Thanks Mike. I will never go alone!!!! better to be safe than
sorry!!!!


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Magic Mike"
wrote:
> I read all the threads regarding this subject...
>
> Being a Boy Scout Leader...I just have to put in my two cents...
>
> NEVER HIKE ALONE...It is safer to use the buddy system...
>
> Remember the last guy who hiked alone...
> He was left to whittle off his arm with a cheap pocket knife...
>
> If you must hike alone...leave an itinery with someone with
detailed
> directions where you are going to be...when you plan to
return...and don't
> forget to carry adaquate supplies.
>
> Let's leave the trail with BOTH arms!
>
> Magic Mike
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
> http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail

That's why I went out and got a knife the Navy Seals use. Always
be prepared! Rather than sawing, I would prefer a quick hack. I'm
serious!
Psychomommy


- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Magic Mike"
wrote:
> Remember the last guy who hiked alone...
> He was left to whittle off his arm with a cheap pocket knife...
>
> If you must hike alone...leave an itinery with someone with
detailed
> directions where you are going to be...when you plan to
return...and don't
> forget to carry adaquate supplies.
> Magic Mike

Just because I hike so much, Id like to throw in my two cents.
Hiking alone isnt a big deal. Sure, theres always the possibility
of getting hurt, but just driving to work theres a chance of getting
into a fatal car accident. Staying at home there could be a gas
explosion.

And its only on the remotest of trails that youre likely to be
truly alone. Hiking on the Appalachian Trail I usually pass a
dozen or more people going the opposite way, and even more people are
hiking the trail the same way as I am. If I break a leg, it wont
take long for someone to find me and get some help. If I fall off a
cliff, it wont take long for someone to discover my broken up body.
=)

And as for the guy that cut off his arm--thats an extraordinary
event and the reason its so newsworthy is because it IS
extraordinary. Him being alone wasnt the problem, but rather nobody
knew he had left or where he went!

And keep in mind, that guy wasnt on a simple hike either....

With reasonable common sense, hiking alone isnt inherently more
dangerous than driving to work. Youd all probably be surprised at
how many young, single women are thru-hiker the Appalachian Trail
alone. And none of them have said theyve ever feared for their
safety while on the trail. (Although in at least one case, one of
them had a close encounter with a car in a trail town. Go figure.)

Carpe diem!

-- Ryan

I also would like to throw in my two cents.

I'm a 50-year-old woman in decent shape, and since my husband is not an
outdoors fan, I also hike alone most of the time.
I have always felt much safer in the out of doors than in any town or city,
for the reasons Ryan talks about and for simple common sense reasons. Crooks
don't care for the outdoors much, either! Muggers don't like dirt, bugs or
weather--they want to be around lots of people so they can pick their next
easy mark. That means a town or city.

This does not mean that random nutcases won't ever come your way; several
people have been murdered on the Appalachian Trail, most recently the two
women who were killed ostensibly because they were lesbians and the
murderer, a man, hated homosexuals. But this could have happened to these
poor girls anywhere! They just happened to go camping that weekend and the
jerk followed them.

I do carry police-style mace handy and I have a loud whistle. Other than
that, I take my chances, listen to my intuition, and take moderate
precautions according to the conditions at hand. If we all stay scared all
the time that we will be attacked, hurt, etc., and allow the fear to ruin
the fun things we might do in life, then fear wins. Fear is already winning
out over common sense in this country over Sept. 11, and this is very
unhealthy and dangerous. Fear should only be an alert system or a warning
system, not a way to decide what you will do every minute of every day. Take
a few normal precautions, and then get out there and live it up!
--Boxitup


-----Original Message-----
From: rscarpen RiskyNil-at-pocketmail.com |letterboxing.org/1.0-Allow|
[mailto:rfzzhcsxhe0t@sneakemail.com]
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 9:15 AM
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: [LbNA] Re: hiking alone


Just because I hike so much, Id like to throw in my two cents.
Hiking alone isnt a big deal. Sure, theres always the possibility
of getting hurt, but just driving to work theres a chance of getting
into a fatal car accident. Staying at home there could be a gas
explosion.

And its only on the remotest of trails that youre likely to be
truly alone. Hiking on the Appalachian Trail I usually pass a
dozen or more people going the opposite way, and even more people are
hiking the trail the same way as I am. If I break a leg, it wont
take long for someone to find me and get some help. If I fall off a
cliff, it wont take long for someone to discover my broken up body.
=)

And as for the guy that cut off his arm--thats an extraordinary
event and the reason its so newsworthy is because it IS
extraordinary. Him being alone wasnt the problem, but rather nobody
knew he had left or where he went!

And keep in mind, that guy wasnt on a simple hike either....

With reasonable common sense, hiking alone isnt inherently more
dangerous than driving to work. Youd all probably be surprised at
how many young, single women are thru-hiker the Appalachian Trail
alone. And none of them have said theyve ever feared for their
safety while on the trail. (Although in at least one case, one of
them had a close encounter with a car in a trail town. Go figure.)

Carpe diem!

-- Ryan





Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "rscarpen" wrote:
> Just because I hike so much, Id like to throw in my two cents.
> Hiking alone isnt a big deal. Sure, theres always the possibility
> of getting hurt, but just driving to work theres a chance of getting
> into a fatal car accident. Staying at home there could be a gas
> explosion.
>
> And its only on the remotest of trails that youre likely to be
> truly alone. Hiking on the Appalachian Trail I usually pass a
> dozen or more people going the opposite way, and even more people are
> hiking the trail the same way as I am. If I break a leg, it wont
> take long for someone to find me and get some help. If I fall off a
> cliff, it wont take long for someone to discover my broken up body.
> =)
>
> And as for the guy that cut off his arm--thats an extraordinary
> event and the reason its so newsworthy is because it IS
> extraordinary. Him being alone wasnt the problem, but rather nobody
> knew he had left or where he went!
>
> And keep in mind, that guy wasnt on a simple hike either....
>
> With reasonable common sense, hiking alone isnt inherently more
> dangerous than driving to work. Youd all probably be surprised at
> how many young, single women are thru-hiker the Appalachian Trail
> alone. And none of them have said theyve ever feared for their
> safety while on the trail. (Although in at least one case, one of
> them had a close encounter with a car in a trail town. Go figure.)
>
> Carpe diem!
>
> -- Ryan

id be some worried about the hike alone...but ive even heard of people that=
were attacked when there were two of them....so ya never know....

i think i would be bored at some point with no one to talk to out in the wo=
ods, but you are into the towns and such so you get to mingle with the local=
s....

HAVE A GREAT TIME
wanda

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "rscarpen" wrote:
> Just because I hike so much, Id like to throw in my two cents.
> Hiking alone isnt a big deal. Sure, theres always the possibility
> of getting hurt, but just driving to work theres a chance of getting
> into a fatal car accident. Staying at home there could be a gas
> explosion.
>
> And its only on the remotest of trails that youre likely to be
> truly alone. Hiking on the Appalachian Trail I usually pass a
> dozen or more people going the opposite way, and even more people are
> hiking the trail the same way as I am. If I break a leg, it wont
> take long for someone to find me and get some help. If I fall off a
> cliff, it wont take long for someone to discover my broken up body.
> =)
>
> And as for the guy that cut off his arm--thats an extraordinary
> event and the reason its so newsworthy is because it IS
> extraordinary. Him being alone wasnt the problem, but rather nobody
> knew he had left or where he went!
>
> And keep in mind, that guy wasnt on a simple hike either....
>
> With reasonable common sense, hiking alone isnt inherently more
> dangerous than driving to work. Youd all probably be surprised at
> how many young, single women are thru-hiker the Appalachian Trail
> alone. And none of them have said theyve ever feared for their
> safety while on the trail. (Although in at least one case, one of
> them had a close encounter with a car in a trail town. Go figure.)
>
> Carpe diem!
>
> -- Ryan

id be some worried about the hike alone...but ive even heard of people that=
were attacked when there were two of them....so ya never know....

i think i would be bored at some point with no one to talk to out in the wo=
ods, but you are into the towns and such so you get to mingle with the local=
s....

HAVE A GREAT TIME
wanda

Very nicely said, both Ryan and Boxitup -- I couldn't agree more.
There are nut-cases everywhere and you are not taking any more risk
walking alone in the woods than you are walking down a city street.
While it is important to be aware and take precautions, a lot of it
is common sense and attitude. You can't live in fear. Fear makes
you weak, it makes you a victim.

I've been hiking and camping alone for years, mostly in Michigan's
Upper Peninsula, northern Minnesota and NW Ontario, all areas where
it is quite common to hike an entire day and never see another
person. My mother was always freaked out when I would head up there
alone, positive that I was going to fall victim to foul play. I told
her I was more worried about bears than psychotic hikers.

Lots of great posts on this topic with some very good suggestions.
Thanks everyone!

Deb (SpringChick)


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "boxitup"
wrote:
> I also would like to throw in my two cents.
>
> I'm a 50-year-old woman in decent shape, and since my husband is
not an
> outdoors fan, I also hike alone most of the time.
> I have always felt much safer in the out of doors than in any town
or city,
> for the reasons Ryan talks about and for simple common sense
reasons. Crooks
> don't care for the outdoors much, either! Muggers don't like dirt,
bugs or
> weather--they want to be around lots of people so they can pick
their next
> easy mark. That means a town or city.
>
> This does not mean that random nutcases won't ever come your way;
several
> people have been murdered on the Appalachian Trail, most recently
the two
> women who were killed ostensibly because they were lesbians and the
> murderer, a man, hated homosexuals. But this could have happened to
these
> poor girls anywhere! They just happened to go camping that weekend
and the
> jerk followed them.
>
> I do carry police-style mace handy and I have a loud whistle. Other
than
> that, I take my chances, listen to my intuition, and take moderate
> precautions according to the conditions at hand. If we all stay
scared all
> the time that we will be attacked, hurt, etc., and allow the fear
to ruin
> the fun things we might do in life, then fear wins. Fear is already
winning
> out over common sense in this country over Sept. 11, and this is
very
> unhealthy and dangerous. Fear should only be an alert system or a
warning
> system, not a way to decide what you will do every minute of every
day. Take
> a few normal precautions, and then get out there and live it up!
> --Boxitup
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rscarpen RiskyNil-at-pocketmail.com |letterboxing.org/1.0-
Allow|
> [mailto:rfzzhcsxhe0t@s...]
> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 9:15 AM
> To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
> Subject: [LbNA] Re: hiking alone
>
>
> Just because I hike so much, Id like to throw in my two cents.
> Hiking alone isnt a big deal. Sure, theres always the possibility
> of getting hurt, but just driving to work theres a chance of
getting
> into a fatal car accident. Staying at home there could be a gas
> explosion.
>
> And its only on the remotest of trails that youre likely to be
> truly alone. Hiking on the Appalachian Trail I usually pass a
> dozen or more people going the opposite way, and even more people
are
> hiking the trail the same way as I am. If I break a leg, it wont
> take long for someone to find me and get some help. If I fall off a
> cliff, it wont take long for someone to discover my broken up body.
> =)
>
> And as for the guy that cut off his arm--thats an extraordinary
> event and the reason its so newsworthy is because it IS
> extraordinary. Him being alone wasnt the problem, but rather
nobody
> knew he had left or where he went!
>
> And keep in mind, that guy wasnt on a simple hike either....
>
> With reasonable common sense, hiking alone isnt inherently more
> dangerous than driving to work. Youd all probably be surprised at
> how many young, single women are thru-hiker the Appalachian Trail
> alone. And none of them have said theyve ever feared for their
> safety while on the trail. (Although in at least one case, one of
> them had a close encounter with a car in a trail town. Go figure.)
>
> Carpe diem!
>
> -- Ryan
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Just my 2 cents on hiking alone...
I've been hiking alone for a few years now. I prefer to, many of my
friends and family have asked me to hike with them, and basically I
tell them I prefer to hike alone. I like to hike for the solitude
and getting back to nature, it's just what I like to do. It's my own
thing, I'm not recommending that anyone else do it, but that's what I
chooose to do.
Funny thing, I'm reading "There are mountains to climb", by Jean
Deeds, a solo AT female hiker, who was 51 at the time of her hike.
If she had listened to folks telling her not to hike alone, well...
Just to sum it up, I'm not telling anyone hiking alone doesn't have
risks, it does. But there are risks hiking none the less, weather
alone or with another person. Being prepared and having common sense
mitigate some of them, but you never know.

Wingfoot