Before my life living and serving at the SLA I was not into being alone. I did everything I could to be surrounded by people at every moment of the day. Up to and past the point of them getting on my nerves. I’m one of those extroverted introverts; I love being around people but at a certain point I very much need time on my own. Historically, I spent that alone time reading, watching TV, or hanging out with my cat.
In college my friends would have described me as being outdoorsy and to a certain point they were correct- I loved hiking, climbing and plant identification. But I was not very good at creating those experiences for myself. I would absolutely jump at the chance to go on a trip that someone was planning, but the concept of planning more than just my annual spring break climbing trip was a bit too stressful.
In the past few years I’ve become increasingly aware of my need to go outside and how my mood improves after a hiking or camping trip. I remember one week I was crazy stressed about some Organic chemistry exam or another and decided that I simply HAD to go sit on a mountain. All of my hiking buddies were busy so I decided to be independent and packed up all my stuff, grabbed a handheld pepper spray before heading out to the trailhead. About a mile in I got bored, tired, and a little scared of being alone and decided to go home- my solo hiking career was over for the time being.
Shortly after getting to New Hampshire, I learned about the NH 48 (a list of the 48 tallest mountains in New Hampshire: all of which are taller than 4,000 ft). I did not have much experience with peak bagging and had a sense that hiking just to get a patch and some recognition somehow cheapened the experience of being in nature. Despite this fear, when fellow LRCC member Kodi invited me to join her on Mts Wiley, Tom, and Field (3 peaks in the 48) I happily accompanied her with no intention of doing the complete list. However, I had so much fun hiking in the snow that day that for the following week I could do nothing but think about the other mountains in the 48. As I was unsuccessful in convincing the few other people I know in New Hampshire to attempt the 48, and Kodi and I only sometimes have the same day off, I found myself in the position of needing to hike alone.
Long story short I am now a pro at hiking alone: below are some recommendations from my own experience, though of course different things work for different people.
Listen to music or a podcast: I had this idea that in order to hike “correctly” there was some standard of purity that required complete silence and a clear mind. I never allowed myself to listen to music and attempted to ignore the thoughts rushing through my mind. Being alone is hard for a lot of people and if you don't have much experience it is not reasonable to expect yourself to go into a whole 8 hours alone.This being said, I’m conscious to always use earbuds so I do not interfere with other people’s experience in nature. I would also recommend leaving one ear free to listen for wildlife and other hikers on the trail.
Finding a hiking goal: For me that was the New Hampshire 48, but there are many other official lists and you can always make your own as well. It's very helpful to have a list of trails that you want to complete because the large quantity of trails in our region can be overwhelming! If you discover that following a prescribed list doesn’t do it for you or drains the magic you can always quit!
Learning to pace yourself: Find a pace that works for you, you should be able to maintain it without stopping. Stopping while on the trail is not only demoralizing, but it is also less energy efficient!
Identifying trees and wildflowers: This is another of my passions, and I always take an identification book with me when I hike alone.
Bring many snacks: I always bring a treat for the top in addition to the proteinaceous snacks I need to keep me going.
Tell somebody your hiking plan: Let them know where you plan to go and when you plan to get back!
Cecilia has been busy setting up a caterpillar count here at the SLA, to study the timing of natural phenomena. If you’d like to learn more, you can join as a volunteer! Learn more about Cecilia here!