Interactions with fellow hikers aren’t unusual, but every once in awhile, one can be unsettling.
Earlier this summer, a fellow member of a women’s hiking forum shared her encounter with someone who had identified himself as a U.S. Forest Service staffer while she was hiking the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.
(sidenote: he had no identifying uniform or badge, and in the moment, she hadn’t thought to ask for one, so no one is certain that he does in fact work for USFS. However, as it was the beginning of Trail Steward season, he may have been a volunteer.)
As she was ascending for a sunset hike, he was descending from the same summit. He was very friendly & “completely non-threatening,” but was concerned that she was prepared to reach the summit alone & return in the dark.
She had a pack & hiking poles, and she assured him that she was familiar with the trail, knew the summit & was carrying the essentials. He asked several more questions, and she told him that she was well-prepared, cognizant of time (because she had somewhere to be later that evening) & comfortable with her plans.
They parted ways & she continued towards the summit.
Yet after approximately two-tenths of a mile, she stopped & realized that he wasn’t far behind her. Meaning – he had changed course & followed her up the trail.
Understandably, she was spooked & turned around to speak to him. He was still friendly, and told her that he was “a worrier” by nature. As such, he was still concerned that she didn’t realize how far the summit was & may not be prepared for what lied ahead.
He proceeded to inquire about what was in her pack to be sure she had the essentials – covering many of the same questions he’d already asked – and she remained calm yet assertive while addressing him.
After a few minutes, presumably assured that she could take care of herself, he continued back down the mountain.
She took a moment to collect herself, completed her hike & he never approached her again.
Was he a bad guy?
Despite the fact that he scared the living daylights out of her by changing course & sneaking up on her, everything turned out okay.
But even weeks later, this incident continues to take an emotional toll – with her questioning what his intentions were that day, what he was hoping to accomplish in the second round of questioning (that hadn’t satisfied him in the first), what would have happened if she hadn’t offered the “right” answers & the general uneasiness that lingers after knowing that a total stranger took it upon himself to follow you.
Of course, we can’t know his true intentions, though it’s possible that they were good.
In fact, they probably were good, because violent crime on the trails is very rare.
To place his concern in context, there had been one fatality & one near-fatality in these same mountains just days before, as well as several other rescues. As in most cases, those callouts had all been the result of hikers being unprepared for the conditions they faced.
And over the winter, a man abandoned his plans to attempt suicide when a fellow hiker came along & encouraged him to continue with her. She was persistent in her efforts because it appeared that he wasn’t prepared for the conditions & may become hypothermic if he remained where he was.
She didn’t realize at the time that his plan was exactly that – to remain in the cold & pass away – but her efforts saved his life.
That said, it’s not unreasonable to think this man was paranoid & genuinely concerned about her welfare, and it would have haunted him had he not double checked.
This point may be especially true if he was a newly trained & overeager Trail Steward who felt he hadn’t asked all the “necessary” questions during the first conversation.
However, we can’t ignore two important points.
- he may not have had good intentions
- even if he did have good intentions, he couldn’t have handled himself worse
In this two-part series, I’ll first address how you can handle being approached, particularly if you feel someone is being a bit too inquisitive with their questions or perhaps a little edgy in their vibe.
In Part II, I’ll address the best methods for approaching someone to avoid repeating this man’s dreadful mistakes.
What to do if you’re approached in the woods
First & foremost, as you may have experienced, someone approaching you along the trail is nothing unusual.
When you pass fellow hikers, sometimes they chat for a moment – about the weather, the trail, previous hikes, other events happening in their lives – you name it.
If you look tired, they might ask if you’re okay.
If it’s getting dark, they might double check that you have a headlamp.
Being approached in that sense isn’t inherently alarming, nor should it be – it’s par for the course when sharing the outdoors with others.
But it can turn uncomfortable if you feel you’re being peppered with 20 Questions about what’s in your pack or whether you’re fit or prepared enough to complete your hike (assuming that you are indeed prepared for the hike you’re trying to complete).
In that case, you might feel less inclined to indulge them & more inclined to get back to the trail.
When you’re ready to disengage, you don’t owe them anything more than you’re willing to share. A simple, “I appreciate your concern, I know there have been a lot of callouts lately, but I always make sure I’m well-prepared and speaking of… I need to hit the trail again so I’ll be back when my hiking buddies expect me.”
Or any variation thereof.
Be sure to make eye contact, maintain a strong posture & speak in a confident tone when you address them. Whatever your message, be sure that it’s polite, calm & clear you need to move on.
In the example above, it’s also clear that someone expects you at a certain time & will notice if you don’t show.
Again, outdoor crime is rare, so chances are the person chatting with you has good intentions. It doesn’t mean they’re actually being helpful – but it doesn’t mean they intend to do you harm.
They may be a new volunteer, such as a Trail Steward, and overeager to perform in their new role.
Or they may be one of “those people” who insists on being in other people’s business, in which case all you can do is extricate yourself as quickly as possible.
Handling interactions safely
Beyond simple chatter, what if you pick up a weird vibe, or you can’t put your finger on it, but you still aren’t certain what their intentions might be?
In these situations, there may be a temptation – and I’ve even seen some suggestions – to react with aggression. However, responding with “go f*ck yourself!” or anything of the sort is drifting into dangerous territory.
If someone startles you yet they appear friendly – or if they’re belittling you but at the very least not being violent – it’s best to keep it that way by remaining calm & collected in your exchanges.
It doesn’t mean you let your guard down, and it doesn’t mean you like what they’re doing. But bringing aggression to the table won’t serve any purpose but to poke an unfamiliar bear.
And because you don’t know them, you also don’t know whether they’re altered, unmedicated, or if they have any weapons they could use against you.
And once a situation escalates, they may become more unstable – and potentially physically violent.
Your best option
The best option to stay safe in a situation where red flags are popping is to keep your posture strong, and remain assertive, calm & polite.
You don’t owe them anything, but you owe it to yourself to stay as safe as you can.
And being “assertive” is nothing more than responding to their presence (and any questions) with confidence – even if it’s to say, “I’d prefer not to answer that,” or “thank you for the concern, I appreciate it, but I need to move on to keep my pace.”
But assertiveness & aggression are two different things, and you want to avoid statements like “leave me alone!,” “get out of my way!,” “who are you, the Trail Police?” or “what’s wrong with you!?”
In short, you don’t want to challenge, disrespect, belittle, or threaten them, nor indicate that they’re wrong.
You also don’t want to raise your voice.
All of those options could be tempting, especially if you’re the one feeling belittled, but they may only serve to escalate their emotions to potentially dangerous levels.
And as noted – you don’t know them, so you don’t know what they’re capable of doing.
The importance of situational awareness
Situational awareness is also key here, because if they are potentially dangerous, you want to know your exit strategies & the best route to safety.
Decide what “safety” means & where it’s located relative to where you are – would that be your car? A summit? A nearby camping site, business, or home?
To get there – could you outrun them? Outsmart them by taking a different route/bushwhacking?
If you don’t know martial arts, how could you best prevent them from grabbing you?
Do you have any sprays that you could access now? Are there any sticks or rocks that you could spot that could be useful to defend yourself if needed?
Be sure you keep as much distance between the two of you as possible.
You’ll also want to be sure that your backpack isn’t clipped or secured on your back, because if they can get a hold of it, you’ll be trapped.
For those of you who have attended my workshops, you’ve seen the way Tony has tossed me around in my backpack & you’ve felt it for yourself.
And if you haven’t, have someone try it on you at home. Strap yourself in as you normally would outdoors & in a space where you have plenty of room and soft flooring, have them grab your pack & pull and push you around.
I guarantee you’ll have a new respect for how little control you’ll have over your own body if that same scenario ever played out in the woods.
What if things escalate?
Hopefully remaining calm is enough to get you on your way without incident, but situations can escalate in different ways & for different reasons.
The best preparation for a potential physical altercation is to take a self-defense class (or better yet, regular lessons) in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ).
Rather than strike-based training, BJJ relies less on brute strength and more on leveraging body mechanics, technique & timing to disable and/or disengage from an attacker regardless of disparities in strength or size.
If you’re in New Hampshire, check out New England Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Concord or if you’re in the Durham, NC area, check out Triangle Jiu Jitsu.
I can vouch for both of these schools & their head trainers (Tony McBee & Seth Shamp, respectively), and I know first-hand that they provide excellent instruction.
You can also check out Rener Gracie or Eve Torres Gracie to explore their work online. They’re known as some of the best in the business – especially when it comes to teaching women how to defend themselves.
I’ll also keep you informed of trainings I’ll be conducting here in New England, as I have additional workshops coming up by later this summer & early fall.
Relative to mental health, you might consider taking a workshop in Mental Health First Aid. Similar to CPR for physical emergencies, these trainings teach you how to identify & respond to mental health crises & substance use disorders if you encounter people who are experiencing them.
In conclusion
From the standpoint of violent crime, the outdoors is one of the safest places you can be, and most people you’ll meet along the trails are harmless.
Some may be clueless, rude, or socially inept, but harmless nonetheless.
But there’s always a small possibility that you’ll cross paths with someone who may be altered, experiencing a crisis, or has something nefarious in mind.
And if someone makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s best to remain calm, confident & collected while disengaging from them.
They might deserve a dressing down – even a hearty knuckle sandwich – but (and I cannot emphasize this enough) it is better to be safe than it is to be right.