In the summer of 2023, sexual assaults on women hiking alone were in the news after two separate arrests in Boulder and Jefferson counties. Whether people should recreate in the backcountry alone has always been a topic of conversation and these terrible incidents sparked more of that dialogue.

Of course, the topic is not just about sexual assault. The potential mishaps that can be made worse if you are alone include plenty of things more statistically likely than being attacked by another human.

There are organizations that will tell you never to go out alone, under any circumstances. Those of us who work with CSAR, all of whom also volunteer for a Colorado backcountry search and rescue team, would tell you it’s not that simple. Many of us hike, bike and ski alone at times and know that

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