Solitude isn't for everyone

The video above boasts the large size of golden eagles, giving statistics much greater than any North American sources I've seen. Since the golden eagles live many other places around the globe I don't know if they grow larger in these other areas or, as I suspect, they're quoting the weights of birds bred for hunting. They seem to be a popular sporting bird and I'd be surprised if they weren't bred for size and ferocity. I believe most of the many videos showing golden eagles attacking fox, deer, and other large prey were captive eagles trained to hunt. I'd be very surprised if a wild bird would be as reckless as many of these seem to be. Early on in the video they state they're dangerous to humans and they show a golden eagle swooping down to pick up a baby. This is an old video and is not real. If I recall it was created by someone as a college assignment in video editing.

I was moose hunting in Matane Park. I came around a corner and spooked 5 goldens that were feasting on a gut pile. So they do go for carrion

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Yes, I didn't mean to say they didn't eat carrion but rather they didn't seem to be so fond of it as bald eagles. I did however state they don't eat much fish but after doing some more reading I've seen other sources saying fish can be a high percentage of their diet.

I don't doubt that any of our Michigan members might have seen a golden eagle. Certainly they do migrate through the area and can be seen there and many other places in the US.

Alan

As far as size goes, bald eagles vary pretty much with some looking huge compared to others. I have also noticed that immature balds often look bigger than adults. I thought it was because their dark heads and tails are more visible against a light sky.

After watching that video I'm more convinced that there was a golden showing up on my lake in Pa. a few years ago.

I can't say one over the other. When I do one, I plan the other next.

With the right people, a small group is nice. But those people are rarely available. I'm so used to doing my adventures alone that I expect it. And frankly I prefer it most of the time because I can choose the direction and the pace without disappointing anyone.

My next solo trip will be my first. I'm eager, but with young kids I only get one or two bullets a year and it generally takes the inertia of a group trip for my schedule to yield.

Edit: I suppose I do manage local salt-water overnights alone, but historically they are as likely to happen in a k**** as canoe. Looking forward, the kayaks will likely collect dust now that I have an outrigger in the quiver.

Solitude isn't always about going solo. You can be in a group and seek solitude from other people. It's always nice to have a lake to yourself but it's not something that is important to me anymore. As long as the other people are quiet and respectful and I have a good site, they don't bother me at all. In fact I'm kinda glad when other people are there. They might be able to help in case there was an emergency. There is also nothing wrong with saying hello to someone and maybe exchange some information.

lowangle al said:

Solitude isn't always about going solo.

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It's also not always about vast wilderness. Or even wilderness by any definition. I find solitude on the local lakes and rivers, simply by taking my canoe into the places others can't or won't go - which is easy, considering the limitations of motors and even double blades. It's part of what is great about canoes. Once I'm in those places, it's just a matter of concentrating focus on the immediate surroundings.

Those are some good points Steve, solitude is easy to find in a canoe. There may not even be a better way to find it, although being a canoe nut, I may be biased.

What I have learned over a very long time doing outdoor stuff.

What people like us do, is rare in the sense of the general public.
When talking about your trips in casual company, you notice things.
Everyone loves the "idea" of doing it. And even a lot of people say that as kids, they and their family used to do something together outdoors, usually followed by it being the best times. "I would LOVE to do a trip like that!". I hear that a lot.
Then you ask them why they stopped? And you see the instant regret. And never really get an answer.

I just never stopped. Yes, life got busy, but I made sure I had time set aside to backpack, climb, fish or paddle. Maybe not as much as I wanted, but always tried. And did ok with it.
And that leads us to the issue at hand.
Why do some people solo?
For me, I figured if I were to wait around for other people to decide whether they can go or even do it, I would end up just staring down at a now unused map on my couch. Those people who say they used to love doing it? Offer them a plan. Tell them you have enough quality gear to outfit them. Tell them you will plan a whole trip within their abilities.
You will still sit there on the couch waiting.

Nobody is going to do it but you. And the sooner you figure it out, the better.
You get comfortable soloing because you have to. I like the smaller group trip dynamic. I also like partnering up in solo boats with a common goal.
If it were available, I would do a lot more of it. I prefer it actually. But the fact remains, for most of my trips, if I don't just go and do that solo trip, it will never be done.

From childhood to senior age, I've always been comfortable doing things alone. Not that I am anti-social, but solo activities give me a choice of what and when to do things. Some activities I participate require a lot ot patience, like duck hunting or steelheading and I don't feel it boring because I enjoy the surroundings and the anticipation. Solo canoeing is kincd of a mix with alone time and the sometimes camping next to someone else for the evening and enjoying their company. I haven't ever felt that I couln't hike or anything else without companions and maybe that is somewhat selfish, but that is what I enjoy.

lowangle al said:

Solitude isn't always about going solo. You can be in a group and seek solitude from other people. It's always nice to have a lake to yourself but it's not something that is important to me anymore. As long as the other people are quiet and respectful and I have a good site, they don't bother me at all. In fact I'm kinda glad when other people are there. They might be able to help in case there was an emergency. There is also nothing wrong with saying hello to someone and maybe exchange some information.

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When I tripped in Sweden I noticed that the Swedish canoe groups were very quiet and didn’t greet me or others even if we were fairly close. But I know that had I “interrupted” them, they would have gladly offered assistance. Part of Swedish culture in general, giving others space out of politeness, but eager to help if requested.

I would imagine that peoples responses would fall along introvert vs extrovert lines.

Just to be clear, the best definition of the difference between the two that I have heard is this. Introverts get recharged when alone. Extrovert’s get recharged when with other people.

If you are looking to be recharged as an extrovert, soloing won’t work. If how ever you are an introvert looking for a recharge, soloing might just be what you need.

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I think this seems pretty accurate.

It's been awhile since I saw this thread and I think that anyone who is interested in a backcountry solo without human contact should (IMO) certainly try it but should also be aware that there seem to be only 2 outcomes:

Somewhere around day 3 or 4 it seems that you'll either become lonelier than you've ever been and can't wait to get back to the car OR you'll feel more free than you've ever felt and start looking at the food pack trying to figure out how long you can stay out there.

For that reason, I believe it's never a bad idea to have a way to shorten your first trip (and, maybe, a way to extend it).

I enjoy watching YouTube videos of places I've been and recently saw one of the Marshall Lake loop where (around day 4) the creator bugged out from the island camp I used on day 4 and completed the remainder of the loop the next day.

He did in one day what I did in 3; paddling about 50 km (31 miles) & portaging 3.6 km (2 1/4 miles) all in the same day (and those last 2 ports are pretty tough). I'm not certain if the solitude got to him or if there were issues at home but it struck me as someone who really wanted to get outta there.

I’ll say this: I had to work at being solo. Really, I had to work at being alone.

When my daughter was in middle school, I realized that some real “me time” was coming in a few years. To prepare for that, I decided to take a four-day, three-night backpacking trip into a remote area with no cellular contact. Perfect. I already knew it had been a long time since I’d truly been out of touch. Being home alone isn’t the same thing as being remote and unreachable, obviously.

The trip itself was fantastic. But what surprised me was what happened afterward. When I stopped at a small eatery on the way home, I was genuinely shocked at how happy I was to see other people. That’s when it clicked for me: being alone is a muscle, and if you don’t use it, it atrophies.

At that point in my life, I was in a role where I was almost always around people; work, coaching, and constant interaction. Solitude wasn’t part of the routine. So I kept taking solo trips. It only took one more before being alone stopped feeling like a big deal and started feeling natural.

Warning. Blab.
I've grown from an awkward loner child into an awkward loner adult, albeit surrounded by family I cherish. I've always assumed my search for the solitary was more than merely social insecurity , I was in fact an "introvert". But according to the definition above, it's a bit more complicated than that, because I "get charged" by both the solitary and the social. Is it the intrinsic contrasts that appeal? Wet/dry. Warm/cold. Alone/together.
I don't know. But I'm beginning to realize that if I've been an extrovert sociable animal, I've been really bad at it. lol
I've wrestled with solo stuff forever. And the solo day-tripping stuff I really enjoy isn't the same at all as truly solo tripping. Well into retirement my days are much the same as work life had been; lots of alone time until evening family social stuff poured in. Have I grown comfortably used to this routine? Is that all it is? Emotionally convenient? Or do I in fact know what I want and need, and am living it?

Yeah, mine's going to be a long brain dump too.

I'm of a mixed mind here... I NEED solitude in frequent small quantities, though I'm very sociable and can't take being alone for days on end. I've done 5 or 6 days alone, and it's hard. I prefer 4 days, 3 overnights; that's just about right for me, soloing.

There are only just over a half dozen people who could call me for a trip and I'd jump at the opportunity to camp with them, or who I'd invite alone, or let know I was in their area and wouldn't mind company. Most are folks I met through a bushcraft forum, where you'd meet at weekend gatherings (car camping) and sort out who knew their stuff from those only interested in knives, hatchets, drinking, hammocks, eating/cooking, or whatever. But like I said, there are a few I really like going with, they just don't live close to me. The others are one of my daughters and one of my cousins. I try to be self sufficient, like I'm solo camping but traveling with someone. I once forgot a spoon, and refused my buddy's offer to use his spare, instead carving one from a piece of firewood. I expect my fellow campers to be similarly equipped, either with gear or skills, and not need anything from me in the way of food, shelter, tools, bandaids, medicne, or clothing (not that I wouldn't lend it... I just don't want it expected because they forgot.) I also will camp if I've planned to camp, seldom canceling due to 'bad weather'... If it's going to be crappy windy water conditions, yeah, that's a safety thing when canoeing... but not going out over a weekend because of a 40% chance of .1" of rain, I don't understand backing out over that. But people do.

I guess I've just learned over the years that I can always go alone, and if I have someone along, I prefer they be of similar mind- and skill-set, vs having to baby sit them.

One of the best parts of camping with someone though, is having company at night... You go off by yourself with a lunch all day, hiking, seeing nature, exploring, fishing, reading, or whatever, and then come back to camp, and you've got someone to share it with. This also makes gathering firewood and cooking a bit more easy.

And as I've gotten older, I have to honestly admit that this is also becoming a safety issue. There may come a day when I prefer to have company... but in doing so, I become the baby-sat vs sitter... not sure how I'll handle that yet.

I'm neither an introvert or extrovert. As long as I'm still happy to see other people I'm OK with the level of solitude. When I cease to be happy, I need more solitude. Different situations require different levels of solitude. When on my home lake, one other boat in my back bay can ruin my solitude, I also steer clear of them so they can enjoy their solitude. When out in a remote place I'm more tolerant of seeing others, in fact I've grown to like it.

If you paddle in a populated area you can always find solitude by going out at night.

lowangle al said:

If you paddle in a populated area you can always find solitude by going out at night.

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One of my favorite things is a moonlight paddle on The Meanders (if you know, you know). Bats, beavers, roosting eagles, and the occasional moose - but none of the daytime crowd.

"Do you prefer tripping solo or with others?"

Tough call. They are such different species of trips. I do one or two solos per year in NW Ontario. Maybe a hair more group trips over the past handful of years.

I usually have a specific goal (get to a bushwhack lake that has not seen a human in many years, even many decades & fish it). There have been times where the group has wanted to dial back from another one of my Type-Two-Fun excursions, and I usually am happy to go with the groupthink. That's not an issue when it's just me, and the most aggressive/challenging of these goals have been accomplished solo.

Can I prefer both types of trips?

Erica said:

When I tripped in Sweden I noticed that the Swedish canoe groups were very quiet and didn’t greet me or others even if we were fairly close. But I know that had I “interrupted” them, they would have gladly offered assistance. Part of Swedish culture in general, giving others space out of politeness, but eager to help if requested.

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I think you are right that different cultures have different tolerances for personal space but I also think it has to do with the number of other people you run into. For example, If I'm hiking and run across just a few people on the trail I'll say hello, but at a certain point as the crowd grows you stop with the greetings.

lowangle al said:

I think you are right that different cultures have different tolerances for personal space but I also think it has to do with the number of other people you run into. For example, If I'm hiking and run across just a few people on the trail I'll say hello, but at a certain point as the crowd grows you stop with the greetings.

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Agreed.

When I walk on, for example, the board walk for the Fakahatchee Strand in Florida, there may be a lot of visitors from other countries/cultures. Different people greet and some are effusive.

In Sweden, I saw maybe three groups on a 5 day trip.