Hey, watch me get half of the readers of this blog angry in two secs:
F summer.
You heard me. We’re done with it. We’re done with beaches, and boats, and heat, and humidity, and crowds. If you like that stuff year round, move to Florida where you belong, with the rest of the reptiles. And don’t bother with the pumpkin spice latte jokes. Just because it’s going to be fall in three weeks doesn’t mean people who love fall run right to Starbucks for that frothy drink. I don’t even like pumpkin spice lattes.
And I don’t run to Starbucks. I run to the mountains.
Yep, it’s almost fall hiking season, ya’ll!
Now, I like to hike alone. Shocker, right? But I will concede that hiking with a group or a close friend has its benefits, safety being the most obvious. If you sprain your ankle, or fall into a hole, or take a wrong turn, there’s someone there to call you an idiot and a burden. Having someone close by with extra water, better snacks, and vaseline for raw body parts can come in handy as well.
But I (mostly) choose to hike alone. I like going at my own pace. If I want to start before dawn on an empty stomach, no one is going to complain that it’s too early or that they have to eat breakfast first. If I want to go at sunset and bring a bottle of wine, no one is going to tell me that it’s too late because their favorite Netflix show is on. On some hikes I like to take my time, take long lunches, and enjoy the scenery. On other hikes, my goal is time and efficiency. Get in, get out. Sometimes I clamber up hills for the calorie burn, and sometimes I do a few steps at a time and just enjoy feeling the strength of my legs and arms and the pumping of my cardiovascular system.
But make no mistake, as a woman hiking alone, there are things to be aware of, precautions to take. So to add to the thousands of articles online about precautions women should take when hiking alone, I will add mine:
- The first thing any solo woman (or man) should do is to leave someone their itinerary. If Aron Ralston had left someone his itinerary, he would have two arms right now, instead of one (then again, he wouldn’t have written that amazing book and made that great movie). Before I step one foot onto a trail, I text my boys my location.
- Make sure your phone is charged and that you have an extra back-up charging port. Obviously if you’re going on a 15-minute hike around a populated lake, such measures are not necessary. But if you’re disappearing into thick foliage for the better part of the day, make sure you have your phone charged with a backup. AND STAY OFF YOUR PHONE. Stop taking so many goddamn pictures and posting shit to social media. Enjoy your surroundings. And avoid selfies, especially near cliffs and look-out points- that’s how morons plunge to their deaths. Be smart.
- Be attentive to who is near you and around you, or if anyone followed you in. My biggest fear hiking solo is that I will be spotted by that one itinerant deviant who has always wanted a ditzy blonde as a household pet. There is NOTHING I take more seriously when I hike or travel alone than making sure I am not snatched by a psycho. Now, 99% of the people you meet on the trail are kind and good. But never forget about that 1%. If I get even the slightest inkling of strangeness coming from a man when I’m by myself, I turn around or attach myself to a group. Better safe than sorry.
- Make contact with someone who seems trustworthy before you start. Last week there was a young group hiking the AT who were hanging around near their tents. Before I went onto the trail, I approached them to ask a random question, which eventually led to them asking my name and offering me a cup of hot campfire coffee. Delish. Now I can hike knowing that these people know that Mary from New Jersey hit the trail at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday August 25th. I do it every time I hike.
- Depending on the length of hike: extra socks, plenty of water, a small snack. I see people getting ready for an easy three-mile loop decked out like they’re heading out on the PCT. You know the type: the big floppy hat, poles, three daypacks, enough food for a small army. Hey, it’s better to be over prepared than under prepared, but all of that crap weighs you down. Bring what you need, but not more than that. If you’re going for a small hike but you’re also bringing three sandwiches, five apples, trail mix, juice, candy bars and a sleeve of cookies, please know this: you’re not burning as many calories as you think. But it’s your pack. If you don’t mind the weight, go for it.
- Be aware of offshoots. If the trail splits, be aware of which way you choose. If a trail is super circuitous, I’ll take a picture of the direction I go, or tie a small ribbon around a bush, just to be safe. You might think you will remember on the way down, but that could be hours away, and you’ll be tired. Last week the trail went off in four directions, and I took a picture of a sign in front of my trail: “Punks dead your next.” Yikes. I tried not to let the message spoil my day, and I was glad I took the picture because on the way down, I got a little disoriented.
- Choose your turnaround time depending on what time you want to get down. Sounds obvious, but if you need to be down by three, and you start at 9:00 a.m., you should climb for three hours and turn around. Duh. Coming down is quicker, yes, but it’s also technically more difficult and when many hikers fall and injure themselves due to tired legs.
- Watch out for wet rocks and leaves. I’ve wiped out on enough of them to dispense this advice. Be careful, or you’ll be stuck on the trail alone with a broken leg.
- Heed the weather. Need I mention this? Many mountains have unsettled and spontaneous weather, so be aware of that. Check your weather report before setting out. I got stuck on the side of Mt. Katahdin in a squall, and it was no freaking fun.
- Get out during sunlight. Don’t push it. You want to enjoy yourself, not have to worry about finding your way in the dark.
If you follow proper precautions, you can enjoy your solo hiking season without care or worry.