I hike alone about 99% of the time. When I was a
hiking novice, it seemed like most of my friends, family, and acquaintances
expressed worry about my new solitary hobby. There are all kinds of statistics
about trail safety; i.e. you're more safe on the trail than you are in your
car on the way to the trail, etc. But number crunching has nothing to do
with how each hiker feels out there in the wild. I try to honor my gut
feelings about people and situations, and I have been scared while hiking, but
only once or twice about people I've encountered on the trails. I have a standard
story to be told to anyone who makes me uneasy by inquiring if I'm hiking alone.
I will mention a husband/brother/father in the vicinity. But really, I've
never felt the urge to lie. With most people I encounter, they (and I)
seem content with a simple greeting. I generally feel more comfortable
chatting with a solo woman, or a group with a woman or women in it. Actually,
I guess I feel safe unless I encounter a solo male hiker. I'm certainly
not out to slam men, but odds are, if anyone is out to hurt me, it'll be a man. There
are measures I could take if attacked, but the tough part is that you can't
control the behavior of someone else.
What you can control is
your behavior on the trail:
- Know your limits.
- Don't exhaust or dehydrate yourself, diminishing your judgment.
- Tell someone you trust where you're going, and when you expect to be back.
- Walk carefully and cautiously on portions of the trail where the consequences of a slip-up could be disastrous (steep drop offs, crumbling trail edges, rocks)
- Make contact with rangers you may encounter in desolate areas. If you go missing, they will remember you.