[Bootpathguy]

One for you...bloink...one for me One for you...kerplunk...one for me One for you...bloop...one for me Placing blueberries between my pointer finger & thumb, and launching with a soft touch, as if I were shooting free throws into splash rings created by the previously tossed berries on the surface of this beautiful lake. These trout are so hungry, I'm confident they could be caught on just about anything. Enjoyed this for awhile from my lunch spot. By the time I was done, all these schooling trout were recognizable individuals to me and had names. My favorite was Murphy

I left my house a few minutes before 5:00 am. Stopped at a Starbucks on my way to the trailhead. A woman in front of me as we walked in. She approached the counter first.

"Good morning. What can I get for you" "Gimme a Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato" ( or something like that )

I thought to myself. "Gimme?" Then I said to myself, "Bet'cha shes got a Amazon Alexa"

Alexa! What time is it! Alexa! Spell "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" for me! Alexa! Gimme the recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie! Alexa! Play, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover!

No, "please" No, "will you" No, "can you" And obviously, no "thank you" Simply bark out orders or commands to Alexa, and you shall receive. Is Alexa making people less polite? Conditioning people to be rude?

I was arrogant enough to believe I was the first person on earth to recognize this new trend in people's manners. Ha! I Googled it when I got home. I'm at least 2 years behind

I started hiking at 7:45 and had 4 destinations on my agenda. Although I did prepare for a night hike, I knew it was going to be a challenge to get back to my truck before dark. I didn't want to rush this one. Wanted to enjoy it, so night hiking was a accepted possibility.

Thought alot about "solitude" on this hike. I actually think about it quite often, but more so this day.

Solitude. Solitude? Solitude = "the state or situation of being alone"

I do alot of thinking when I'm solo hiking. I've never been accused of being a deep thinker, but my solo hiking thinking hovers somewhere between deep and shallow. Using a swimming pool for example. Deep end is 12 feet. Shallow end is 3 feet. I'm right at the depth, if the lifeguard saw me struggling, they would seriously consider if throwing the life ring was truly necessary. That's the approximate measure of dangerous depth to my thoughts. What a pile of blueberry bear sh## that is!

What is "solitude"? I don't feel like it's something that.... "it is, or it isn't". I'm my opinion it's not black & white. I believe solitude is a "feeling" or a "sense of"

I've read in some trip reports... "we had" "my partner and I" "our group of six"... "found complete solitude"

I'm even guilty of it. There are times, when out hiking with my wife, that I felt we had moments of solitude and then mentioned it in a trip report. I guess solitude can be found, and then lost, several times during a single adventure.

But, can you actually experience complete solitude if you are with someone else?

I don't believe you can.

I went back and looked at my last 100 hikes to see which ones I felt like I experienced complete solitude.

Conclusion. I feel I've experienced it 6 times is all. But really, never have. I'll explain later.

What's my criteria, or my definition of true solitude. Let me add, I believe "solitude" & "remoteness" ( 2 times is all ) go together but are different definitions & feelings. But for now, I'll stick with the topic of solitude

Solitude for me... 1 : It starts at the trailhead, parking lot or pullover spot. No other cars there. No witnesses to what, or where, you are doing / going. It's a strange feeling for me if the parking area is completely vacant. Almost eerie. This is usually when I ask myself, "maybe this isn't a good idea". I get nervous and excited at the same time. 2 : Obviously, not passing anyone on the ascent, descent, on the way in or the way out, the entirety of the adventure. 3 : I've traveled high above some popular destinations and looked down on people camping, floating in lakes, heard barking dogs. They can't see me. They have no idea I'm there. I was completely alone where I was, but that distraction reminds me I'm not experiencing solitude 4 : Not seeing roads, paved or unpaved, and not seeing cities or towns. Again, I've sat on the top of Trappers Peak all by myself but when I can hear people down at Lower Thornton Lake and I can look down on the town of Newhalem I doesn't feel like solitude to me when I can hear the roar of a group of Harley Davidson riders heading up hwy 20 5 : But to experience true and complete solitude, I feel that you cannot tell anyone where you are going. I can imagine that feeling of true solitude, convinced, that nobody on the entire planet knows where you are at that moment when you reach your destination. When you sit down and take the time to really appreciate that moment relaxing on the shore of a lake or the top of a peak or summit. Nobody knows I'm here. Nobody observed me leave my vehicle. Nobody witnessed me on the trail ( if one exists ) Nobody saw me drive away. If you tell somebody where you are going, are you really experiencing solitude?

I have always let someone know where I was going. So, I feel like I've never really experienced, what I define as, "true solitude". I've also read in some trip reports how some solo hikes have felt "lonely". That sounds so negative and depressing to me and I'll never understand how someone who enjoys solo hiking, also feels "lonely". I enjoy solo hiking. Not always, but sometimes I want to be alone. Solitude, for me, should never ever feel like loneliness. One car at the trailhead when I arrived. Never saw the owner of that vehicle. Didn't see anybody until I was back at my first destination. Finally, and as far as I can tell, a TR on this site is not official unless you label a few prominent peaks. Here'ya go! Dolomites

Mt Kilimanjaro

Matterhorn

Eiger

Chimborazo

Another fantastic day in the mountains

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I would believe everything you said, but you know that woman ordered a pumpkin spiced something this time of year, so I caught you telling a fib. I think your mountain IDs are spot on though.

[MtnGoat]

Fantastic trip report. Magnificent pics. I love that area, never have dropped down to your final lake on my way to the one along, then below, the humpback ridge in your pic. Thanks for showing me the view from there.

[HitTheTrail]

You got the idea for this writing style after seeing the name 'Poet Ridge" on a map right?

[kite]

OH that made me smile, a lot!

[fourteen410]

Assuming the road is still washed out and not really mountain bikeable, yes?

[Tom]

I'm confused. Can you mountain bike the road or not?

[Bootpathguy]

[Ski]

exceptionally well done. great photos.

[fourteen410]

[awilsondc]

Great photos, some of your best!

[Backpacker Joe]

Wonderful trip and pics. Good work for a day hike.

[Backpacker Joe]

Been into that area many times. Did a trip over to Crater and Chaval with Tom once. That was a memorable trip. That knife edge ridge run puckered me up BIG TIME! Ive never been able to figure out why, but it really made me uncomfortable. LOL. Tom was very patient with me going so slow on that ridge.

[Bootpathguy]

[Bootpathguy]