When hiking alone, there is no one around at the end of the day to tell you, “Good job!” or, “You’re doing great!” Nobody was watching me hike, and no one was around to cheer me on when the miles were tough. No other voices existed apart from those inside my head or the one I used to speak aloud just to hear somebody talk. Friends and family stood-by for town updates, social media posts, and the occasional phone call, but I did not have to do any of that.
Great observation about what motivates a thru-hiker (and, comments about solo, versus having a hiking partner)
