Whether you start your hike alone, or with a group that is not within earshot of you, you are a solo hiker.

This is a dangerous place to be. Who could get help if something was to happen on (or off) the trail?  How do you appear “scary” when being stalked by a predatory animal?  How do you get a second opinion of where to go when you don’t know the trail (a bonus is to go hiking with someone who is at least familiar with the area and environment).

Another hiker that had gone missing was found dead yesterday at Grand Canyon National Park. A body was found 1/4 mile south of Santa Maria Springs on the Hermit Trail June 2nd, 200 feet below the trail.  The body has been presumptively identified as 69 year old Robert A. Williams.  Williams was reported missing on May 26th as he was overdue to return from a hike over Memorial Day weekend.

This tragedy is one of several involving solo hikers within this past year and throughout the state of Arizona.  Tessa Worby fell to her death on Camelback Mountain in February; she was hiking alone.  A woman was reported missing - but found - when she decided to hike ahead of her husband and consequently, took the wrong trail.  She was lucky but she made herself a solo hiker.

Why Not Hike Solo?

Those of you who are slower hikers are pretty familiar with being solo hikers.  There is no one behind you to “sweep” the trail if something goes wrong, and you have to hope that your friends come back for you if they notice you still haven’t shown up after several hours.  I have heard many stories of “friends” leaving and going home without slower hikers, assuming they will be ok.

Faster hikers don’t fare much better and tend to be more oblivious of the dangers that await.  A faster hiker can still lose the trail, slip and fall in a place your buddies won’t see you (the assumption is you are still on the trail, not 200 feet below it).

If the worst scenario was to occur and you were to die on the trail - falls do tend to result in this outcome - at least you are not alone, and you have a chance of rescue if you did survive a fall or heat stroke.  At the very least,  someone can report the mishap instead of search and rescue spending days, months, years before your friends and family can have closure (if ever).

The moral: hike with someone, even if you have to find a group on the trail to hike with; at least someone knows you are there.

If your hiking friends tend to leave you behind or you like to be ahead of the group, try to remember why you are hiking with friends; because you enjoy hiking with them, not away from them.  And at the very least, take a hand-held radio to communicate with the rest of your group.

You never know what can happen and I guarantee those who found tragedy on the trails never thought it could happen to them either.