I hike alone quite a bit for this column. And when I’m on the trail by myself, I like to play little mental games. For one, I quiz myself on the different plants that line the route — from laurel ...

I was hiking alone in Boulder this past spring when a man came toward me on the trail, a jagged, baseball-sized rock in each hand. He was in his sixties, I guessed, the same age as me, and he wore ...

What’s better, hiking alone or with other people? “Depends how many bears are involved,” is one quip. Perhaps it depends on what kind of person you are. Hiking solo is a markedly different experience ...