Sort of Legal

I’m not a likely candidate for being a solo female trail runner and hiker. I have a vivid imagination that can, and frequently does, rapidly turn the sound of wind outside my home (or these days, car) into the sound of someone trying to break in, or a shadow in the woods into a bear or other animal (although, there was that one time, it actually was a bison.)

And yet, in the past year, I estimate I’ve done at least 75 solo hikes or trail runs.  The trails range from packed trails within city limits like San Diego’s iconic Torrey Pines to ones where I see less than a handful of people during my entire jaunt.  

And I don’t just do it, I truly love my solo trail time.  I talked about the risks of trail running and why I do it in my earlier post, I’m a 5’4” Petite Female and I Hike and Trail Run Solo, but I didn’t get into the nitty-gritty of what I do to minimize risk as much as possible so I’m circling back.  The following are a few of the main ways I stay as safe as possible (it’s impossible to remove all risk) when hitting the trails solo.

The best practice would be to implement each and every one of these every time I hit the trails.  I’ll admit, I don’t.  I tend to be extra cautious and do most, if not all of these things, when in a new area or on a longer jaunt. In a familiar area and on “baby” (i.e. short) hikes or trail runs, I wing it more and carry a lot less.

Ease In.  I didn’t start off on 10-mile hikes with no cell service alone, I started off on easy trail runs and hikes that were more like walks in areas where I had cell service…and there were times that I’d still get freaked out!  

Over time, I gradually got more comfortable solo hiking and trail running and would go on longer hikes or more out-there hikes alone.  Increased comfort was a combination of exposure and proactively learning more about trails safety through talking to other people, REI classes, and reading blogs and books.

To this day, I’m still figuring out what the contours of hikes I’ll do alone are.  There will probably always be some hikes – due to location or technical difficulty – that I won’t do alone…and I’m perfectly OK with that.

Carry Safety Essentials.  I carry most of the Ten Essentials for Day Hikes on most my day hikes in my trusty CamelBak, that is essentially an appendage at this point. Water, more food than I need, layers, and a lightweight first-aid kit are particularly high on my checklist.  I used to just wing a lot of hikes with a water bottle and granola bar, and sometimes, on something short and easy, I still do.  But overall, as I’ve gotten “better,” at hiking, I carry more safety essentials with me.  

I have learned the hard way that you can go from sweating in a tank top to shivering in wind in just a few miles.  And, I’ve seen and heard of too many people that end up in bad situations from lack of preparation.  Day hikes are actually often the most dangerous because they seem so easy and innocuous.

In addition to the ten essentials, a lot of times, I now carry pepper spray (designed to ward off people) and in certain areas, bear spray (the hulk of pepper spray designed to ward off…you guessed it…bears!)

Trail running is trickier and I bring less with me because it’s a challenge to figure out how to carry things, though, you’d be surprised how much you can hold and shove into the side of your leggings.  I know, I know, they have running belts for that, and maybe one day I’ll get one, but I think I’ll probably just jump to a running vest so I can carry a few more items and water.  

Know the Area. The more you know about an area, the better the decisions you can make, and the safer you are.  Knowing an area includes, knowing:

• what time it gets dark;
• what the trail options are;
• what is around the area (i.e. is it near a bad area of town which could mean higher likelihood of wandering on to the trails, or even using the woods for elicit activities);
• what animals are in the area and what to do if you encounter them;
• knowing what type of weather the area is prone to (e.g. afternoon storms = better start early);
• the trail terrain; and
• anything else you can find out.

It’s easiest to get to know trails near home, but you can find out a fair amount about most trails through some combination of Google, reading signs at the trailhead and on the trail, and talking to people.

Cut Hikes & Runs Short. There are a lot of reasons I might have hesitancy when on the trails – weird people around, bad weather or ominous skies, feeling hungry but being low on food, not being sure if I can find my way back without a map (I use AllTrails, but technology can fail so I don’t want to be too reliant), or even just a bad vibe or feeling. When in doubt, I turn around and head back to the car even if I haven’t finished the hike or run I planned.  

Sometimes I reaaaaallly don’t want to stop because the trail is amazing, or I want to hit a certain distance, or see what is around the next corner, but I remind myself of the old adage, “better safe than sorry.”  It really is better to make a mistake on the side of safety than the other way around. And, I can always go hit trails another day…or even different trails on the same day.

Nod and Continue.  If I get a bad vibe or am creeped out by the looks of someone on the trail, I look them in the eye, nod without smiling, and continue on my way.  The goal is to find the balance between not seeming intimidated, which can make you seem like a good victim, and not provoking, by angering or doing anything that could be construed as flirtatious.  

Note:  If I pass you and don’t smile, it might mean I think you look creepy, but could also just mean, I’m at the stage of my run or hike where I’m exhausted and am saving the smiling effort.

Share My Plan.  On bigger hikes and when traveling, I share my itinerary and approximate time I’ll be back with someone I know and trust.  I also have my location shared with a select few people, but that doesn’t help much when out of service range.

For general travel and solo hiking/trail running purposes, I’m considering additional GPS-based tracking options that work in a larger range than general cell service.  Options include: AllTrails premium’s tracking option (not sure the range) or a device like the SPOT Xor Garmin inReachthat allow tracking and outbound messages.  

As I continue to solo hike and trail run, I imagine I’ll continue to hone and modify my safety precautions. Whether you’re male or female, would love to know what you do to stay safe when solo hiking and trail running.