I have never solo'ed but see that many here do. I would like to know what the attraction to soloing is? Why do you do it? What extra precautions need to be taken?
I think I would like it, but don't know for sure.
Comments from the aa'ers please!
Tom

Hey Tom,

I am on the go 24/7 between work and home so a solo trip is a way to get away from everyone. No people talking or nattering at me or demanding my time. I am on my own schedule and can go wherever I want without having to discuss it with others. If I make plans for the day and all of a sudden something else takes my fancy, no discussions, I am free to just do it.

It is also a chance to see if I can be alone with myself (more of a spiritual thing). Some people go out on a solo trip and realize they are not able to be by themselves. The silence is thundering, as it were. Those that follow a 'nature' related religion also find this a great time and place to be alone. For quiet contemplation and a chance to reconnect with mother nature and the Spirits.

As for extra precautions, you have to double think everything you do and plan as many details of your trip as you can. One slip while on your own could be a disaster, esp. if you are in an area without much traffic.

If you want to experience it, pick an area of the Park that is not totally secluded, but not overly populated. Find an out of the way corner and make camp. The days are great, it is spending time alone at night that will give you the most trouble. If you find it is not what you expected, you are not a long paddle away from your car.

That is my 2 cents, others may differ... We all have our own reasons to do it and those that keep doing it really enjoy it.


Sean (of Ajax)

Hi Tom,

I have to echo many of Sean's sentiments. I solo'd once, meeting up with one group up on Hogan, then with another couple down on Lavieille with a couple of solo travel days/evenings thrown in.

The days are awesome, you are traveling at your own pace and doing your own thing. I do remember seeing a lot more wildlife simply because I was a lot quieter. I also remember feeling quite content at the end of the day, and not just with being in the bush. It is a very personal time and one that I will not forget.

However, when dinner is over and the fire is low, that is when I really miss the company and things get a little lonely. When I trip I usually go with friends that I see once or twice a year, in Algonquin. The evenings (and sometimes the wee mornings) are filled with catching up, great memories and good cheer. The reason I did a solo (spring) trip in the first place was because that summer I took my oldest son, who was 4 at the time, into Algonquin for his first interior trip. It was something I felt I had to do.

With respect to precautions just ask yourself what would happen if I forced a one time portage and tripped, or if I run this water and tipped. I found myself portaging rapids I would normally run and just being a little more heads up when on the portages and when around the camp.

Coach

My reasons are either enjoying solitude or having no friends. OK, I have friends. They just don't always want to go when I want to go. I spent a lot of time trying to schedule trips and I finally decided I will go when I want to go. If friends want to come, great!

You're alone. Really alone. You will start to talk to the trees. It happens to me around day 3 or 4 when I just start muttering, narrating my day.

Plan shorter days. Tandem I can average 20-30km/day. Solo it's more like 10-15 and anything more than 10 is a looong day. It's tough to find 10km in APP without a portage or three.

You have to do *everything*, so it all just takes more time. You'll find your more careful.

Remember to eat. That one really got me early on. I wouldn't eat, and when I did it wasn't very much.

Plan for weather, wind is more of an issue now. Every 3rd day has potential to be windbound. That being said, keep moving. It's really easy to just decide to not go anywhere. That's when boredom can set in.

Log a float plan with people. Mrs. Preacher knows that if she doesn't get a call from me on my exit day, something has gone wrong and she needs to alert the authorities. We play the collect call game. "You have received a collect call from *I'M ALIVE*. Will you accept the charges?" Free long distance.

Solo is very rewarding. You get great cred from people, especially those you meet in the park. Some think you're just plain crazy. I think these people are self-loathing enough to not want to be alone with themselves. Maybe they're just boring people and they know it?

There's only one way to find out! Start with 3 days, work up from there. It gets wierd. A day is a long thing when there's nobody to share it with.

Preacher.....you talk to trees???? Don't you have any friendly "spirits" like I do to talk to???? Much better conversation!!!

For me too, it is purely the solitude that makes me go solo. You do what you want, when you want, how you want, etc. with no one else complaining!
Initially, the nights were a wee bit nerve wracking (you hear a lot of noise in the woods and your mind envisions many things that are not there) but you get over this quickly and your sleep is very peaceful.

As mentioned earlier, I wouldn't go too far on your first solo trip in case you don't like it and/or can't handle it. My first solo was on Sec Lake and I knew that if I got into trouble, there was help close by if I needed it.


Bo

I started going solo last year and loved it (did two solo trips, one in Algonquin, one in another park). For me its a spiritual thing and experiencing stillness. There are very few places we can go to get away from telephones, televisions, computers, etc. Even without the spiritual aspect though its great to just go do my own thing, don't have to worry about when someone else is available to go, etc.

Most of the precautions you should take are ones that you should take if you are going solo or with a group. Always wear your life jacket, carry a high pitched wistle (to signal for help if you need it), leave your route with a responsible person at home and instruct them to call the police if they don't hear from you by the evening of your exit date. If I go swimming I do wear my life jacket as well even though I consider myself to be a good swimmer. Wind was a problem once for me and I had trouble after a day of exploring getting back to my campsite. After doing multiple circles in the lake from the wind I finally let myself blow to shore, got a huge rock and placed it on the front seat of the canoe (try to rent a solo canoe if you are renting) and managed to paddle back that way. The added weight from the rock helped stabilize the front end of the canoe and allowed me to paddle in the right direction.

Hi Tom ...

My reasons for wanting to solo are very similar to everyone else's so far, except for one added reason; I want to know if I can do it? While I can usually find a paddling partner, I often find that I often get the urge to return to Algonquin with short notice, making it difficult to find someone in such a short time frame. I have no problems being alone, as it doesn't happen very often, and so the idea is appealing.

I am very cautious though, and am planning my first solo in a location that offers privacy, but a close proximity to others if need be.

If you are comfortable with your skills, and comfortable with all aspects of the trip, then go for it. If you are not sure if you can "do it all," the nest time you go with a group, pack as if you were soloing, and take on as much of the "work" as possible. YOur camping buddies wont argue (my kids certanly didn't) and I figure, if you can "do it all" with the company of others, you'll likely be able to alone.

From my last weekend with me and my 2 kids, I know I can do all the chores, and carry the gear necessary over a longer duration than I though I would. Ii would agree though, that the nights can be a bit lonely, as once the kids went to bed, the 2 hours I stayed up were the longest of the trip, but also the most peaceful.

Just my 2 cents though.

Jeff P
http://algonquincanoeing.blogspot.com/

I get up earily at first light and go with a cold breakfast...so I'm on the lake at its calm and go until I'm tired or when the wind starts up.

The canoe travel and moving part is wonderful and the pace is great....I do a bible study at the camp...but the evening meal and evening fire is melodramatic without company.

I do the same as mentioned above i plan a week and if kids,family, friends or other do not go I will go solo. It is very good but alot diferent from being with others...less laughing...more serious thoughts. This year the last week of June my sister is probably going with me but at the last moment she she may not for she is coming back from a rock climbing teen camp the day of departure.

I will rent a solo canoe if she backs out.

Thats the number 1 reason

You get to chose when and what with no dissention ever happening


Meeting people during the day is a nice addon but true solo at night
allows you to chose whatever/whenever...

. bedtime or fireside relax
. fish or nap
. whats for supper (yum,yum) and how much
(e.g. feast or famine determines your length of stay)


Question: is solo with your dog as company allowed to be called true soloing?


And lastly, it pits you against whatever you choose to do and sometimes
testing your mettle is a good thing ( as long as you travel and act prudently
and with care).
My first solo was Opeongo as I was doing an interior resupply to Markus and my buddy
ended up not being available at last moment

Solo was as follows:
In to North arm Friday night, resupply on Saturday and then out on Sunday
P.S. I borrowed Swedish for the sat resupply trip the next day as I found him stranded mid
way to resupply and his company and paddle assistance was very welcome .

IMHO solo rocks but so does tandem and group canoe trips
Each has it own merits and these are determined only by the individual

Rac n

Tom-

I first ventured out on a solo canoe trip nearly 25 years ago, and have tried to get away for a week on my own almost every year since. My reasons for going solo pretty much echo what others have said. I love being on the water in a canoe and soloing gives me the ability to do that to my heart’s content. I can go for as long and as far as conditions, my skill and strength will allow, with nothing else holding me back. I can get up at first light and be on the water way before I could ever manage when traveling with others. Watching the sun rise and seeing the world come alive in the solitude of a solo canoe trip can be a truly magical, awe inspiring experience. Indeed, the biggest drawback to soloing for me is that there is no one with me to share all the truly amazing experiences I have had.

Solo canoe tripping is also a great way to get to know yourself. As Bo pointed out, nights alone, especially, can be nerve wracking and a test of your ability to live with and accept some of your most elemental fears. If Bo’s experience was anything like mine, he came to know those spirits of his pretty intimately on those first nights alone.

Canoe tripping off the beaten path always carries inherent risks and soloing heightens those risks in a way that demands your full attention, all the time. All it takes is one moment of distraction at just the wrong time, on a portage, in camp or on the water and you can be in serious trouble. At the same time, though, the need for that heightened level of awareness, or consciousness if you will, is also one of the benefits I look forward to when soloing.

Going solo is not for everyone, but if it is an idea that intrigues you, give it a try. One way or another, it will be an experience you will learn from and never forget.

-Mark

I do it for the clarity, one to one. You can sit back in your camp site or be on a calm lake and feel like your in a painting. Try going when the moon is full. (select your site with this in mind) I don't fish when I'm soloing, a precaution I take, the choice is yours. Wine is good to settle the nerves, and be prepared for very little sleep the first night. Cheers Tom

I have really enjoyed these comments! I have never gone solo but anticipate doing so since I retire this friday and have new (to me) Nova Craft Pal. I enjoy being alone, which is much different from being lonely, and the reasons I want to do this is embodied in each of the postings!

Thanks!

Mike

Echoing many things already mentioned here:

Soloing: You'll either love it(which I do) or hate it.
The challenge really lies in extended trips, as Preacher mentioned things start to go strange after awhile, especially after 10 days or more alone.
Keep your mind and body active...bring books or prepare to take up a hobby, studying fungi, scat, trees, wildflowers, photography, etc.
The days and nights are seemingly longer when soloing. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how much you enjoy solo tripping.
Soloing enables one to move at their own pace.
No talking or other audio/visual/mental distractions associated with tandem tripping.
As mentioned previously, the lack of noise from a solo tripper, increases the opportunities for wildlife sightings.
Bring extra food..and extra 1 to 2 days worth. You might not like carrying around that extra weight, but if you get stuck for a few extra days in The Park(Due to inclement weather), you don't want to go hungry, or should you happen upon a fellow starving soloist, the extra food would help.
Lots of time to think.


You have to be extra vigilant whereas safety is concerned. Even a seemingly simple 200m portage, can put an end to your trip; tripping over tree root, could cause a twisted ankle or worse. Take literally every step one at a time. You have the time, as you'll not be holding up anyone else.

Avoid big lakes, until you are competent enough to judge your abilities and the changing weather conditions with larger lakes. Even then, always stick close to shore where possible. Quite calm evenings are good times to head for open water to fish.

Never mix paddling and alcohol, Tandoem or solo.
Always wear your PFD.

lots more time to laze around.
Chopping wood, writing trip-logs, helps pass the time.

Oh yeah one more important thing.

TIE YOUR CANOE TO SHORE.



Markus
Etobicoke, Onterry-airy-airy-Ohhh!

tie your canoe to the shore...2 years ago I was in a tornado, I remembered your story of the lost canoe...on that trip i took extra care of the tiedowns tarp,tent and canoe...when the big storm hit i was tied down and the wind streched things but took away nothing

I hope this isn't a thread hijack, but I'm suprised how few canoes I see in the park have bow or stern lines attached to them. Whenever we stop for a few minutes or longer for a site investigation, fishing some ripples or having a meal it's such a simple matter to tie your canoe to a tree or bush near shore as opposed to pulling the loaded thing up onto shore. Is there some Canadian tradition of not having at least a bow line? They are also handy to have for emergency towing, if necessary.

Hey Pa,

I don't see it as hijacking the thread. I think that safety is even more paramount for a soloist.
I don't know why most people don't have a bow line.

Chowdog,

What did you tie yourself down to?
If it was a tree, I'm curious to know the reasoning behind your selection of a particular tree.
I'm guessing it would be several factors? Terrain type, tree types, root dept, condition of tree, etc?




Markus
Etobicoke, Onterry-airy-airy-Ohhh!