I just got back from about ninety minutes on the trail. It’s a hike I do often and it has many elements of the perfect training hike. Not only that, it has a fabulous view that provides a nice reward to those who make it to the top.
It’s a very popular hike. In fact, since it was listed in a widely-read travel guide, it’s not unusual to see two or three dozen people going up or coming down. At sunrise, on the weekends, there could be even more.
Today, however, it was threatening rain, so there were far fewer. Among those few was a young woman (I would guess mid-twenties) hiking alone.
When I arrived at the top, she was already there. I said, “Hello,” and sat down (at least twenty feet from her) to enjoy the view. She stood off to the side and didn’t say a word; I assumed that she hadn’t heard me.
She left the “summit” about five minutes before I did and started to make her way back down. The trail, like most here in Hawaii, is not great, but I have hiked this particular stretch well over 100 times. I know the way down. Within a few minutes I began to catch up.
It quickly became obvious that I was making her more than a little nervous. She frequently looked behind, sometimes glancing over her shoulder, and sometimes sneaking a peek as she negotiated the various obstacles. (I couldn’t help but notice; she was walking in front of me.) She was quite a bit slower than I was, so I modulated my speed in order to reach her at a relatively flat area, where I could pass without her feeling crowded.
As we reached the flat area and I passed to her left—with more than ten feet separating us—I decided to speak to her. Maybe I’m showing my age, or where (or how) I was raised, but it just seemed rude to walk by her without saying something.
“Looks like the rain is going to hold off!” seemed an anodyne enough comment. Apparently it wasn’t. The look on her face was one of near panic. She managed to respond with a “Yeah,” but it came from a throat so constricted that it was barely audible. By the look on her face one would think I had slipped on a hockey mask and started waxing poetic on the virtues of liver, fava beans, and a fine Chianti.
Displaying my usual coolness in difficult circumstances, I considered assuring her that I was harmless, considered apologizing for frightening her, considered making a joke of the situation, and, rejecting all those considerations, turned and got the heck out of there. I have no idea what she did next, because I was determined not to turn around and look in that direction until I was out of sight.
I’ve hiked this trail for decades. While this was a bit unusual in its intensity, it is by no means atypical. It also seems to be a fairly recent phenomena—one that has gotten much worse in the last ten years.
It’s also interesting to note that the women who seem the most concerned are college-age to mid-forties; high school girls and women closer to my age often smile that smile that people share when experiencing the same challenge.
Is it me? I suppose it could be. I’m a big guy (6’ 3”). I also use trekking poles, which some people find suspicious—for reasons I’ve never quite understood. On the other hand, I’m clean, have no visible (or hidden!) tattoos, and always wear a collared hiking shirt and nice shorts on the trial. I’m also nearly sixty-years old. If I was a linebacker my twenty-three-year-old daughter, who weighs barely above 100 pounds, would run right over me on the way to a touchdown.
I’m not sure what the point of all this is, except to say that I never experience this on the John Muir Trial. I’ve passed dozens of solo women hikers and never once did I get the idea that they were at all worried about me. In 2013, the two hiking groups I ran into most frequently were two mother-daughter pairs who were always smiling and full of questions. Perhaps it’s because male John Muir Trail hikers have a deserved reputation for being sophisticated and urbane. (I’m particularly fond of that theory.)
More likely, women who decide to walk 211 miles by themselves, or in the company of another woman, probably have few self-confidence issues.
Regardless, I hope it never changes in the Sierra Nevada. It’s us against 50,000 feet of elevation gain, and I can use all the camaraderie and encouragement I can get.
Good hiking, Ray
Ray,
a bit off topic, but I was wondering where in hawaii you hiked? I am going to be in Kauai Island in december for about 8 days and I was looking for a few good hikes. leading to awesome views ( bonus points for waterfalls) that are around 4-5 hours in total.
thank you.
p.s.
i bought your book a few months ago as a prep for my JMT hike in august and it has been invaluable.
Thanks for the kind words regarding the book, Dmitriy. I always suggest this book for people who travel to Kauai…it is the best by far. By the way, I am on Oahu.
Interesting post, Ray. As a woman I’m often told how I’m supposed to feel or act on the trail by others who aren’t hikers. I get questions like, “are you going to carry a gun?” or “what if you meet someone dangerous?” I am often asked if I’m afraid hiking alone. I don’t know many guys who get bombarded by these sorts of questions. For solo women who do their fair share of hiking alone, there is a sense of ease and freedom felt by being in the woods. For those starting out, though, it’s easy for others to get inside your head. I think many women who decide to hike the JMT solo (or even just without a man) tend to be more confident or have done enough solo hiking that they’ve gotten over these fears. It’s a shame that so many women are taught to be fearful in the woods when it’s actually much safer than being in a city alone.
Thanks for comment, Allison. I agree completely, although I have to admit that I, too, was often asked about carrying a gun when I discussed my first JMT thru-hike. I have a daughter, and I would love it if she wanted to tackle the JMT alone. (That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t worry about her.)
Being female, maybe I can help understand this mindset a bit.
Like you said, you don’t run into this on the John Muir Trail. I personally, think it’s a matter of environment.
The women who are hiking the JMT, are avid, regular hikers. They know the camaraderie and fellowship that occurs on a long distance trail, and are apt to feel comfortable in that environment, particularly knowing that other people on the trail are avid hikers as well.
On other trails, particularly in more populated areas, women have some reason to be cautious. First, you are more apt to run into women who are hiking the mountain as a workout and may not have the hiker mindset, but also, they are in an environment where they are more likely to run into someone who is apt to do them harm.
I can only speak for my neck of the woods, but in Southern California, there have been several reports of women being assaulted on the trail. Trails which are somewhat hidden, yet easily accessible, can sometimes be magnets for people who are up to no good. Just this week, a man was murdered on a very popular (yet partially hidden) trail in a heavily populated area.
The JMT, mostly due to the remoteness, is often frequented only by people who love hiking. You’re not going to get a rapist who is willing to walk 20 miles with a heavy pack just to harass women! LOL. So I think women find they are more comfortable.
As an example – on the trails around here, you will often find graffiti or gang symbols near the trailheads. Get a couple miles in, and all that disappears, because they are not going to travel a long distance. They stay in the “easier” areas. Consequently, I actually feel much, much safer on a remote trail, than I do in one near a populated area. Even camping, I am far less likely to run into a bunch of drunks who are up to no good, in the backcountry, than in a campground easily accessed by car.
Does that help explain a bit?
I think it explains a lot, Kathy. I’m sure you’re right. The one thing it doesn’t explain is the trend over the last decade or so. Either it’s getting more dangerous out there, or people just think it is getting more dangerous. Personally, I believe the latter, due mostly to the way these assaults are covered in the press.
The press wildly exaggerates these things. They go nuts over bear stories, although no one has ever been killed by a bear in this area. I think it feeds into hysteria, and there is a lot of that going on right now.
I don’t think it’s more dangerous….I actually think it is safer. I think the lack of a feeling of “community” along with the media always ringing the panic bell, is what tends to make this worse. All you hear about is negative.
Exactly!
Case in point….I just looked up that story about the “murdered” man. The press initially reported it as a murder, and several local stations even said that a witness had a description of the gunman. Turns out, it was a suicide, but they didn’t go back and correct their reporting.
Speaking also as a woman, it always makes me a bit sad when I hear stories like this. Also thankful because I don’t experience that fear. Sure, I always try to be aware of my surroundings but, like Allison says, there’s much more to fear in the city than out in nature. I always feel free and at peace on the trail. Maybe it’s because I’ve met nothing but nice people in my experience of the wilderness? Maybe it’s because I’m a 5’11” amazon woman with no history of abuse? Not sure. Either way, I can’t help but feel sorry for those women who do fear.
That’s a fun point about people asking if I plan to take a gun on my JMT hike next summer. Just a few weeks ago I told one of the supervisors at work (I work for Customs) about my plans and he immediately said something about taking a weapon. I basically just smiled and nodded. I guess I will be, if you count hiking poles and a knife/Gerber tool weapons.
Thanks for the comment, Jill. In regards to carrying a weapon, I do have to admit that many of the single (as in hiking alone…I have no idea of their marital status) young women I saw hiking alone were carrying pepper spray in a place where they could quickly reach it! Probably not a bad idea, although probably not legal the whole way.
I was much more wary on my training hikes in the city than my JMT hike for all the reasons already listed.
Sure, it might just SEEM like it’s more dangerous, but I have no desire to be the statistic. That said, I also didn’t get overly worried about it. I got some looks on my “urban hikes” when I couldn’t get out of the city so trained on the streets with my pack on 🙂 I think I looked like the dangerous ones in those cases! But it is a different breed of person out on the remote trails than on local ones, be it workouts or creepers or whatever, the perspective is different and I think that makes women more cautious. In your example, I think that woman was an exception, but still disappointing to hear. I, personally, would love to run into you on the trail
Thanks for the comment, Marie, and the kind words about running into me on the trail. Last year I met almost a dozen readers who recognized me on the trail. I’m embarrassed to confess that I sort of liked that. It made me feel like a celebrity! (I suspect feeling like a celebrity, however, gets really old, really quick.)
I too, have walked down the sidewalk with my pack and gotten strange looks. On the other hand, picture this: the Army unit I was once a member of had it’s HQ near the Hale Koa hotel (a military hotel) in Waikiki. A couple times a year, we would don our “MOPP-4” gear, consisting of a hazmat suit, rubber boots, and gas mask, and mark through the center of Waikiki in the early morning. That would get some looks!
17% of the women who answered the 2014 JMT Hiker Survey said that they had some version of a “creepy men” problem, but 2/3rds of them considered the problem minimal (1 on a severity ranking scale of 1 to 5). Once the survey closes, I can give a better analysis of this problem. But 17% is enough that it’s not surprising that women have their creep radar set to a finer setting than a man needs to.
Very interesting statistic, John. Thanks!
I agree with the comments about easily accessible training hike areas…the more “non-hiker” people, the more potential for danger. Also, the younger generation of women who are starting to venture out in their own, made infinitely more popular since “Wild,” is the generation that has grown up with ‘stranger danger’ since birth, school shootings, media that is constantly available (not just at 5 & 6:00), 9/11, war and ‘prepping’ for the end of it all. They have been taught to be on constant guard against predators and most have learned that lesson well. My daughter, age 26, freaks out more than anyone when I go out alone and it makes me sad. There is a happy medium between adventure and safety and my hope is that more young people find it. In a strange way, perhaps your encounter with this girl was helpful in showing her that not all men out in the world are to be feared. Most are just out for a hike, like she is
Good points, all. Thanks for the comment!
Shoshanah makes an excellent point, particularly about teaching children about “stranger danger”.
On a final note – I always go backpacking alone (my husband will not backpack), and if anything, the men I meet seem to want to look out for me. Maybe it’s because I’m a “50 something” grandma, but they always ask me, “aren’t you afraid to backpack alone out here? Your husband is ok with you doing this?”
I have never been afraid to backpack alone. Maybe it’s because my ex taught Aikido at the Police Academy, and taught me some moves (a fist to the adam’s apple will disable any man)….or maybe I just feel that hikers are a more trustworthy breed, but I have never felt threatened at all. If anything, I have developed some amazing friendships with men of all ages, who I met backpacking. Once the men see I know what I am doing and can take care of myself, (and they see I can build a fire even when it’s raining) they then tend to see me as an equal, but it always cracks me up when they ask if my husband is ok with it. They always seem to laugh when I explain that I don’t exactly ask for permission!
Thanks for the comment, Kathy. You may not ask permission, but I sure do!
I hike, daily, and encounter plenty of men when I hike.
I am always the one to say hello first with a cheerful “Good Morning!” from a ways off, to set the tone, and I usually always receive a friendly hello, wave or cheer back.
In my 37 years, I’ve only had one threatening male ever not respond and continue towards me aggressively without saying something (and that was on a morning walk in a public park in Brooklyn). I had enough time to react, in kind.
Every other person I’ve ever met as a daily hiker/walker has been kind.
Thanks for the comment, Amanda! Glad to hear your experiences have been positive ones.
Living next to the mountains, I do some form of hiking/trail running almost daily and backpacking several times each year.
Generally, I feel safe but do stay aware and take along a few things that make me feel more prepared for adversity, man, wild animal or injury. The first is having one or two of my dogs along. I don’t know how helpful they would really be in a bind, but they are good company and I feel that an iffy individual would think about their presence before acting. I also am starting to carry a small can of pepper spray and keep it in a handy spot on my pack strap and close by in the tent at night. The people are generally friendly, but we also have bears, cougars and wolverines in the area who might not want to be such good company.
The other thing I am starting to carry more often is a SPOT locator. This serves multiple purposes such as checking in daily with my husband back home. I can also press a button so he can track me if I’m hiking through tricky terrain or press another button to serve as a call for rescue if injured.
This year I’ve become involved with our local Search and Rescue group and there were a few call outs where it would be helpful to know the location of the subject and even if he/she was ok and just staying out for another night.
Thanks for the comment, René. This touches on a different point. Whenever I see dogs on the trail I always feel obligated to give them a scratch behind the ears. I get the impression that some owners don’t appreciate that, but I can’t resist!
I’ve carried a Spot on two JMT thru-hikes and love them. They really sip battery power.
My question is why do you care what or why a women didn’t want to speak to you on a day hike?? It seems to me that you are self absorbed and taking this experience personally. Not everyone wants to chat on trails with strangers.
Honestly, it’s sad that you would post this on the internet and make it about you. Women are normally looked at negatively in society and in the media. If they are chatty they are flittering or too friendly. If they are quit or stern they are not friendly. You’re perpetuating the negative image of women.
From a psychological perspective it’s seems that your narcissistic and self absorbed, especially saying I “considered to do……or do that….”
Raye
Thanks for comment, Raye!
Ray-
My sister(36) & I (42) backpacked the trail from Devil’s PostPile to Curry Village last summer. We had never backpacked previously. It went fabulously well (your book was immensely helpful), and we were amazed at how helpful, generous, and friendly people were.
It was so good, I did a 2 night, 3 day on my own from Agnew Meadow to 100 Islands Lake (via the PCT), to Lake Ediza (via the JMT), back to Agnew (via the River/Shadow trail) a month later – ON MY OWN. It went great, and the two men I met at 1000 Island Lake couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. Not one ounce of creepiness.
It makes me believe that the creepiness we encounter in “civilization” is perhaps due to being too far removed from Mother Nature. Mother Nature will take care of her girls, just as we will take good care of her.
Great blog, great post, and I look forward to your posts every week.
Aloha!
Heather
Wow. What a great story, Heather, and what a terrific experience. Thanks for the comment and especially for the kind words about the book.
By the way, I love talking to strangers on the trail. I find it odd when people look at me strangely or refuse to engage.
Hike your hike, right?
True!
Hey Ray,
I read your story with a good bit of sympathy for both parties. As a survivor of sexual assault I had moments like this going to a grocery store slightly further from my home, let alone when I began hiking again. Your response of doing your best not to look back at her and not chasing on after her to assure her you were not threatening her were spot on. I’m so glad you did your best to treat her normally and politely, as in the long run those sorts of encounters will help her build her confidence and feeling of security.
The increase in situations like this I think arise from there being more women venturing out on their own. It’s a good think I think, but there are an awful lot of women who have had very bad experiences sometime in their life, and it may color their responses until they settle in. Don’t take it personally, and thanks for the lovely blog.
Thanks for the extremely kind comment and for the additional perspective. I find that as I am getting older (turning 60 in less than two weeks) I really enjoy meeting and talking to people more and more. Unfortunately, at 6′ 3″ and 200 pounds, I don’t look like the harmless old guy that I feel like!