Almost all of my hiking and backpacking has been solo. I honestly prefer it that way; I wouldn't get the same depth of cleansing, meditation, renewal, call it what you want, in amongst a gaggle of geese. If I want a crowd, I'll go to the mall.

I have always accepted that there is an increased degree of risk in walking solo.

But: when the nearest help is at least 48-72 hours away, you act differently. You prepare a bit more deeply. And a solo walker tends to be much more conservative in taking risks than a group.

And to be realistic, it is considerably more dangerous to drive to a hiking trail than to hike on that trail. That puts it in some perspective. So does that fact that a downtown parkade makes me much more edgy, spidey-sense-wise, than an open trail.

That's my take anyway. I see no good reason to change.

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Pleasant quotes on the subject:

"Although "solitude" and "loneliness" describe identical physical conditions, the mental states stand poles apart."
-Colin Fletcher

"The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off."
- H.D. Thoreau

"A bore is a person who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company."
- John MacDonald (?)