my particular friends really want to do it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What are some of your views on solo backpacking (=going backpacking alone in bear country)? I have started doing just that lately, since this summer I pretty much had no one to go backpacking with me (very depressing). Some people like soloing. It’s certainly very different; keeping your own company can be eye-opening, a sort of little voyage of self-discovery, which is often but not always a good experience. Depends on what you find there inside. A lot of people don’t find it their cup o’ tea, though. I’ve known a couple who tried it and became so unnerved by the loneliness, especially that of the forest night, that they wouldn’t go into the woods again for a couple of years. If you have to ask, you’re probably still too unsure about it to plunge in. I’d suggest doing solo day hikes until one evening you feel like just settling in and staying out there for the night instead of slogging back to the car. The more of them you do, the more comfortable you’ll get with the surroundings and your own ability to handle whatever may arise. When you’re ready, you’ll know it. Which brings us back to the theme that soloing is a way of getting to know yourself. — Stephen Worley Anderson, Rocky Mount, North Carolina Essay Operations, Inc. * Appalachian Outdoors

– "If I die of curiosity, who will entertain you with naive questions?" I only answer my mail on an average of once every two months. Be patient. http://www.visi.com/~cyli/

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What are some of your views on solo backpacking (=going backpacking alone in bear country)? I have started doing just that lately, since this summer I pretty much had no one to go backpacking with me (very depressing). Jim, I do a bit of solo packing while hunting. The main thing you have to remember is that if you get into trouble there is no one to help you. You have to watch it and think twice when putting yourself in a situation where injury could result. For example stream crossings, fields of loose rock. As far as bears, take the same precautions you would with a group. Brian Liedtke

I would advise that you let someone know where you’re going specfically and the absolute latest time to expect you back. I’d also leave instructions on what to do if you haven’t contacted them by the return time. If an injury or problem does develop in your outing, this may be the only way you’ll receive help. I’ve had to go out at midnight looking for hunters who didn’t show up on time. In all cases, they had gotten turned around and lost in an unfamiliar area. In low temperatures during hunting season, this could be deadly. I hunt with friends, but we may be miles apart during the day. Some of my deer and boar hunting is in a black bear reserve. When you *know* that no one is around for miles, it tends to make you watch your surroundings and where you step a little closer. You must make decisions anticipating trouble because no one will be there for immediate assistance. A couple of examples: Once I walked over a mile looking for a place to safely cross a rain-swollen creek in thirty-degree weather. Another time I was placed in the position of using my rifle as a crutch after a bad knee went out on me. A different path up an escarpment would possibly have prevented the injury. Fortunately it was only a three mile hike back to camp, but it was not a pleasant experience. Gunnar

Response:

Agree 100%. I’m much more careful when I’ve got no one to look out for me but myself. I started doing solo hikes to "prove myself." I was young and needed to test my abilities. Now I solo hike whenever I want to go hiking but can’t find a partner. There are some advantages to soloing. You don’t have to work with someone else’s schedule or preferences. Overall, though, I’d rather go with friends. Hiking with someone means that you have companionship and someone to share the memories with. To the original poster: If you can’t find anyone to hike with, you may want to join a club in your area, or go to campsites where you can expect to find other people. Shelters tend to be very social places, and I’ve always found it easy to strike up a conversation with shelter mates. — Les Jones

Response:

For three years I hiked solo on the PCT. The most challenging part of solo hiking (for me) was emotional. Being alone allows the filters of civilization to dissapate and your "stuff" to emerge so strongly you [cut] When lying in the sleeping bag and hearing snuffing around the camp, I imagine I’m part of a larger ecology and can co-exist with bears without [cut] Once on the hike up to Rae Lakes on the John Muir Trail I encountered a bear grubbing in a log. We were 30′ apart and because of a small stream, s/he didn’t hear me. I backed up and harumphed loudly. The bear did a double-take, a real one. For a moment we stared at each other before he [cut]

In response to not only your reply, but the others so far as well… I must say we are somewhat alike. I really enjoy going solo, but I admit that I couldn’t do it for very long without getting a bit lonely for someones company. The problem, is that this "someone" has not been found quite yet. I have a few friends who enjoy backpacking, and have some of the gear required, but I don’t really enjoy being with them too much. I think it would be wonderful, to be married to someone who I love, and who shares the same love for backpacking as I do. I think it is a unique blessing, to have such a comfort next to you. However, I am a bit too young! With bears, I think all the rage has been created by media, and the "bear problem" has been created by un-educated/un-clean backpackers and campers. I try to be as clean as possible, but one thing which I have not done yet, is hang-up the clothes I cooked in!?

Response:

Jim, I do a bit of solo packing while hunting. The main thing you have to remember is that if you get into trouble there is no one to help you. You have to watch it and think twice when putting yourself in a situation where injury could result. For example stream crossings, fields of loose rock. As far as bears, take the same precautions you would with a group. Brian Liedtke

Response:

I just recently finished hiking the John Muir Trail solo, and it turned out to be ok going solo. I’m new to long distance hiking, and I think it would have been a lot easier if I had been with someone. About day 17 I hit a wall of mental fatigue and had to take a day off. Being by oneself is nice, you can chose when to stop, go, eat, everything. It also forces you to either be alone with your thoughts or to become more outgoing to meet people. As far as safety, sure it’s more dangerous to be alone when something happens. I figure that it’s going to suck if you’re mauled by a bear whether or not your best buddy is there. ;-) Hiking solo is not for everyone, and it sure isn’t for me all the time, but it can be very enjoyable. TJ — Trey Jackson You can sterilize cloth diapers by hanging them in the sun. — random factoid

Response:

I prefer going alone, it is easier to set my own pace and I like the walk for its solitude. You can achieve the same result by putting a little distance between you and your partner during the day…but I still prefer going alone. Someday I might find a female partner to share the walk with…but for now, solitude is cool. As for bears, practice good food storage and, as long as you don’t smell like food or a possible sexual adventure, and do not represent a threat to their health, then a bear couldn’t care less about you. A bear is simply too busy trying to find food, raise their cubs, and getting a little now and then to bother with some human. If only humans were able to fully reciprocate. At least this is true as far as black bears are concerned…a grizzly on the other hand would look upon you as a food source…but grizzlies are only in a select few regions here in the lower 48. writes: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -What are some of your views on solo backpacking (=going backpacking alone in bear country)? I have started doing just that lately, since this summer I pretty much had no one to go backpacking with me (very depressing).

Response:

I took my first solo backpacking trip a few weeks ago, mostly because I wanted to get away from people. I headed into the Raggeds Wilderness between Crested Butte and Aspen, and took a few days to myself. After a couple of days, I felt both restless and relaxed. I also felt that I was getting on the "natural cycle"- up with the sun, to bed at dark. A late-night wake-up to look at the Perseid Meteor showers. I didn’t see any bears, but prepared for them anyway. Actually, if I heard and snurffing outside the tent, it was the cows grazing everywhere, and I wasn’t too frightened of them. I think I echo the sentiment of others here- the solitude is the thing- clear out all the static, and you can actually hear yourself think! — *Saxon Brown * *Department of EPO Biology * *University of Colorado at Boulder *

Response:

: As for bears, practice good food storage and, as long as you don’t : smell like food or a possible sexual adventure, and do not represent a : threat to their health, then a bear couldn’t care less about you. A : bear is simply too busy trying to find food, raise their cubs, and : getting a little now and then to bother with some human. If only : humans were able to fully reciprocate. At least this is true as far as : black bears are concerned…a grizzly on the other hand would look upon : you as a food source…but grizzlies are only in a select few regions : here in the lower 48. If I recall correctly, Stephen Herrero, author of "Bear Attacks", has concluded that black bears are more likely to attack people as prey than grizzlies. That is the source of the advice to play dead for grizzlies and fight back against black bears when attacked. Polar bears are the most likely to stalk humans. Luckily, polar bears and I never share the same environment. All my encounters with black bears (and one grizzly) in the wild have resulted in both parties leaving. "The older I get, the more value I place on experience."

Response:

Some people like soloing. It’s certainly very different; keeping your own company can be eye-opening, a sort of little voyage of self-discovery, which is often but not always a good experience. Depends on what you find there inside. A lot of people don’t find it their cup o’ tea, though. I’ve known a couple who tried it and became so unnerved by the loneliness, especially that of the forest night, that they wouldn’t go into the woods again for a couple of years. If you have to ask, you’re probably still too unsure about it to plunge in. I’d suggest doing solo day hikes until one evening you feel like just settling in and staying out there for the night instead of slogging back to the car. The more of them you do, the more comfortable you’ll get with the surroundings and your own ability to handle whatever may arise. When you’re ready, you’ll know it. Which brings us back to the theme that soloing is a way of getting to know yourself. — Stephen Worley Anderson, Rocky Mount, North Carolina Essay Operations, Inc. * Appalachian Outdoors

Response:

I solo most of the time. For me, a small radio provides a lot of company. If your going to Alaska or the Grand Canyon, make it a shortwave radio. — Barry E. Henley – Riverdale, GA – USA http://www.mindspring.com/~beh

Response:

As for bears, practice good food storage and, as long as you don’t smell like food or a possible sexual adventure, and do not represent a threat to their health, then a bear couldn’t care less about you. A bear is simply too busy trying to find food, raise their cubs, and getting a little now and then to bother with some human. If only humans were able to fully reciprocate. At least this is true as far as black bears are concerned…a grizzly on the other hand would look upon you as a food source…but grizzlies are only in a select few regions here in the lower 48.

Terry….you simply don’t know what you are talking about. Sorry to be so blunt,but if you can prove what you are saying with reliable statistics or authorative sources, my wife and I will take you out to dinner at the local restaurant of your choice. Heck. If you pass through we’d be happy to buy you dinner anyway! That said…while it may be true that it is smart to not smell like food, it is NOT safe to assume they "couldn’t care less about you" if you are "no threat to their health". It’s very debatable that they "think" about their health. Bears have been known to fight to the death over food. Not a smart thing….And bears have been known to track and kill humans that were no threat to them. Two years ago a black bear broke into a cabin south of here. The man and woman in the cabin exited and got on the roof via a tree. They thought the bear was a grizzly (it was brown) and that they were safe. The man jumped off the roof and ran for help. The woman (safe on the roof) was eaten by the black bear. (that is my recollection of the news articles. It’s "close" to correct ) That is just one isolated and rare incident. All bear attacks are rare and somewhat unusual, so we are limited to talking about unusual incidents. In an incident in Kluane this summer, a man and woman were tracked by a grizzly (they did everything right according to the park rangers) without provocation, and the woman was killed and partially eaten. Grizzlies are LESS apt to "look at you as a food source." than black bears according to some. Black bears, although they are less apt to attack, may be more likely to kill and eat you than a grizzly bear, which will be more apt to maul you, but it is important to realize that neither bear is reading this posting and either might maul or kill and eat you! All of this is complicated by the fact that bear/human interactions are altered by the degree to which bears have conact with people and what that contact includes. Have they learned to come to campsights to steal food from backpacks? Are they hunted in the area? etc etc. Both black bears and grizzlies may kill humans without provocation. It is unusual for that to happen, but it is a false and dangerous contention to say, "as long as you don’t smell like food or a possible sexual adventure, and do not represent a threat to their health, then a bear couldn’t care less about you.". It

implies a false level of security and safety, and promotes the sophomoric perspective that "all is in harmony in nature and nothing in nature is to be feared if we respect our mother earth". I would refer you to the excellent web page by Steven P. French, M.D. Co-Director, Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation IUCN Bear Specialists Group Adjunct Assistant Professor, Montana State University Director of Emergency Medicine, IHC Evanston Regional Hospital TIf any of my OWN positions (above) are not substantiated by Dr. French and the readings in the bibliography, just dismiss my rantings as uninformed! And check out his bibliography for some more realistic facts. Sorry to be so hard and blunt, but this kind of false information is what we hear from tourists all the time and sometimes it can lead to tradgedies. The dinner offer stands! — Bud Kuenzli WL7CIK XLTRMK In cyberspace after you get where you’re going you still don’t know where you are.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What are some of your views on solo backpacking (=going backpacking alone in bear country)? I have started doing just that lately, since this summer I pretty much had no one to go backpacking with me (very depressing). I have found that it is often hard to find people to do what I want to do when I can do it. Bike riding. Backpacking. When you gotta go, you gotta go; so if you can find a friend, fine, and if you can’t, go have fun anyway. I let someone know where I am going to be going, my planned route, just in case. I try to be as safe alone as when I am with someone. No diff. I find it good to be alone. A time to read, a time to pray, a time to relax w/o having to be polite to someone else.

Here’s another "voice" who can relate to your situation. My preference is day hikes, but will admit to just being a beginner. Anyways, I’ve found it difficult-to-impossible to get someone to go hiking with or even go on the trails I’d prefer to try (eg. the rock scrambles at Mohonk). However, I’ll try not to let that stop me from going on further excursions (esp. this Fall!!!). BTW, I recently joined the New York/New Jersey Trail Conference, primarily to take part in trail maintenance and any group hikes that get organized. I’m sure there are a number of other such organizations/groups which offer the opportunity to hike/backpack with other folks. Finally, for me safety is a big issue and I try to take all the necessary precautions. And sometimes being alone helps for clearer thinking. –john

Response:

Bud, You left off the most important part, the URL!? Ming

Response:

Thank you for the invitation, maybe someday we can do just that. (My personal favorite is Jean-Louis at the Watergate…not too pricey, considering.) As to not knowing what I’m talking about, what criteria do we use…reliable statistics? OK, I enjoy statistics…what figure do we use for the population and what figure do we use for the number of attacks? Do those number of attacks fall into the 2nd or 3rd sigma?….or do they appear at all on the curve….statistically speaking that is. If we haven’t the energy or time to pursue that further (I don’t)…well, let’s go with this notion: That is just one isolated and rare incident. All bear attacks are rare and somewhat unusual, so we are limited to talking about unusual incidents.

I couldn’t have said it better than you already did. Your reply doesn’t seem to have a real caustic edge to it…so what the hell, here goes….I’ve pounded around woods, jungles, deserts and urban environments for well over 36 of my 42 years…one time in the boonies (real boonies, not trails) for nine months straight. Hazards I’ve encountered over the years include humans (the kind that were trying to shoot me…and I’m not talking "Deliverance" or overly-excited hunters here…but people trained, equipped and motivated to do so), tigers, wild boar, "two-steppers", 5′ long monitor liards, and heavens only knows what else…oh yeah, bears too. I grew up in black bear country (NH) and yes, there is one lesson burned into me….they are an unpredictable sort of animal in absolute terms. A bear (black, griz, and polar) will attack a human with (seemingly) no provocation…but it is still a question of probabilities. I still maintain that, unless provoked or otherwise enticed, the *likelihood* (and I emphasize that word) of being attacked is slim, provided that you heed some simple precautions. As for authoritative sources, I am comfortable with the pages provided by the US Forest Service and the National Park Service…both of which will happily support my original position. Again, it *is* a question of probabilities….somebody will win Powerball for multimillions in the next week or so….is it going to be me? No…I don’t buck odds that extreme. Conversely, I don’t lose sleep over being attacked by a bear when I’m out…I maintain a low profile and simply don’t worry about it…which is how this thread began. Likewise with bears….I’ve stumbled upon two cubs up a tree, not more than 50 feet away, and the sow nowhere in sight. I simply stood there, quietly, until the sow showed up, the cubs came down and the three of them ambled off in a different direction (much to my relief). I’ve had a bear snuffle alongside my tent several times and I don’t even count the number of times I’ve been tramping along and had them haul ass away at high speed. No, it is not that I am that butt-ugly either. I’m not into flaming (or even simmering), but I do take exception with the notion that I don’t know what I’m talking about. If bears really were attacking with any degree of regularity such that the statistics would support it, then do you really believe people would do so for recreation? The statistics wouldn’t support that argument. It is unusual for that to happen, but it is a false and dangerous contention to say, "as long as you don’t smell like food or a possible sexual adventure, and do not represent a threat to their health, then a bear couldn’t care less about you.". It implies a false level of security and safety, and promotes the sophomoric perspective that "all is in harmony in nature and nothing in nature is to be feared if we respect our mother earth".

I maintain that bears are not a malign creature and I don’t consider it "sophmoric" to say that a bear is more concerned with daily needs and survival and are thus driven by instincts which preclude them spending their summers assing about with humans. Granted, maybe I’ve just been incredibly lucky and maybe the next time I go out for a weekender I’ll get my just reward for my folly…but I doubt it. Sorry to be so hard and blunt, but this kind of false information is what we hear from tourists all the time and sometimes it can lead to tradgedies. The dinner offer stands!

Again, dinner might be fun….it isn’t "false information" Bud, just the sum of my experiences to date. Happy trails, mon frer.

Response:

For three years I hiked solo on the PCT. The most challenging part of solo hiking (for me) was emotional. Being alone allows the filters of civilization to dissapate and your "stuff" to emerge so strongly you almost "have" to deal with it. I hiked last summer for two weeks with an ex-fiancee and this summer for a week with a casual friend. I prefer hiking alone. When lying in the sleeping bag and hearing snuffing around the camp, I imagine I’m part of a larger ecology and can co-exist with bears without fear. Wariness, respect, and good food hanging yes, but fear is no longer an issue. Once on the hike up to Rae Lakes on the John Muir Trail I encountered a bear grubbing in a log. We were 30′ apart and because of a small stream, s/he didn’t hear me. I backed up and harumphed loudly. The bear did a double-take, a real one. For a moment we stared at each other before he bounded away across the valley. He paralleled my path on his side and I didn’t like that. I stopped and let out a huge roar that echoed all around. S/he stopped short, turned around, and moved rather quickly down the valley into the forest. I felt both foolish and exhilerated. I’d established dominance, pacifically. Needless to say I made use of the bear box where I camped. My dominance was momentary. Once I entered that tent I gave it up. Jeffrey Olson Yakima, Washington

Response:

I have found that it is often hard to find people to do what I want to do when I can do it. Bike riding. Backpacking. When you gotta go, you gotta go; so if you can find a friend, fine, and if you can’t, go have fun anyway. I let someone know where I am going to be going, my planned route, just in case. I try to be as safe alone as when I am with someone. No diff. I find it good to be alone. A time to read, a time to pray, a time to relax w/o having to be polite to someone else.

Response:

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Lonely Loneliness

You are not alone — Lonely Loneliness