Finding Friendship on a Solo Hike

Solo rarely means alone. The stories you’ll get when you seek solitude and the essential tools “out there.” In 2017, after a breakup with my ex-fiancé, I decided to heal my 💔 with a solo 🥾 adventure in Alaska. I’d done solo business trips and trail running, but this “alone time” was different. Armed with 🐻 spray and essentials, I set off for Hope, AK. Yes, Hope. I started my day at a diner, mentioning my plans to the server. When I went to pay, a guy my age said, “I hear you’re about to hike alone.” Great, I thought, my biggest fear isn’t bears—it’s people, especially men, thanks to a history of abuse. I responded, “Why?” preparing to leave after him to avoid being followed. He explained he was from Chicago, terrified of hiking alone because of bears, and overheard I was prepared. He asked to join me. I almost laughed; it was so sincere. Annoyed because I wanted to conquer my solo fears, I said, “I was planning to go solo. I have 🐻 spray and a 🔪. You can come, but if you try anything funny, I’m ready to use them.” My gut assessed him as “safe.” The server grinned and said, “You won’t need to fear bears with her around, and she won’t need to fear ANYthing 😅.” We hiked 12 miles without encountering any bears. Instead, we became friends, shared life stories, and ended the day gold panning with equipment he had. We found a whopping $3.00 in gold. I never saw him again, but we stayed online friends, cheering each other on from afar—just like travel buddies do when they meet in the wild. While I bring safety measures such as a 🔪, 🐻 spray, and a Garmin into the wild, and pepper spray in my car, your biggest safety tool is your instincts and your ability to listen to them. Starting small on a day hike like this is a great way to practice. Tuning into instincts and realizing they’re there to protect you is something I wish I’d been more keen on earlier in life. The world is a highly populated place, even in the middle of nowhere. This hike and solo escapade led to other endeavors and marked the start of one of my favorite tools for healing and growing—solo adventures and travel.