Thanks for sharing your story, Glenn .... been there done that to some degree. Some great advice and comments by all who responded, and I'll add the following.

The group I hike with numbers between 7 and 9 guys - the oldest is 63, and the youngin' of the group is 16. Fitness within the group varies to the extreme; one guy is only 5'6" / 150 lbs and carries 55+ pounds .... 10-12 miles a day for him is just a warm-up exercise. The 16 yr old skips along like we're walking through the mall. The rest are somewhere in the middle, being between the ages of 35 and 45 years old and in average or better shape.

As my Username implies - I walk slow. I can do decent mileage - I just have go at my own speed. In our little group, we all hike at our own pace - and arrive at lunch stops or evening campsite at varios times. The main thing is that we all enjoy the hike, even if we don't always hike "together" in a bunch. If I attempted to keep up with some of the guys I hike with - I'd have stopped backpacking a long time ago.

Hike with a group or partner that allows for such flexibility and enjoy the solitude of hiking at your own pace what ever that ends up being. At the end of the day enjoy the time in camp with your friends. HYOH implies just what it says .... any hiking is better than NO hiking!