What would you do?

“So I generally go solo cause my work schedule is not exactlly like everyone else's. I have been planning a week long hump up in the Smokies for something like four to five months... I go to sleep at night thinking about my new tent and what the trails are going to be like ... Burned at least six vacation days plus four days off to put myself in a position to get out there in the backcountry... Two months before I go Iam getting hints from friends that one person in particular want to join me ... no problem ,I copy thirty -five pages of trail route descriptions and set the ball in motion with permits and such. I am adamit about stopping at 4am long enough for him to get in my truck and off we go. 4hours later He tells me that we need to stop cause he dosen't have a sleeping bag or other proper items...?????? Soooo I pull in Knoxville to Blue Ridge and kill another hour waiting for the store to open then it's back on the road and up into the mountains.... MY vacation has finally arrived.. pack on and five miles later we are making camp.... Daybreak day2 and I am hearing that he isn't moving.. his pack isn't right ,his back hurts and no way can he continue on the journey... wonder if the first fifth of Lord Calvert he consummed the previous evening has something to do with this sudden change in plans for him?

Anyway this brings me to my question -- Would your continue on with the 5 day/ 50 miler alone and pick him up on the way at the truck drop off point or would you change your whole hike to stay together?”

“I would have made it clear to him from the beginning that I was going to hike the whole thing whether or not he did. So when the time arrived, and he didn't have a legitimate reason not to continue, I would wave to him as I dissappeared down the trail.”

“OMG! What a frickin' bummer. It would really depend on who the friends was. When friends are good enough I have fun no matter what we do. Others, well, I'd have ditched 'em. This may also have been the motivating factor to get them off their ass and down the trail.

Then again, I wouldn't have let someone come on my vacation in the first place but you are obviousely a very kind person for doing so.”

“that sucks!! i would've killed & eaten him. ;-)

was he saying that he didn't want to hike any more, at all? so what did you do??”

“Or better yet, take out your poop trowl and begin looking at the ground, looking at him, back to the ground, and ask him, "Say, how tall are you? What's your girth? I'm thinkin' 18" deep. Deep enough the bears won't dig ya up but shallow enough the rangers will find ya before winter.".”

“If dude hadn't hiked before (as evidenced by his lack of gear), I would have left him at home on a trip as big as this was to you.

I try to make sure someone going with me can handle the hike. Taking a newbie for a 50 miler was insane.”

“Lyra and her last hing partner...

”

“It really depends on how close of a friend we were talking.

Personally, I'd explain that I had made plans to do some serious hiking, and that I wasn't about to let it go because he was unwilling to come along, especially when you consider the time you had to take off to be able to do it. Then, I'd go on. He's an adult, right?”

“Sounds like a Childish person. Don't take him/her again.”

“yeah, i would red-X that beeyatch into next week! ;-) haha.”

“I would of left him at the trailhead. He's a grown man, he can make it home from there or wait for you. He has a lot of nerve to do that to you after all the planning you put into it...but did you ask him before hand if he packed before? On a trip like that I would have said no to a newbie coming along.”

“What the hell is a "hing partner"? Is lyra more kinky than I thought?
last edited: 5/18/05 9:01:13 AM”

“I had the same problem last year in the Rockies, though it was in the middle of a trip instead of the start. I wanted to leave the guy and finish the trail myself, but I decided I had a responsibility to his wife and kids to make sure he stayed safe. I doubt we'll hike together again, though!”

“So, quietone, what did you do?”

“He is indeed a good friend that I do not see much of anymore ... We - the gang and myself included use to go do these hump and squats and have a party but that was years ago. Now that being said ,it was understood that this was a high mileage hike and that each of us was to be self contained . I made sure of his purchasing proper shelter and bag when we stopped. He told me he could not find his bag or tent prior to leaving only the night before we were to go.
I am pretty hard core but even though it took me eight hours of hiking up Mt.Sterling day 2 I still waited at the top site#38 for the rest of daylight in hope that he would come putterring up on his own. No such luck.

Did I mention that I had been dreaming of this trip for a while.haha. His lack of conditioning and desire to just stay put and drink , well- That wasn't cool in my mind but the long ranger in me had built in contengencies as a "just in case" . Iam like that in that I plan on Murphy's Law as a way of life. Too Bad but the lesson here for me is that next time (late Oct. 05) when I go wandering again I will not ask nor will I offer to bring him along.

So my next question is this- Is there anyone else here that want's to go see the fall colors this year? Iam up for a real trip next time.

PS: Left him there at Walnut Bottoms and picked him up at Big Creek Ranger station a week later.
last edited: 5/18/05 9:22:10 AM”

“You bring up an interesting question quietone.

You noted in your original post that you normally go solo, but then for your longer trips you seem to want company by asking first your old friend, and then by opening your October date to people on this site.

Does this mean that you go solo by necessity not choice? or that you like solitude for a 3 day trip but for longer periods you want company. I say want because you obviously do not need the other person to share gear or food weight. Perhaps a security blanket "in case crapola happens".

Personally I like company, but prefer company without commitment, meeting others on the trail, or at a lean-to is nice, but I do not owe them anything and if I hike faster or slower we part.

The longer the trip, the less likely I would be to link myself to others. An inconvienience for a 3 day trip becomes a real pain over 5 or 6 days.

Are you still friends, did the other person understand that his inability to keep up would cruel your trip, and he was OK to chill in camp until you returned. Be a bummer if your inability to say no at the beginning cost a friendship.”

“I go solo because most people are busy working thursday and fridays.

I have worked thru a ton of issues left over from the days of my youth and Nam so now Iam better company to be around but still enjoy solitude. It is not a pre- requisite to be alone and do not mind company the thing for me is to be able to get out and walk in the woods. I have hiked for weeks at a time alone and have done the same doing overnighters. I have also been an adult member to several groups of children summer camping so being around others is neat as well. There is something to be said for strength in numbers (crappola happens) but I respect personal space and on the trail as a rule I wait at all trail crossings,rivers and mountain tops. If I'm not bringing up the rear thats how I hike with others.

Now in this case the trip was my vacation for me and I was offerring others a chance to join in. His desire not to hike but to hump and squat was not in the cards and he knew it going in. He did not explain this to me but Iam a rather quick study. Our friendship is firm/solid /strong. He did not want to hike he just needed to get away from his life for a few days and that's why he did what he did. I gave him space but felt a touch uncomfortable about leaving him alone,thus the first question. I was worried about him drinking himself into a stupor and getting hurt. But what the hell I went on I had miles to go and the trail was calling my name.

Now , I have posted in the Trips section about taking off from life from the middle to the end of Oct. and seeing the mountains once again. The real purpose is to have a vehicle at the other end. Iam too honest for my own good. If someone would like to join me great . Another way to do it if one prefers to solo would be to meet up in the middle and exchange car keys and meet again at the end to switch back vehicles. It's just a thought.

Lastly, I find it helpful at times to have company cause the questions about flora and fuana (sp) abound now ,more so than ever. Care to venture forth out there ?”