Thanks Duane!

Since in a way I started this thread, I'll add my two cents. I have hiked alone, but in the past few years my wife (we've been married more than 30 years) has joined me for every trip. And it has been quite amazing. Great for our marriage, and I cannot imagine a better hiking partner.

Last year one of our daughters joined us as a kind of graduation gift from college, and that was also wonderful. This year, my older brother has indicated he might like to go along on one of our trips...

But I think there is a difference between two and a group. Group dynamics are always going to change everything. I once read an amusing story about two guy who were going to "speed climb" a mountain. One of them made the statement that I'll paraphrase here: The number of delays on a hike is equal to the number of hikers, cubed.

I laughed when I read it back then, and it still makes me smile!

When you are alone, you just go. When you are with another person, when you stop to tie your shoe, they decided it's a good time to go to the bathroom. A third person decides that if the two of you are doing that, it's time to repack their backpack because they put their raingear at the bottom...etc.