How will coronavirus affect hiking this year?

[irishkat]

As someone who is/was planning a thru hike this year, I agree with the practical concerns. I would expand that to include concerns about resupply even being available. As schools are starting to shut down nationwide along with day cares, etc.. people will not be able to work. Companies will shut down also and our national supply systems will likely be impacted. So will you be able to find food at normal resupply points? Also expect that it will be possible that hotels and hotels may not be open... and if they are, do you really want to be there? I am going to turn 60 this year so I am in a higher risk group... This is NOT an easy decision. Oh, and if you knew you had the flu and went out in public anyway, you are morally responsible for any deaths you may have caused down the line... just like antivaxxers are responsible for the spread of preventable diseases and the deaths they cause by ruining herd immunity.

[The Josh]

Looks like flip flop festival is cancelled. VA has a 30 day ban on gatherings of 250+ people. Trail days is still 2 months out, but it's likely this will be extended in the following month unless there is a very serious slowdown of the spread of the virus.

[trailmercury]

Trail Days should be cancelled.... large crowd + poor hygiene=bad combo

[chknfngrs]

True that!

Trail Days should be cancelled.... large crowd + poor hygiene=bad combo

[chknfngrs]

True that!

Trail Days should be cancelled.... large crowd + poor hygiene=bad combo

[D2maine]

well at least one trail club is taking this seriously

https://continentaldividetrail.org/a...d-information/

[GaryM]

Until the ATC disinfects the trail I ain't goin' back....

[4eyedbuzzard]

Until the ATC disinfects the trail I ain't goin' back....

I usually use one Clorox wipe on about a 8 ft x 2 ft kitchen counter. So, assuming the pruned back area of the trail is approx 4 ft wide, each wipe could disinfect 4 linear feet of trail. So that's 1320 wipes per mile x 2180 miles = 2,877,600 wipes / 35 wipes per package = 82,217 packages of wipes. But good luck finding any at your local store. Like the toilet paper, it's all gone. My fellow Americans have interesting priorities...

[rickb]

well at least one trail club is taking this seriously

https://continentaldividetrail.org/a...d-information/

Its hard for me to wrap my head around all this, but everyone considering any thru hike should read that, I think.

[chknfngrs]

What about weekend hikes? Would ya all consider doing weekend section hikes still?

[FreeGoldRush]

What about weekend hikes? Would ya all consider doing weekend section hikes still?

This seems reasonable if the hike is very close to where you live. That is assuming it is legal at the time you are out. Travel restrictions to fight this virus may seem impossible here in America, but we have done some pretty radical things in our past during times of emergency.

Thru hiking, however, just does not seem realistic this year. I feel bad for those people who have already started.

[morgan]

The list of public and private closings is growing: universities, school systems, court systems, sports leagues, youth activities, houses of worships, and amusement parks, just to name a few. Here in Charlotte, many scout units have temporarily suspended activities, including meetings and camping trips.

It's just a matter of time before private, local, state, and national parks, forests, beaches and campgrounds are temporarily closed to the public. When that happens, hiking and backpacking as we know it will come to a temporary halt.

[rickb]

The ATC needs to come out with a very strong statement now discouraging hiker feeds, and the kinds of Trail Magic that has the potential to spread the virus.

They need to be leaders, even though in the end it’s a matter of personal responsibility and smarts.

[BillyGr]

well at least one trail club is taking this seriously

https://continentaldividetrail.org/a...d-information/

It definitely seems like more of an impact, based on the way that trail is set up (many more areas that are remote and harder to reach) than what someone is likely to see on the AT side of the country.

[TexasBob]

well at least one trail club is taking this seriously

https://continentaldividetrail.org/a...d-information/

It definitely seems like more of an impact, based on the way that trail is set up (many more areas that are remote and harder to reach) than what someone is likely to see on the AT side of the country.

What you say is true but it can still be a problem on the AT. Here is what happened to me as an illustration of the problems you could face if you fall ill on the AT. I was thru hiking and started not feeling well in the Smokeys. Luckily I got to Standing Bear Farm before things got worse. Curtis gave me a ride (for $50) to a hospital in Hartford (I think that was the town) where I spent three days in the hospital. When I was discharged, I decided to go to a local motel and see if I got well enough to continue. No cabs and it was pre-Uber so the hospital minister had to give me a ride to the motel. After 3 days in the motel it was clear my hike was over. The problem was getting home. No bus service, pre-Uber days so the only way to get home was to rent a car from a nearby town (thank goodness Enterprise delivers). However, the rental car company only rents instate so I had to drive to another location and rent a different car from another rental car company car that I could drive home to Virginia. It all worked out and I could afford considerable extra expense. Something to think about if you planning to hike it the time of coronavirus.

[johnnybgood]

One unknown with this Coronavirus is whether there might be a dip as temperatures warm, as in the case with the seasonal flu, but as of now we simply don’t know.
There however is little doubt things will get worse the next 2-4 weeks; little doubt too that we will have a second novel Coronavirus season as cold temperatures approach this winter( since getting a vaccine developed, tested, then manufactured won’t occur for another 12 months, possibly longer.
What we do know is, for now anyway, is the virus is being spread rapidly through communities everywhere.
What we also know is that the incubation period is 7 to 10 days before symptoms manifest themselves. By the time one realizes that they are truly sick, go to their PCP, get a mouth swab,test results read ,they have infected a dozen people and those dozen people have each infected a dozen people, multiplying tenfold the impact of the spread of the disease.
What happens to the businesses that rely on the hiking communities to help support them is less clear.

[martinb]

Re-supply would be more of a problem, especially if you need equipment replacement. For example, you get off the trail in Daleville hoping to pick up something at the outdoor trail store but it's closed. Mill mountain coffee would probably be closed, too. The kroger would probably be open so food wouldn't be an issue. Smaller towns, who knows.

[martinb]

What about weekend hikes? Would ya all consider doing weekend section hikes still?

Absolutely. Avoid shelters.

[gpburdelljr]

Article on how it spreads, and infects.

https://apnews.com/545af824f44a22f7559c74679a4f1f53

[Tenda]

Can anyone report on what hiker towns are like at the moment? Is it difficult to resupply or find a place to spend the night? Does anyone anticipate hiker towns to start closing their doors to hikers?