I’m a 5’ 4” Petite Female and I Hike & Trail Run Solo. Thoughts on Safety, Risk, and Why I Do It

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Hi, I’m Larissa Bodniowycz.  I’m a 5’ 4” petite female and I hike and trail run solo.  Chances are you have some opinions, or questions, about that.  A lot of people do.  As an attorney by trade, I’m no stranger to controversy, but hitting the trails solo is the most divisive thing I do.  Below are answers to some of the questions I hear most frequently about my solo trail running and hiking adventures.

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“WHY DON’T YOU JUST GET SOMEONE
TO GO WITH YOU?”

It’s a question I get asked frequently is a common question about my solo adventures of all types and it’s a particularly common one when it comes to solo hikes and runs in nature.  Sometimes I do.  Other times, I don’t want to or can’t.

Sometimes, I don’t want to hike or trail run with someone else.  There is an unparalleled peace to being in nature alone, to being able to let my mind wander and not having to carry on conversation.  There’s a joy to being able to go exactly my own pace on any given day – to being able to stop and take photos every three feet without testing hiking buddy Natashya’s patience (see Banff posts) or to being able to push the pace without having to worry about going too fast for a hiking partner (or having to preserve enough oxygen to chit-chat).  A lot of times, I just really like, scratch that, LOVE hiking and trail running alone.

Other times, it’s not easy to find a hiking or trail running partner who has similar fitness level, availability, and interest in the same types of trail time.  Some of my fittest friends that could kick my a$$ in a road run or bike ride, just aren’t interested in dirt and being on trails (looking at you, Lauren D!)  Others are only interested or able to allot an hour or two to hiking or trail running. I do love a lot of the short jaunts around San Diego – Annie’s Canyon, Torrey Pines, Manchester Preserve – but on weekends, I’m more drawn to cover new ground in different areas and longer miles.  And some people, I just don’t want to be on the trail with for hours.  You have to really like and trust the judgment of someone to put in that much time together.

“AREN’T YOU SCARED?”

Yes, sometimes, I am scared when I’m on trails alone.  There was the time, when I had less solo-ing experience, when I freaked out on the Redwoods in Northern California.  There were a few sections during my 15-miler in the Laguna Mountains, where I was hit with a sudden wave of “OMG, there’s no one else around,” that was a combination of fear and excitement.  I’ve even had moments at Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve which is in my opinion one of the San Diego trails best suited for solo running or hiking.

But for the most part, these moments are just moments.  They pass and they happen less and less frequently these days.  I think there are two reasons for this.  First, as I continue to gain more experience running and hiking solo, I also gain confidence.  Second, I’ve now been on a lot of trails in the San Diego area multiple times and have become more familiar with them.  I know what’s coming up and have my bearings which makes me feel more secure.  For example, I’ll know where the closest neighborhood is or how long a denser, more wooded section (which always feels creepier) lasts.

While it would be unpleasant to be in constant fear during a solo run or hike, I don’t think having moments of fear or hesitation is a bad thing.  It forces me to stay alert and assess the situation.  Sometimes fear is a cue that something is off, or dangerous.  Other times, it’s just a response to an unfamiliar situation or focusing on worst case scenarios that have been put into my head.  Discerning the difference can be tricky.

“IS IT SAFE?”

Ok, a lot of times this comes in the form of a statement telling me that solo trail running or hiking isn’t safe, but I’ve phrased it as a question for consistency.  No, I don’t think running and hiking solo as a female (or anyone for that matter) is perfectly safe.  There is some risk involved, but on I balance, the risk to reward for me often favors going at it solo.  I also take certain basic precautions to help further minimize the risk.

The things everyone thinks you should be afraid of when trail running or hiking solo as a female fall into two categories: (1) animals and (2) other people.  But these are often overemphasized and other risks that warrant as much, if not more concern are overlooked.   

Common Fear: Animals

There are wild animals in the areas that trails run through.  Some like squirrels and blue birds are adorable.  Some like the Marmot will try to eat your sweaty hat.  Some like bears and mountain lions can destroy you.

Objectively, the risk of interactions with these types of animals is low.  The risk that an injury or death with result from the interaction is even lower.  In the past 100 years, there have been 125 Cougar attacks and 27 deaths from those attacks documented.  Between 2000 and 2017, there were 48 reported fatalities from bears in North America. This map breaks down the location, date, and type of bear of each.

Of course, you still don’t want to be one of these statistics.  It’s useful to have a general idea of what animal dangers are in an area and what to do if you encounter one of the dangerous animals.  Often, making noise will help avoid an interaction and if one occurs, looking big and not turning your back to the animal will help avoid escalation of the incident.  (Important note: this is the general approach but not true for all animals or types of interactions so read up, watch some YouTube videos.)

There are certain areas and times of year where the likelihood of encountering a dangerous animal are increased.  For example, there is a pretty high likelihood of running into a bear in Banff, Canada in summer.  In these situations, some extra precautions – like carrying bear spray – are warranted.

Common Fear: Other People

It’s hard not to think of a scary movie, tragedy from the news, or that one scene from Wild when you think of a girl running or hiking alone in the woods.  But how real is the risk of being attacked by a stranger in the woods as a solo female trail runner or hiker? 

As most would guess and this survey from irunfar.com shows, the fear of being attacked by another person while trail running alone is significantly higher in women than in men.  But fear and risk are different.  And unfortunately, there are not statistics on what the actual risk is.  I tend to think it’s relatively low.

The few available statistics related to the issue tend to show a low risk.  This article points to National Park and FBI statistics that show the general risk of being the victim of a violent crime in a national park is significantly lower than the same risk across the country as a whole.  Interestingly, based on the same article, in the past 35 years, there have only been 9 known murders on the Appalachian Trail.  The victims’ genders were almost evenly split: 4 men, 5 female.

Additionally, when a female runner or hiker gets attacked, it gets a lot of attention in the national headlines, not just the region where the attack occurred.  Headlines like “Jogger’s stabbing highlights ‘unfortunate’ and scary reality for female runners” use fear and human interest in horrible crimes to get people to click. (Incidentally, the runner attacks in the article were in urban, not trail environments).  Although not every crime is reported, I do think that if there were more attacks, we would hear about them with greater frequency.

I also tend to agree with others who have weighed in on this topic, that even though it feels riskier, the odds of being attacked deep into a trail run are low in part because of the effort of getting there.  Traversing 5 – 10 miles onto a trail for the possibility of encountering a female alone, is not going to be an appealing option for a lot of potential attackers. For this reason, the attacks on female runners that do occur seem to occur more concentrated near populated areas. 

Two really horrible sets of attacks on runners that made the news in recent years, three attacks on runners in Austin, Texas and two attacks on runners in Seattle, Washington, occurred on or near popular trails or parks near the urban centers.  In a sad irony, these are the types of areas where people, including myself, tend to feel safer because of proximity to the city and other people.

Less Headline Grabbing But Very Real Risks

There are other risks of running or hiking on trails alone as a female that are likely greater than being attacked but aren’t discussed as frequently because they aren’t as headline grabbing.  They are the simple things like dehydration, running out of food, getting lost, overheating, hypothermia, falling off a trail, or a deep cut from brush or rocks.  I have heard that day-hikers of all genders are the most likely to need to be rescued because they minimize the risk and tend to be under prepared. (Quickie Tip: These are Considered THE Ten Essentials for Hiking)

“SHOULD I TRAIL RUN OR HIKE SOLO AS A FEMALE?”

My opinion here parallels my thoughts on whether you should visit Tijuana, Mexico (that post here). It’s a very personal choice.  Whether you should or should not run or hike solo as a female is a personal question.  Again, as much as I love being on trails solo, there is risk involved and that risk is greater than if you were running or hiking with someone else.  You need to decide if you are comfortable with the risks. 

I’d also note that the risks are different for each activity and location.  The risk of trail running or hiking alone at Torrey Pines, a state park that is so popular it can accurately be described as “packed” many weekends, is not the same as the risk of trail running or hiking alone in more desolate areas of Cleveland National Forest.  Similarly, the risk of a day-hike alone is not the same as the risk of a backpacking trip alone.  Additionally, the risks of going at it alone in stormy weather are different than the risks of going alone in pristine conditions.

Assessing risk and making decisions based on that is not a one-time decision for me as a female solo trail runner and hiker.  It’s an ongoing process and my decisions vary depending on the exact location and activity I’m considering.  I encourage you to take a similar approach and wish you happy trails whether alone or with your favorite adventure partners.