Guest Column
Alone in the Wilds: Is Solo Trekking Okay for Women?
Going into the backcountry alone is acceptable behavior for men -- should the rest of us do it, too?
By Guest Writer, 8-24-09
No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength.
-- Jack Kerouac
“You did what?” my friend Virgil said, dumbfounded, when I told him I had just backpacked overnight in the backcountry by myself, as if he could not process such a notion.
Other friends were equally baffled, and they all live in the Big Sky/Bozeman area of Montana, where civilized country as opposed to backcountry is represented by mere pinpricks on a map.
Are we so gregarious as a species that the thought of one night of complete aloneness is foreign? Or can we only enjoy “the wilderness” in the company of other humans who will fill the silence and grandeur of mountain nights with familiar conversational reference points? Could the wilderness be too wild a thing to be in by ourselves?
The archetypal “lonesome traveler” is Jack Kerouac (author of the collection of travel tales by that name) or Clint Eastwood’s gunslinging anti-hero who roams from one western town to another in spaghetti westerns from the ‘60s. Those who hit the open road or roam the prairies solo are never women, as stereotype has it. They’re usually rugged, independent men—featured players in the mythologies of the West who never offer commentary or analysis.
Why can’t women experience the quiet solitude of a night under the shifting constellations of a western sky? I decided to put my rudimentary backcountry skills and my capacity for real aloneness to the test. I hiked into the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in the Spanish Peaks, following a friend’s directions to a place where there would be almost no chance of running into other hikers. Such encounters would have defeated the purpose of a solo experiment. I made sure to let people know where I’d be, however: A neighbor who had recently hiked the same route met me at the trailhead for a send-off, with plans to come back the next day at a pre-arranged time, to make sure I’d successfully walked out.
This land is rough and steep. The hike took me from an elevation of around 7,000 feet to 9,500 feet, just under the timberline. There was no permanent, well-traveled trail like those found on the other side of the Peaks. Elk hunters had recently blazed a path, leading over two ridges to a small alpine meadow with travel-poster-quality streams and wildflowers. In other words, I had to pay attention—there would be no reassuring signs with mileage indicators pointing this lonesome traveler to her destination.
A jewel box meadow was the reward. Carved into a bowl of sedimentary rocks, it was a miniature version of some of Montana’s spectacular valleys like Lamar and Hayden. It offered thistle, bear grass and other plants that hyperphagic bears in late summer seek out. There was plenty of bear scat in this meadow, but no bears decided to make an appearance that night, at least none that I saw.
Here is the main difference between camping by yourself and with other people: not a whole lot other than the hallucinations. Okay, they’re not really hallucinations. But when I first arrived in my private meadow during my Friday night date with the wilderness, my mind raced to fill in the spaces created by the complete quiet and remoteness of the place. I saw rocks that became bears then moose then rocks again. The little stream began to speak to me, just as the river spoke to Siddhartha in Hermann Hesse’s famous novel about enlightenment.
This went on during the dusk that binds daytime to nighttime. Did I find it alarming? Not at all. As soon as darkness prevailed with its scheme of solar systems hundreds of years away in the past, my mind quieted. I thought about simple things, like love for my family, reverence for a place such as this, and joy that I could be here and hear the meadow talking, just to me.
But the reality is that the risk factor is greater for women than for men, whether they’re hiking alone in the wilderness or visiting New York City. Because women are viewed as more vulnerable to human predators, they are in fact more likely to be targets. My friend Susan, an outdoorswoman who is not afraid of anything and has been on many African safaris, admonished me for exposing myself to the host of dangers by backpacking alone.
Another friend, Patty, a backpacking instructor, said that while she has never spent a night out in the woods by herself, “there should be no boundaries for anyone backpacking, other than to follow Leave No Trace principles and safety rules, and to walk gently through the wilderness.
Juan Villagro is a guide with Bozeman-based Andes Mountain Guides who frequently climbs and camps alone in backcountry. His company advises clients to climb in groups, but he enjoys scaling heights by himself. “Climbing and hiking alone require a personal commitment because there is a higher risk, but the reward of the experience is unique,” he said.
Juan knows several women in the Bozeman area who backpack alone, including one hiker who outfits her three dogs with their own packs.
Is the “unique experience,” as Juan describes it, worth the risks? It is a personal choice that should be considered carefully, balancing the potential for harm with the experience, as Victor Hugo described meditating in the outdoors, of “the mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.”
I would be interested in hearing readers’ views about solo trekking. Have you spent a night alone in the woods? Would you? Do the potential dangers of backpacking alone in the Rocky Mountains wilderness make this a really bad idea?
Interesting...viewing the backcountry as 'dangerous' is an entirely new perspective to me. What's to be afraid of (realistically)? Fear itself? I think you run a greater risk of anything dangerous happening by walking down to the corner store than walking alone in the wilderness.
Is a solo trek (even just an overnighter) so 'out there' these days that it would be met with such incredulousness? Jeepers. Mr Muir would surely be perplexed as well....
I dont think I get it.
Well,
whatever floats thine boat, I guess.
The idea of hiking alone is culturally a "guy thing," metrosexualism nontwithstanding.
Lone hikers are more likely to be guys. Then, most guys are hetero. Okay, now a certain number of all people are psychos, so the number of lone-guy-hetero-psychos in the wilderness is automatically higher. Whether that's significant in terms of exposure given the relatively small number of wilderness visits, and the low odds of a lone-guy-hetero-psycho getting "lucky" in a law-enforcement free environment...
Becky, I think you took the right steps but I hope you took a couple further steps. Any marital arts in there, or perhaps there's a number in your life between .357 and .45?
Thanks to both of you for your thoughts. Dave, did you mean to ask if I have 'martial' or 'marital' arts? The former would be reassuring, I agree, not so sure about marital. And .357 is a good number.
Comment By Carey, 8-24-09Just like the children's story. this is how I see backpacking alone: When it is good, it is very,very good, but if it goes bad it goes horrid.
If you were to sprain your ankle, or if your dog saw an animal and chased it, making you stumble in his wake, or if indeed, Shelly Bermont style, you came across a cross bear, and the dog did things you wished it hadn't, then things get tough if yuo're by yourself. Plus, I still say everything is better when shared, except chocolate.
I went on solo retreats for sixteen years and vision quested for several of those, meaning no or low food, and no or low water. I wouldn't trade the experience. Especially the silence, the opportunity to listen to it. I didn't backpack but went places where I could both be alone and access help if I needed it.
I was out hiking last year by myself and did break my ankle. Generally there are other people around somewhere. Taking a wilderness first aid course like NOLs offers is essential. I hadn't at the time but have now.
It is true it's all a risk and needs to be weighed. I'm careful about where I go and I do get scared sometimes. But, life is so much richer for the experience.
I say go for it, gender be damned. Jack would approve.
http://www.thedailybeatblog.blogspot.com
I can't think of a single reason why a woman, or a man shouldn't be able to trek alone in the wilderness in relative safety. Other than having a mishap such as a sprained or broken ankle/leg/knee that keeps you from getting out there aren't really any issues. Even in the above case you should have enough supplies to tough it out until help arrives. Your greatest chance of dying is on the drive to the trail head.
As to predatory men. Bozeman? Really? I can see this maybe being an issue in very highly traveled areas like the Sierras, Glacier, or Yellowstone, but it seems to me that the majority of people who go out into the back country are far more likely to look out for you than prey on you. I would be interested to see statistics for sexual assault in non national park back country areas.
Rick, so would Neal Cassady!
Comment By robin, 8-25-09Congratulation on your solo adventure. For someone who has never done it, it may seem like a big step. The risks of a women hiking alone are only slightly greater then a man hiking alone. If you know what you are doing and take care, the risk is small. Walking through a city alone is much much more dangerous.
I now of several women that hiked the AT from end to end without any problems - and that type of trail that often encounters day hikers exposes women to a much higher risk.
robin
<a >BackpackBaseCamp Blog</a>
One other note - on that photo of you; are you backpacking in cowboy boots and jeans? Not smart. If it rains in the wilderness the last thing you want to be in is cotton.
robin
http://www.backpackbasecamp.com
There are of course inherent dangers of backpacking into the wilderness alone (hostile animal, and human encounters, and even natural mishaps), but these dangers never stopped me. I have done it numerous times in the high and low deserts of California, and in the Rockies; but is it a good idea? It depends.
I loved my time alone in the desert and mountains, but the fact is, if I got into trouble it would have been days before help would have reached me. Was I willing to take that chance? Obviously! Was it a good idea? No, it was a profoundly stupid idea! Would I do it again? Sure. You have to ask yourself are you willing to accept the possibility that you may not survive the adventure?
When I took these treks alone I always carried with me bear spray (a must)—and my Smith and Wesson .44 magnum (double action) for backup. If you are going to do something as dumb as wilderness trekking alone, at least give yourself a fighting chance at survival. Your loved ones deserve it.
Robin,
In the photo taken at the outset of my hike I am wearing quick-dry Columbia hiking pants and gaiters. Patty Walton, a backpacking instructor at the Yellowstone Institute, introduced me to the value of wearing gaiters even in the summer to help keep feet and ankles dry and for extra protection from mud and bugs.
Good. It was hard to tell in the little picture on the web.
robin
Kudos to you, Betsey for challenging yourself in this way. I have to say it is all the more remarkable that you are "just a little girl"! William James said: "It is only by risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all.” You have done something that would give me great trepidation. Now get back to the kitchen!
Comment By solo explorer, 8-25-09You were not alone. Next time try your experiment without your dog and then write of your solo experience....it will be different.
Comment By nancy peters, 8-25-09This is certainly potentially risky behaviour, and should not be undertaken without considering and accepting the possibiilties of bad oucomes. That said, even men, or people in groups, can be victims to the weather, wild animals, tainted water, or human crimesin our national parks or forests. And your critics are probably not thinking of the risks they take every day just driving down the road, flying, or even eating produce from the grocery store. I believe we should be prudent in taking some precautions as you did, but enjoying the wilderness solo should not be out of the question for those who make that choice.
Comment By Dave Skinner, 8-25-09Woops, Becky, I DID mean MARTIAL, in fact I thought I looked at that word twice to make sure it was the right word. But yes, 357 is a nice number.
Comment By Rick Heider, 8-25-09Betsey,
Having spent many a hike in the High Sierras and now the Adirondacks, I can say that there are some things I would certainly take with me:
Your gun, and yes, at least a .45 although I have my doubts about that stopping a grizzly.
The LARGE canister of bear spray and it wouldn't be in the bottom of my pack. Just like my gun wouldn't!
A GPS along with the other stuff that went before that.
A healthy dose of being careful where and when you step.
A SPOT, just in case you aren't lucky.
http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT<>prd_id=845524442599688&FOLDER;<>folder_id=2534374302884352
A healthy knowledge of survival essentials gleaned from a library of books 15-20 deep.
A complete unconcern about being female and alone in the wilderness.
PS: Not so sure about that grizzly dinner you show by your side...
Happy hiking,
Rick
A good satellite telephone is more important that a .357 which is more apt to hurt you than what you may be afraid of.
Comment By Rick Heider, 8-26-09Jedediah,
Well, good luck in beating to death that grizzly with that phone :). BTW, the only ones afraid of guns are non gun owners.
A sat phone won't get you help any faster than a SPOT and a SPOT is LOT cheaper.
Rick
Ol' jed has killed just about every species on North America except for a homo sapiens, rick; but he outgrew that need to prove the length of his pecker about the same time he realized that the only reason he could do that was that he had a gun--and other species didn't.
If you insist on taking an equalizer with you on a hike into the wilderness, it seems to me you might just as well go on an ATV.
Well, Jed, I think your answer says it all about you. Glad you got rid of your pecker problem.
I have great respect for the wilderness and what's in it. But, I value my life and my family, so I'll hike with my equalizer and hope I don't see any of the dead carcasses you slaughtered.
Take care.
Any and every excuse to get into the wilderness should be taken. Other posts have hit every cautionary note imaginable so they don't need repeating. Anyone who can be present with self and the natural world is a gift to those who have "forgotten." Give the gift.
So, in that spirit, thank you for going and for sharing, Betsey. (And for writing well, too!)
I smear feces on my face and make your cities wild. I am the one you love. I am breathing heavily and looking in various locations in which many people smell me but cant see.
My heavy breath breathes great smells from which you cant tell which smell is the smell of smoke and feces rubbed in my hair . I am in the air I am your least care. I am very aware of the smell of feces in the air. For its in my hair. Do you dare ?
I am an artist using your outlet as a creation in which my feces stay on my body for years to come,,,,,,,,,
My first solo backpack must have been 30 years ago, in Teton National Park. The first night a wild wind pummeled my tent and spooked me a bit, but my human and animal encounters were delightful and I still have vivid memories of that trip.
Since then I've backpacked solo a number of times, mostly in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, both on-trail and off. Seen the Perseid meteor shower at 10,000 feet. I've loved the thoughts that emerge in solitude as you're looking into the heart of an alpine lake. I've always felt companioned by God, and my spiritual sense feels heightened away from the distractions and clamor of "civilization," and my other senses sharpen as well.
I never take a gun or bear spray, and when I meet an animal, I just talk softly to it, the recommended confrontation-avoidance tactic even if you're armed.
The only time I felt uneasy was when I encountered a group of drunk hunters, and I camped out of sight and that took care of it.
These days I have a dog, and as someone else commented, it does change the experience. My dog buffers me from the sense that it's just me and the wilderness and softens the experience. I can't imagine going without her now, but I valued the experiences and thoughts that flowed when I was truly alone.
Bumulove, that was just disturbing and effed up.
Comment By horst, 8-27-09Bumulove, that was just disturbing and effed up.
No--that was just plain idiocy. Comment By Zane, 8-31-09
I can't see that it should matter if man or woman, but if you have the need to be in the wilderness alone, don't fight it - just go. I have concluded that it is irresponsible to do so without a intinerary (route, entry/exit point and time) and an emergency beacon of some kind, out of consideration for your loved ones and rescue personnel. I do think, however, dogs in the wild are not a good idea.
Comment By dave smith, 9-02-09Bravo Betsey--I floated the Yellowstone River solo one fall--Yankee Jim Canyon to the Missouri River-- spent 40 days and 40 nights hiking a canyon in the SW alone, and worked as a winterkeeper in Yellowstone, so I know a bit about the risks and rewards of going it alone. I also remember taking a walk on a trail near Yellowstone Park headquarters in Mammoth and stopping to chat with a woman and her young daughter--but something was wrong. After a few moments the lightbulb turned on and I realized they were nervous about me!!! Not me personally (I hope) but the whole situation. That's unfortunate, but reality is, those women probably had more to fear from some guy on the trail than any grizzly bear.
Cheers to people who go solo hiking, especially women.
In the 1970's and 1980's, I hiked, backpacked and climbed alone frequently. Loved every minute of it and would do it over in a heartbeat. I had a few scares, but I had my whistle with me and knew eventually someone would be hiking in the area if I needed help. Never did need help.
The worst thing that happened is that I got old and all that hiking and climbing wreaked havoc on my body. Now I can do only short hikes. I've taken up quilting and am teaching myself how to do landscape quilts so I can put my memories of beautiful scenery in a form that others can enjoy it, too.
Bets-- you go girl! Whether you take along your dog, GPS, whistle, SPOT, .357, martial/marital arts, bear spray, et al, it's just exciting that you are enjoying your experience in the backcountry, and are becoming part of what this part of the world has to offer!
It can't be any more dangerous than the downtown Atlanta connecter at rush hour!