Day 113

The journey and adventure of hiking solo.

There's something special about solo hiking. I feel like I'm more in tune with myself. The solidarity allows me to be free. The freedom of having no schedule for the day, other than the goal of making a certain amount of miles per day, is liberating.

I've been hiking with my trail family since Bishop, CA all the way to Ashland, OR. That's almost two months, 930 miles. I definitely enjoyed the social aspect of the trail, but towards the end, I longed for my me time.

I left Ashland solo, ahead of my former trail family. It was weird hiking solo again, because now everything is on me. I pay attention more on the trail, such as where the water is, and how reliable that water is gonna be. I started out the day much later than before, as I'm not a morning person. I hiked 10 or so miles before stopping to take a break; I eat my snacks as I walked. There is no timer to count down when my lunch break would be over. I start walking when I'm ready, and stop when my body calls for it.

Camp site selection is a bit easier since it is just me, especially since I hike till it gets dark, as my body is more awake in the afternoon. I know how to have fun by myself and I believe that is very important, especially when being on the trail for five months. It is easy to get bored on trail, even when hiking with other people.