How — and whether– To Pursue Adventure in the Midst of Pandemic
Last week Sylvia and Brian were hiking out in the mountains of North Carolina Mountains, celebrating Brian’s birthday. We returned home to a different world than the one we left.
True, the writing had been on the wall, if one had been willing to see it. Already, the first case of the sickness known popularly as COVID19 had appeared in the Triangle area. But it was only in the last week that the leaders of government, business and society began, belatedly, to act.
We returned to a world that seemed to be shutting itself down as fast as it could. Entire nations closed their borders. The stock market plunged. Brian’s employer told all of its employees to begin working from home until further notice. This Guy started telling people that, upon further examination, the pandemic is pretty serious stuff after all. Retailers, public places and restaurants began shutting their doors; workers began to be laid off in mass numbers. Members of our own family have been impacted already. The dynamics of the presidential campaign have shifted. Economists are already openly using the ‘R’ word (hint: it’s not ‘Recovery’) and in the halls of government, things that NOBODY was talking about just weeks ago (stimulus package anyone?) are now an effective reality.
Only Fitz Roy seems to be unaffected by it all.
As recently as last week people could still indulge in the fantasy that while the virus might impact our lives, that impact would not amount to very much; and that things would ‘blow over’ quickly.
Well, so much for that. Reality is what it is, not what we wish it to be.
Up until last week those who enjoy the outdoors – like Brian and Sylvia – could also indulge themselves that the pursuits that they loved would be only mildly impacted by the unfolding events, if at all. After all, NO ONE was saying anything about staying away from the wilderness. It was all about keeping six feet of separation, right? Social distancing they called it. What could be better for social distancing than being in the outdoors, the mountains, the wilderness? Right?
Right?
Well, that bubble too has burst. Entire states are now on lockdown; public lands are starting to close, and those that remain open do so with limited facilities. And many prominent mountaineering and hiking associations and authorities are now calling for people to abandon their travel plans. Even the most dedicated hikers and outdoor enthusiasts must face the reality that, for some time to come, at least some of the things they love to do will remain out of reach.
And the worst part is, it is not going to end soon.
Brian and Sylvia love the outdoors, and we don’t like to let anything stand between us and our adventures. But we also believe in doing the right thing. The right thing, right now, is to avoid any action that could make the situation at hand worse. This is not merely for our own individual benefit; for by travelling, we spread the disease to new locations and new potential victims.
Even people travelling in relatively remote areas, such as through hikers, become like little drifting islands moving through the landscape, interacting all the time with people who themselves are moving. Moving on and off the trails at various points of contact; moving through markets, gas stations, cafes, convenience stores, motels, hostels, bus stations, pizza joints, public restrooms, etc. The more people we have moving, and the further those people move, the more that the disease will spread and the greater the chance that others less vulnerable than ourselves will catch it.
We cannot selfishly put our sick, our elderly, our young and our those dedicated professionals who safeguard our health at risk simply to put our own pursuits first. We must think of the safety and well being of others and of ourselves. We must do what is right.
Sylvia and Brian are going to do our part and reign in our adventures a bit. Not stop having them by any means, but we will do so in a way that is safe for others and for ourselves, and complies with public policy during the COVID19 emergency.
Here’s some guidelines we will be following. Consider them yourself if you have not already. From the CDC’s official guidelines on how to prepare for the Coronavirus 2019 Outbreak:
- Know the signs and symptoms.
- If you are sick, STAY HOME
- Avoid contact with sick people
- Limit movement in the community
- Avoid unnecessary travel
- Implement steps to prevent the transfer of illness
- Put distance between yourselves and others
- Wash hands; clean and disinfect surfaces
- Stay Informed
- The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to it (There is no vaccine yet)
- If you are older (generally, 65 years or older) or have heart or lung conditions or diabetes, you may be at increased risk from the disease
Remember that close to 80% of all deaths from COVID19 have been people over the age of 65. Even if YOU think you won’t get seriously ill, you could still help the disease spread to someone who COULD get seriously ill, or even die. Think twice before travelling, and then if you must, take all possible precautions.
Do not be one of those selfish people partying at the beach – or in general doing YOUR thing YOUR way – simply because you don’t think there’s any part for you to play in this drama. We ALL have to do our part.
Sylvia and Brian do plan to continue to hike, since we feel being in the open air and sunlight and away from crowds is good and healthy, as long as we take reasonable precautions to protect ourselves and others. We are going to put off all long-range travel plans for now. Long road trips, overnight stays, flights and interactions in busy public places are all too much of a risk. In fact, we have no idea if our plans to hike the Swiss Haute Route will even happen. We may have to wait on that. But if so, it will wait. The mountains will still be there.
We’ll continue to do what we can safely do, and meanwhile post content from out past hikes…including NC’s amazing Whiteside Mountain!
For the down side of this, we have a MUCH less pleasant take to relate about our even more recent visit to Hanging Rock State Park. We seriously re-though a LOT of our plans and actions after this one.
Stay tune, stay active…but above all, stay safe.
List of Resources and Known Closures:
Here’s a list of what we KNOW is close. Check with the local authorities first…what we have found is, most places are open, but SOME of their facilities are in almost all cases closed. This might of course change at any time.
List of National Parks known to be closed or under severe restrictions:
Channel Islands Public boat service has been suspended; access would be by private boat only
Haleakalā National Park CLOSED
Joshua Tree Closed to vehicles but remains open to hikers, bikers
Mammoth Cave All Cave access closed
Rocky Mountain NP CLOSED
White Sands NP CLOSED
Yosemite NP CLOSED
(Note that some parks like Isle Royale are closed or partially closed this time of year anyway.)
Outside Online’s take on the ethics of hiking during the pandemic
Statement from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Regarding Thru Hiking
Statement from the PCTA regarding thru hiking (this one could not be clearer
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition Statement on Closures (Not quite as definitive as the others but close):
Closures in the National Park Service
NC State Park Closures
You can also check out the World Health Organizations page on the Coronavirus Pandemic: