Hiking alone?

I am thinking about going to YNP for a week in June. A friend may join me, but I am planning on being solo just in case. I would like to do some hikes and am just wondering how safe this is to do alone. I would be staying in a hotel and would only hike during the day. The thing I am worried about the most is an encounter with a bear. I would probably not venture off the beaten path for this reason. I have hiked in Yosemite but was always with another person or on a trail that was frequented by other hikers (Half-Dome, etc.). Sorry if this is stupid question, but I would like any expert opinions! Thank you!

Hiking alone?

If you are just visiting the main tourist areas, there will be plenty of people and rangers, so no worries. If you venture into the backcountry, I would consider asking tagging on with another group hiking the same trail. Most hikers are fairly friendly folks!! I would actually be more concerned about injury than bear encounter. If you do end up hiking, talk, sing and make noise, the bears don%26#39;t want to see you either!

Here%26#39;s a link to info www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

Hiking alone?

As Casa pointed out, if you remain near the major tourist areas there is very little chance that you will be alone! Should you venture out to some of the more remote areas to hike, it is never a good idea to hike alone, for safety reasons as well as the remote possibility of a bear encounter. Ask the rangers at any visitor center, or in the park, about current bear activity in any area that you intend to hike.

There can be exceptions, but bears are basically shy creatures. So unless they are startled, feel threatened, or are protecting cubs or food, they would rather avoid you as much as you want to avoid them. Bears tend to avoid groups of people, as groups make more noise and commotion than a solo hiker, so in bear country you will be much safer by hooking up with several others than by heading out on your own.

One other thing for you to consider when hiking in Yellowstone. Most of the trails start at around six thousand feet above sea level, and they contain various changes in elevation and terrain. Coming from the flatlands of Ohio, you would be well advised to take a couple of days to acclimate yourself to the altitude before attempting any strenuous activities. Drink plenty of water, take your time, and enjoy the awesome surroundings!

One option if you%26#39;d rather not hike alone is doing a ranger led hike. I may do one when Dh and I go in late Aug/early Sept since my dh is not much of a hiker;-). They have several that are free, and anyone can join in--just be at the trailhead at the time listed. Then there are some longer hikes that you have to buy tickets (around $15) for ahead of time since there%26#39;s a limit of 15 people. The hikes for this year aren%26#39;t listed on the NPS website yet (at least they weren%26#39;t last I checked), but you can look at last summer%26#39;s just to give you an idea.

Kren,

Thanks for the tip on the ranger led hikes. I had forgotten about that program.

Mitzi ... Here is a link to the program that Kren mentioned ..... another good alternative to hiking alone, and educational as well.

www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/index.htm

Sorry Mitzi,

When you open the link I gave you, you need to type RANGER LED HIKES into the search box in the upper left hand corner! ;-)

Solo hiking in a wilderness area is one of the most enjoyable things a person can do. All your senses are heightened, you%26#39;re free to enjoy whatever interests you and can go at whatever pace you want. I%26#39;ve done it several places, including Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.

I wouldn%26#39;t worry about Yellowstone bears as long as you take sensible precautions like clapping your hands and saying something loud every now and then, particularly when approaching a blind area of a trail. Forget bells as you will be driven to distraction before putting them away. If you choose to get bear spray, you have to hike with it in your hand because the encounters I%26#39;ve heard about happened so fast people didn%26#39;t have the time or the presence of mind to retrieve it from a pocket, backpack or whatever.

The main trails will probably have other hikers on them, though my wife and I once did Mt. Washburn on a fine July day and had the southern trail almost all to ourselves (six miles RT). That%26#39;s a great hike which you should do.

Definitely not a stupid question,Mitzi.

I would suggest that you get a Hiking book for the area. Everyone has their favorites - mine is ';Hiking Yellowstone National Park'; by Bill Schneider. The books list hikes by distance, difficulty, park areas, and sights - waterfalls, geothermal, etc.

They will also give you safety tips specific to the area. As has already been mentioned, bears are not a big concern on most of the main trails, but it is a safety issue to be out alone - especially if you should get injured.

So have fun - but be careful!

At least last year, they had a number of ranger led tours that cost money, but were exceptional. They went to off the track destinations and were limited to very small groups. I was there solo as well, so I took full advantage of the ones offered the days I was there. One was to Lone Star Geyser and the other was to a backcountry area of paint pots away from the trails. I think another went to Shoshone Lake. Well worth the money if they do them again this year.

Thank you everyone for your responses, I greatly appreciate them! I like the idea of a ranger-lead hike and I will check out that website!

I saw a news show like Dateline or 20/20 a few years ago about that solo hiker who got caught between some stone boulders and had to cut his arm off to survive, and that story has always lingered in the back of my mind.

Bear and cougar/mountain lion attacks seem like a particularly miserable way to die, too! I am certaintly not such an experienced hiker where I would be in the backcountry alone, etc. I am mainly interested in photography and just enjoying the beautiful scenery! Thanks!

Thank you for the question and excellent responses regarding possible mountain lion or bear attack. Having hiked Rocky Mountain National Park with my wife and kids a couple years ago, I feel that hiking in areas lacking groups of other tourists is the most exciting and enriching method of hiking. The flip side, is such hikes leave me with the occasional terrifying random thought of whether we are being stalked by animals. I suggest you google Mountain lion attacks to get information regarding how they stalk solo humans - you should have a bigger fear of a lightning strike on the mountain in the afternoon but it is good to be educated. Further, I am going to have my bear spray ready to grab...information is online concerning the spray and how to respond to brown v. black bear attack. The issue isn%26#39;t the probability of attack as the statistics show that you will be safe. I believe the real issue is making sure you are properly educated so you can have greater peace of mind and can enjoy the amazing experience even more.