[Cdt-l] Like to hear from the veterans on this

[shane wohlken]

Hi all--

My hope was that I would have a hiking partner through at least grizzly country during my 2009 thru-hike, but so far, all of my prospects have fallen through.  Something might yet materialize, but at this point I'm proceeding with my plans under the assumption that I won't have a starting partner (I'm planning to start in Glacier).  Now to my question to you CDT veterans--what are your feelings about hiking through grizzly country alone.  Is it a none issue, or should I be very concerned and insistent upon a partner for those sections?  On a side note, I plan to start a few weeks later than most (around July 1), so I'm not sure what my chances are for a random hookup with fellow thru-hikers.  If I get the sense from all of you that a solo hike in these parts is not advisable, I will look into changing my start date to a time closer to that of other thru-hikers (though, I'd really prefer not to).  Thanks all for your expert advice.

Shane