*obligatory “not all men, not all women” statement* There is an assumption that women will listen. And there is an action taken upon that assumption by men to talk. And talk. And talk. And talk. There are a lot of lonely men on the trail, taking their opportunity to go on a solo journey, taking a vacation from their life, and realizing that being alone on the trail kind of sucks. They find someone else solitary on the trail who is willing to engage in conversation (sometimes initiated by a single question or even a fraction of eye contact), ...