[at-l] Going solo

[rhymworm@mindspring.com (rhymworm@mindspring.com)]

And don't be embarassed about being uneasy. It happens to everybody when they're first learning to camp alone. I'm a big guy, 6'3" and 270 pounds, and larger than most of the bears I encountered back in '97, but on my thruhike I was very very nervous the first time I camped alone, away from a shelter and other hikers. It was about my third or fourth night out. In fact, looking back on that night, I'm really embarassed about what I did to keep the critters away.

Not long before leaving on my thruhike I'd read Farly Mowat's wonderfully funny book, NEVER CRY WOLF, and what stuck in my mind was the section where he decided to "stake out" his territory among the wolves he was studying, which he did by drinking a lot of coffee and carefully urinating all around his camp to mark it off from the wolves' territory. It worked. The wolves discovered and inspected his "markings," and acknowledged them. 

Well, on my first night alone in the woods . . .  You guessed it. 

Looking back, of course, it now seems really silly. I didn't tell anybody--it would have gotten me a different Trail name, for sure. And after a few weeks out there, I thought nothing about just pitching my tent wherever. But the idea of camping alone takes some getting used to. You will, however, get used to it.

--Rhymin' Worm '97

Pat Villeneuve <patv@ukans.edu> wrote:
> Lovely post, Curtis. Thanks. I still occasionally hear from someone who isconcerned about me being out there "alone." Hey, I'm not concerned--and they
wouldn't be either if they knew what it was like out there wit h the AT
community.

In deference to those who have heard this story already, I'm offering the
Readers' Digest version. A very young man working at an outdoors show became
startled when he realized I was going backpacking alone. "But what are you
taking for protection?" he sputtered. Confused, I ventured, "Um, you mean like
condoms???..."

Give Me Chocolate


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: 
> To: ; 
> Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 10:07 PM
> Subject: [at-l] Going solo
>
> > I want to know about your first solo backpacking trips, or overnighters.
> I
> > have yet to do one.  I finally went camping by myself a year ago.  My
> family
> > thought I was either crazy or just plain weird, which probably isn't any
> > different than what they normally think of me, but they looked at me
> > differently when they asked "What would you do THAT f or??"  That first
> > camping trip was quite interesting.  I spent a good portion of the first
> > night asking myself "What was that?" every time I heard a noise.
> Honestly, I
> > was more afraid it was a human critter out to get me, rather than a
> cri tter
> > critter.  The second night I decided to sit in a chair in the dark, no
> fire
> > and wait for the critters to visit my site.  Being quick on the
> flashlight
> > trigger, I was rewarded with a great view of a fox within 6 feet of me!
> >
> > Any way, how would a person, or more precisely, how should I rid myself of
> an
> > overactive imagination when it comes to things that go bump in the night?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Teresa
> >
> > I apologize if you receive this more than once.
> >
> > "Procrasti nation is a dream-killer."
> >
> >
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