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A case for hiking alone, with a few tips

for the Siskiyou Hiker
by Gabriel Howe, executive director

In this world driven by fear, where GPS units and smartphones have become an extension of our humanity, I make a case for solo adventures with a map and compass to lead the way.

16 FEBRUARY 2020 | GOLD HILL, OR. — You don’t really get the chance to know if you enjoy solitude until you’re near adulthood. Before then, there’s just never a chance to be alone. I found one of my first chances to be alone the day I turned 16.

That morning, I took my driver’s test and passed with flying colors. My parents handed me the keys to the family’s 1990 Honda Civic. I headed to Sam Barlow High School all alone, and mid day, I took off by myself for Dodge Park along Oregon’s Sandy River.

I’d been before, but always with other anxious teenage boys. This time was different. The sound of the Sandy River took over and I really enjoyed myself, and I’d thereafter start extending my solo adventures.

Larch Mountain was another solo destination of my youth. I hiked Bull Run watershed, where I wandered behind a locked gate and found another world, intact stands of virgin timber just minutes away from the suburban purgatory I was growing up in. As spring opened up that year, I started driving higher up the foothills of Mt. Hood and into the Clackamas and Zig Zag Ranger Districts. Now, at the time I was mostly looking for mischief. And I found plenty of that.

I was failing out of high school
I also found that I really loved being alone. But there was a problem. I was skipping school to do it, and it wasn’t long before my parents took the Honda Civic from me and my pursuit of solitude was dampened. But I’d find it again, and I still do.

Why solitude? I have my reasons.
First, adventuring alone brings the world forward through a clearer lens, and the mechanics of reality seem to fall into place more naturally. Things make better sense as the place you’re discovering unfolds for itself without outside chatter.

Also, there’s no politics of dealing with a hiking partner. For example, I love hiking at night, and when I’m solo I don’t have to convince anyone that it’s safe and smart. Long miles? The only thing stopping myself is me, and I actually tend to hike more and faster alone. Want to take a zero day and lounge by the river? I just do it. Want to change routes or detour along a ridge to a peak? Nobody’s there to stop me.

Lastly, in the solo hike or backpacking trip is a freedom that you can only find in this degree of self reliance and responsibility. Your decisions are your own out there. When you do something dumb, it’s your own fault and you have to live with the consequences. And when you find somewhere cool, its your own discovery and you can choose to keep it a secret or share it.

Find the American backwoods in 2020
There’s no time as good as right now to follow your solo pursuits and find your own little slice of America’s great backcountry. You might find that hiking alone is just what you were looking for.

And, despite what your mother says, hiking along is actually quite safe. You’re more likely to get hurt on your drive to or from the trail head than within the recesses of the backwoods.

So whether you want a few nights by yourself, or just an afternoon, I encourage you to go do it. Carve out the time because otherwise your solo trips won’t happen. So get out the calendar and start planning with a few tips:

Plan ahead and prepare
Let someone know where you’re going and when you should be back. Leave them maps and notes so they can relay your itinerary to search and rescue so they can help you if you get hurt, or extract you should you die…

Oh and about those itineraries
As I pointed out, part of the wonder of solo hiking is the ability to act on a whim without vetting ideas through a partner or group, and I’m all for not sticking with a plan. But offer your most recent update as plans change.

In Reach is Over Reach
At risk of offending my SAR friends, I don’t personally recommend these GPS platforms that allow you to tether yourself closer to modern society. We do use them on our trail crews for group safety, but if I’m alone, I’m not bringing one. They’re unnecessary, and in my own opinion they erode the experience. I also believe the devices create a license for people to make poor decisions. When people know all they have to do is push a button to get rescued, they’re willing to make poorer decisions.

Go old school instead
Get a good map. Get a compass. I recommend reading Be Expert with Map and Compass to figure out how to navigate, and I recommend you practice.

There is a degree of context you get by pulling out a map. A good topo comes alive when used for planning, eliciting wonder and imagination that a phone, tablet, or computer screen just won’t offer. And in the field, that map becomes a scale model you can use as a reference to make smart decisions.

Pay attention
I’m always amazed how many obvious features and clues some hikers oversee. Signs in the trail and obvious junctions are passed. I’ve had hiking partners not notice water sources, stream crossings, saddles and summits. Pay attention to everything and cross reference them to your map. Always be looking around for anything out of the ordinary.

Expect wildlife
I’ve seen the most animals when alone and in two-person groups. And remember how much more likely you are to get hit and killed at a crosswalk in Medford than you are eaten alive by a black bear or mountain lion. I worry more about poison oak, blisters, ticks, or ants getting into my lunch meat.

Thanks for reading. Always Leave No Trace, and long live the backwoods trails.

Thanks for reading, and long live the backwoods trails.

Gabriel Howe is executive director for Siskiyou Mountain Club. He enjoys long solo hikes and spending time with this family.
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