A few weeks ago, an energetic, friendly, outgoing, country-boy college student told me that he could never go backpacking alone on the AT for four days.

I had just told him about my solo trip on what proved to be a lonely stretch of trail from Ceres to Bland, VA, late last summer. It was hot and humid, it rained hard for hours at a time for three of those days, and I had shelters to myself two nights and tented alone a third. In reply to his comment, I told him (truthfully) that in all my years of backpacking and day-hiking, much of which has been solo, I've never been bored. He was perplexed, perhaps incredulous.

Part of my enjoyment while hiking is being in the woods, but a bigger part is that I really enjoy solitude - thinking. I don't have any electronic devices, so my "entertainment" comes from thinking, nature, fellow hikers, and reading. It's such a rewarding and filling way to spend time.

I assume that nearly all backpackers feel just as I do: never a moment of boredom. But, you know where "assuming" gets one, so I thought I'd ask for input from the WhiteBlaze community. Do any of you get bored or is your experience similar to mine?