High Sierra Topix

If the dog is a Border Collie then you can have meaningful conversations, so it is not solo.
My take is also that is you are travelling alone it is solo, even on busy trails or sharing a lake with other campers. If, as in WD's scenario, you join up with someone for a period that would not be solo, but it is only semantics unless you have taken a vow of solitude or something, otherwise it is a backpacking trip, with or without company, nothing more. I have been doing solo trips for 40+ years, since I was 16 or 17, usually several a year, and I do not think of being solo as something unusual, just another way to enjoy the mountains. I do like the freedom and the added connection to my surroundings I feel when I am solo, being alone helps me to concentrate on the mountains rather than on conversation and another person. On the flip side, sharing the adventure/scenery/peak is fun too, just different
The vast majority of my trips are solo, because I like it that way, but I am not anti-social; if the opportunity presents itself to go with my son or a friend, I am glad to do that as well, but I need to get out there by myself sometimes.

LOL. My dog IS a border collie! But she is a puppy- 11 months old now. So I guess it will be like taking one of the grandkids. I think I will spend a lot of time worrying about her until she is trained to be a really good backpack dog.

KathyW wrote:

Wandering Daisy wrote:Another twist! This summer I am going to start hiking with our dog. Am I still "solo" if my "partner" is a dog?

I don't think you are solo when you are with a dog. It's different than being with another person, but it's not like being alone.

I agree with this. There is definitely a difference in the two experiences. Dogs are pretty much the perfect trail partners if you like to go solo. Completely silent but always there to offer companionship when needed.

Jimr wrote:The trip is planned for one person, executed by one person. When you pass the trail head sign, you're heading out alone. That's it.
Everything else is about why one goes solo, not the definition of solo.

My thoughts exactly Jimr!

But, lately, 80% of the time, my agenda is too weird for anyone to want to participate.

This made me smile, and I have the same problem

Seems your question is about different styles. There are several general categories of backpacking styles. And likewise there are several styles of solo backpacking, meaning going into the backcountry alone without a group then staying overnights.

Even when I group backpack with those I am familiar with, for the most part we are all self-contained which allows greater flexibility and independence. Thus no communal meals, little if any equipment sharing, or sleeping arrangements. About the only gear we ever share is a rope and frying pan neither of which effect independence. And when I join a group of unfamiliar people for a backpacking trip, I prefer to get my own indedpendent wilderness permit, so I can come, stay, and go as I wish with an intent to join the group in most activities if such works out so.

Jimr wrote:The trip is planned for one person, executed by one person. When you pass the trail head sign, you're heading out alone. That's it.
Everything else is about why one goes solo, not the definition of solo.

Exactly!

solo is:

When you've been having a conversation for several minutes (hours, days) before remembering no ones there... and your not really sure if it was in your head, or aloud.

Until that point you may be one person, but your not solo....

John, that describes a lot of the homeless wandering around San Francisco...

longri wrote:John, that describes a lot of the homeless wandering around San Francisco...

Goes to show, you can be solo anywhere!