[pct-l] What to do when bad weather looms?

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

Someone mentioned not going solo because it's less safe. Sometimes it  
is less safe to go with someone else because they can spur you on to  
do things you might not choose to do alone.

For example, In 2008 hiking out of Wrightwood after that big snow  
storm. If I had been by myself, I would have done a road walk. Since  
I was with someone else, we went into the snow.

I was not comfortable with the conditions up there and insisted we  
turn back. Instead, I was convinced to go straight down a gully. I  
was terrified we'd come to the end of the gully and find a cliff, but  
thankfully we came out nicely onto the road. If I had been by myself,  
I never would have gone up there to begin with.

A lot of people ask me if I feel scared to hike solo. I felt like it  
is safer for me because I don't like conflict and sometimes when I am  
with someone who has a stronger personality than me or who is prone  
to argument or who otherwise prefers not to defer to my wishes,  
things turn out worse than they might if I am alone. Not always, but  
often enough.

On the PCT, I hiked with others only a few times, and some of those  
times, I only barely hiked together with them, preferring to just  
hike near them. If anything, just hiking near someone else is much  
safer than hiking with them. No compromise seems necessary then.

The worst is hiking with a boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse. I think  
people can get into the worst disasters then.