You might want to check meetup.com to see if there are any hiking groups in your area. Meetup.com is an organized venue for clubs of all types. Some have nominal fees, some don't. It can a good way to meet people with similar interests.

Additionally, do what you're doing. Post on this and other sites looking for a hiking partner. Of course be careful; there are a lot of whack jobs out there.

I think anyone who does any amount of hiking soon finds themselves going solo. Maybe leaving your itinerary with your wife and a park ranger would you a little more comfortable.