This will be as close to a COVID-19 post as you are going to find here on Must Hike Must Eat. Having been out on local trails in the last week, it is clear that quite a few people are not taking this whole pandemic things seriously. This is not about being panicked, it is about being prepared.
One of the most popular posts here is How To Avoid The Crowds On PNW Trails. Well, it looks like it is time to take it up a notch. Or ten. I know I wrote another post, How To Hike With Others (and Love It) but NOW IS NOT THE TIME. Now is the time to not be around other people if you can help it. And we can help it, my fellow hikers and backpackers.
Now is the time for social distancing and if you really have to leave the house to get your nature fix, there are a few ways you can mitigate not only your own risk but help “flatten the curve” as they say. Odds are if we can’t do this on our own, we are going to end up with that whole “shelter-in-place” thing and no outdoor lover wants that.
So, read the following. Let it sink in. And then make some changes.
1. Set Realistic Expectations
Before you head out the door, the first thing you need to do is set a realistic set of expectations. Now is not the time for big adventures or Instagram bragging rights. The last thing you want is to have to call Search and Rescue or be in the hospital. Or increase the whole FOMO thing in your friends and family. Low key is a winner philosophy!
2. Act Like You Are Sick And Contagious
The trick to this whole social distancing this is the idea that YOU are not spreading what you might have and don’t know it. Who cares if you are young and aren’t worried about getting sick. So what if no one you know is sick. This is about doing you part to not get someone else sick. Pretend you have the virus and act accordingly to not spread it to others. Our health care system is already not keeping up with the need. Do your part.
3. Have A Back Up Plan
Social distancing requires that your outdoor trip does not put you in close contact with others. This means that if you pull up to a trailhead and the parking lot is even half full, it is time to GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. First come, first serve baby. Before you leave the house, plan a hike with close alternate trailheads.
4. Keep Essentials In Your Pack And In Your Car
Now is not the time to forget something at home and have to stop at the store. Make sure you have enough when you leave the house that you do not have to visit a store en route. That means limiting your gas stops, too. If you aren’t sure what essentials to have, read this. A few of those things you’ve stocked in case you are stuck in your house for two weeks would be good in your car, too.
5. Do Some Research
Use the Washington Trails Association website or another one that you like to find out where people are going and then DON’T GO THERE. It takes a little research but if a hike has multiple recent reports, that usually means other people. I talk more about this on How To Avoid The Crowds On PNW Trails. There also apps like THIS and THIS where you can locate others hikes close to where you are if you need an alternate. No matter where you live, there is a resource on finding out where people are hiking. If you don’t live in WA, share your favorite resource in the comments below!
6. Stay Close To Home, Rock Those Urban Trails
Especially the wide, paved ones. It is SUPER hard to keep your distance from others if you have to pass on a narrow trail. Close-to-home trails mean you are less likely to have to make a pit stop or visit a gas station, too. You can search on Washington Trails Association for a trail near you or visit your local library or chamber of commerce, they should have some resources, too.
7. Pee Before You Go And Before You Return To The Trailhead
Again, limit the chances you will have to pee outside of your home and avoid using restrooms and privies others utilize.
8. Keep Your Hand Sanitizer In Your Pocket
It doesn’t do you any good in your pack. Have it ready to use for all sorts of reasons. You are not only avoiding contact with surfaces where you might be exposed but also exposing others. Think about the before and after. Are your hands clean before and after you touch something?
9. GIVE PEOPLE SPACE, Darn it!
Hello, we are all in this together. Don’t make that other person have to step crazy far off the trail because you don’t give them enough room to pass. Back off, step to the side, wait your turn, whatever it takes to create space. Think like you are a car on a one lane forest road and someone is coming from the other direction. Be courteous.
10. Get Comfortable With Solo Hikes
If that means your hike is around your neighborhood, so be it. Get to know your neighbors (from a proper distance). Even if you meet up with someone at the trail and do your best to keep a distance, odds are you are going to be sharing air at some point. Do you really want to be the person that who accidentally got someone sick? And if going solo, remember step #1.
Okay, there you go. Now, just do it. Do some gardening. Now is the perfect time to do planning for future hikes and backpacking trips! And it is OKAY to just stay home, too.
If you found this useful, please share. We all need to start looking at this a little differently. This is not about a loss of freedom. This is about the fact that we do not live in isolation and want to keep it that way.
What are you doing to keep social distancing while outdoors? Did I miss anything you think is helpful?
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