Sometimes i am very happy to have company, because if anything it's an excuse to get out. However, almost anyone I've every hiked with has been told "No" by me at least once. - I like my solo trips too much.

Sometimes I just let it happen, and it works out fine. My trip into the bottom of south boundary
last year (Jonas and Nigel pass) started off as being just me. I then mentioned it to a good friend,
who said "maybe we'll see you in the first campsite" which was fine, because I knew they'd do their
own thing anyway, and then it turned into a case where a mutual friend found out, and decided to
fly into edmonton, meet me, and head in with me. Sigh... so it ended up being four people.

The difference here is other than a little bit of shepherding for the out of towner (I handed him
a food/stove/fuel bag because he didn't want to haul on plane) I didn't have to do anything about
anyone. I essentially got him the 14 KM into the first site at night, and then the next day had every
intention to do my own thing. as it is we stayed together, but it was fine. we didn't *have* to, and
that took any stress out of it for me.

I do find I am a lot less stressed about others if I do no planning for them. They can come with
me, but bring your own gear, your own food, etc. etc. i.e. if the other two want to share gear, great, go ahead - but I am self contained. So I don't worry about planning anyone elses trip other than
getting their butts to/from the trailheads.

You *may* want to try that with your friends if it's not possible for you to back out.- just tell them
"hey look, I was gonna do it solo, I'm gonna be self contained - you guys do your own planning"

On the other hand if your friends are inexperienced this may be a stress increaser not a stress
decreaser so use judiciously - I don't hike with newbs without doing (or checking) at least
some of their planning for them so I don't end up having to get them out of (or stress about the possibility of getting them out of ) a situation they shouldn' t have gotten into in the first place.