Magnificent post, balzaccom - not only entertaining, but very well written! I could see the other hiker in mind from the picture you painted.

Fletcher inspired me to give solo hiking a try - my second trip ever was a solo trip. I passed his books along to several of my early hiking buddies, and the spark he kindled is one reason we all carry full sets of gear: so we can decide, if anyone feels the need for some solitude, to head off for a side trip, or camp at the top of the ridge while everyone else camps at the bottom.

I have to admit to having mixed feelings about solo hiking. I have (and still do) hike solo sometimes, and enjoy it (particularly in the winter, with snow on the ground and still falling; the silence is spectacular) - but I find that I enjoy having a companion more. I don't know if it's a case of not being able to turn off the social part of my brain, or what, but I just enjoy hiking with others. Of course, that only goes so far - more than 2 or 3 others, and it gets annoying.

I do take some group trips (the logistics are pretty easy), but I tend to find that, when we hit the trail, I usually find an excuse to fall behind, at least a few hundred yards, so that I'm either alone for a while, or hiking with one or two others. It makes for a nice balance: company in the evenings, and pleasurable hiking during the day.

When I do this sort-of-with a group thing, I make sure I know where the group is heading, and I have my own personal map and compass; I also carry my own solo load, so that if I am separated for some reason, they're not relying on me and I'm not relying on them. I also know the trip leader well enough that he understands what I'm doing, and we agree about a few predesignated get-back-together points during the day.