Thoughts on doing the hike solo

Although I enjoy doing things by myself, hiking the JMT with a willing friend who has a compatible endurance level, hiking speed, and vacation schedule would be ideal, for sure. Finding this combination proved elusive, and I decided to hike the trail solo.

I never felt unsafe.

I was fully prepared to be a hermit for two weeks if need be, but as it turned out, there was no need. I saw several other hikers every day of the trip. I met a lot of interesting people on the trail, and felt very sociable throughout. I was surprised to find that from stopping to take a break with or near other hikers and sometimes hiking together, sharing stories and information, I felt I was aware of almost everyone on the trail from personal contact or hearing news from other hikers. I was part of a trail community.

I had a great experience hiking the trail solo. There was a lot of alone time, and some loneliness, but I felt I had some control over this mix. There were opportunities to be sociable if I wanted to be, and that made the solitude not something to fear but something to celebrate.