Hiking Safely During COVID-19

Choosing your ideal hike is a combination of factors including:

• Location
• Difficulty
• Ability to Socially Distance

When considering these factors, ask yourself a few questions. The answers will help you pretty quickly.

1. How long of a hike are you comfortable doing in a day with your supplies on your back? Part of safe hiking is making sure you have all of the 'worst case scenario' supplies with you as you hike just in case something goes sideways such as getting injured, having an on-trail health event, or getting lost. It's no secret quarantine life from the first few months of the COVID-19 outbreak has left much of us a little less in shape than we were pre-outbreak. Plan to start out doing less than you think you can. It's always better to be pleasantly surprised than struggling along.
2. How steep of a hike are you comfortable doing in a day with your supplies on your back AND while wearing a mask or face covering? Not only are most of us pretty out of shape these days after spending multiple months in COVID-19 quarantine, but we're all getting used to needing to wear face coverings when we can't keep a 6-foot social distance. When passing on trails--even those least visited-- you'll need to ensure that your face is covered for the safety of those you pass. On flat ground this is easy enough but it's a different ball of wax altogether when you're huffing and puffing up a steep trail at high elevation. 

Once you know where you want to go, it's time for more legwork. At this stage, here's your To-Do list:

1. Double-check that the location IS open. Just because national forests are open, for example, does not mean every hiking trail is open. 
2. Contact the land management office for the area (national park, ranger district, etc.) and inquire about the level of visitation on the trail. Some trails DEFINITELY have more visitors than others. Look for the hidden gems that have not been featured as often as others.
3. Once you are confirmed, be sure you understand what type of pass or permit is needed and plan to have it in your vehicle the day before you leave. There's nothing worse than getting to a trailhead and realizing you can't park unless you want a ticket.
4. And finally, have a plan B. If you arrive at your trailhead and the lot is packed, not only can that be a less than stellar experience on the trail in terms of communing with nature, it's just not "COVID-safe"

Even if trails are open to the public, that does not mean the trip will be risk-free. Any time one wanders into the woods or wilderness varying levels of risk are everywhere, from turning one's ankle on the descent (yep, most injuries happen on the way down when you're good and tired from the trek up) to bees buzzing around pollinating and perhaps incidentally leaving you with a zinger. Of course, since the world is still in the middle of a pandemic, the latest life-threatening risk is either becoming infected with COVID-19 or unwittingly passing it along to a passer-by. Please make choices that not only keep you safe, but also don't tax the areas that you're visiting. The following are some tips to help you plan your hike with the least likely negative impacts:

• Plan to pack three masks-- one for if you MUST stop into neighboring communities for supplies, one to put on for when you pass people during the ascent of your hike and one for when you pass people heading downhill and back to the trailhead. Having multiple masks will ensure that you are always covered (literally) when you to need to be, even in the event that yours falls out of your pack or pocket
• Pack two containers of hand sanitizer Again, things fall out of packs and pockets ALL the time when hiking. Plan to keep a pocket-sized container of hand sanitizer in your pocket and another for inside your pack
• Pack your snacks, drinks and meals before you leave. Don't rely 100%  on picking up your food and drink on the road just in case you are unpleasantly surprised by an unplanned closure. 
• Always put on a mask to pass on the trail. If you know you'll be closer than 6 feet apart while out and about, it is now a mandate that masks or face coverings be worn whenever in public spaces and when 6 feet of space cannot be maintained in outdoor spaces on federal lands. This definitely means, be prepared to put your mask on when you pass on the trail. It also means, keep your eyes and ears at the ready in case someone else may need to pass you.
• Speak clearer and louder then normal when passing. Because you'll be wearing a mask, it makes it harder for folks to hear you and/or understand what you're saying. Please speak a little clearer and louder than normal to give folks fair notice that you're planning to be within 6 feet of distance.