Considerations For The Outdoors During COVID
My wife and I used to head up to the San Juans to camp to escape the heat of our summer. She would relax and read by a mountain stream while I would fish for brookies. As you enter the area we liked to visit, there is this large wooden sign with an unattributed quote that reads: “Let no one say, and say it to your shame, that all was beauty here, Until you came.” This has always stuck with me. Especially when outdoors. Just like “leave no trace,” which is a principal in which we should always try to adhere. But mottos such as this are ubiquitous and so often seen they are almost platitudes. But I would argue they are far from empty if you simply attempt to apply them. In this spirit, I decided I should read up on the latest COVID measures before setting out on a backpacking trip.
Perhaps it comes from being a gear head who’s used to scouring the internet for recommendations, perhaps I worry too much, perhaps the politicizing of this issue has finally gotten to me, or perhaps it’s the now over 500,000 who have died of COVID thus far in the United States, but I was a bit shocked when I could find very little information regarding safety on the trail when preparing for a trip. Surely by now there would be something… There were plenty of opinions on Bluetooth speaker use on the trail. Because who wants their inner peace disturbed when you are soaring through the backcountry landscape with arms and trekking poles spread out like a bird taking flight over the majestic mountain range? You’ve seen that photo, right? Enter the Death Metal Hiker with his Bluetooth speaker…
There is plenty of “embrace the suck” talk, X Mid recommendations (are these people a cult?), lots of people wholly ignoring any warnings and only focusing on themselves, and an endless array of Influencers and YouTube channels pushing the algorithm for your attention. But who is pushing for your health and the delicate ecosystem of the town or its business owners, trail angels, and drivers picking up hitchers when you head in for a resupply? Is it all on them to assume the risk? In order to see what was out there regarding pandemic protocols, I decided to do my own research as well as reach out to some of the influencers and YouTubers to try to get a consensus.
Though I understand people are busy, and though I am no Walter Kronkite (I have always been a Hunter S. Thompson guy anyway), I was surprised at the lack of response. The first person I talked to is an admin for a trail page I follow, and I basically got the hands-off approach. You know, “COVID isn’t hiding in the trees” and “get out at your own risk”. Instead of advice to follow, he offered, “I would hope that people who are sick or may be sick would stay at home…that’s been good advice for all of human history.” Well, that is, indeed, good advice and in his defense the trail in question is lightly traveled and isn’t lacking in camp spots; however, what about asymptomatic spread? Hikers can get enraged at someone carrying a Bluetooth speaker into the backcountry, but what about carrying a highly transmissible and deadly virus to the next shelter? Many of these towns like the Texas towns of Marfa and Alpine which sit near Big Bend National Park cannot handle an increase in cases spurred by an influx of outdoor enthusiasts. An article in January of this year stated, that last “October found that 69 percent of Americans reported a heightened appreciation outdoors.” There is no denying the great outdoors is getting its moment for good or ill, but it is still important to stay vigilant.
If you are reading this, I am certain you are familiar with the triple crown twins, Landen and Garrett Napier. If not, do yourself a favor and read up. What’s the best way to follow up such an epic achievement? Volunteer in an out-of-state COVID ward dedicating yourself to those in need, of course. So who better to ask? I reached out to Landen and after he and Garrett put their heads together, I got a very thoughtful response. Here are some tips they suggest based on their experience as thru hikers and as medical professional in close contact with the effects of the disease:
Check the State and Local regulations before you head out.
Get tested for COVID (in my search I found that the PCR tests are the most accurate).
Make sure the state you are traveling to is open for tourism.
Choose a more remote trail because the bigger risks occur when coming into contact with larger groups. Hitching and resupplying can cause a risk for the smaller towns because they cannot afford the extra hospital beds.
Do a more self-sustained trip such as flip flopping two cars.
Consider avoiding shelters. There is no good way to share a crowded shelter during this pandemic.
Understand that people coming onto the trail may be very unexperienced.
Get vaccinated if possible and wear a mask.
“Leave it better than you found it.”
To broaden the field beyond thru hikers, I reached out to Dan Becker, YouTuber and weekend warrior. He and his family were exposed to COVID last year. His suggestion was to “keep a safe distance even out in the woods. Bring sanitizer and be extra cautious just like you would anywhere else.” This is great advice, but what is a safe distance? This is a point of contention because it is dependent upon so many variables. How big is the area? How much ventilation? How many people are in this area? The current CDC guidelines say:
Wear a mask and do so properly.
Stay 6 feet away from others.
Avoid Crowds.
Avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
Stay home if you feel sick.
Wash your hands and use sanitizer.
Get vaccinated and get tested.
This advice has been consistent throughout the pandemic, but it clearly hasn’t stopped the spread. How are we to adapt to the more contagious variants beginning to move around the globe? Is six feet enough? What about ventilation? In a recent New York Times article, they worked with a top engineering firm to simulate the spread of COVID in a closed area. The graphic in this article is truly illuminating. As the article states, opening windows and proper ventilation is key to mitigating these closed areas, but as you can see, it is still not near 100%. Imagine a similar situation within a packed shelter overnight during a rainstorm. It doesn’t take much imagination to see the possible problems. See the chart below published to Twitter by Muge Cevik from an article she, Julia L Marcus, Carloine Buckee, and Tara C Smith published in the Clinical Infectious Disease journal.
As you can see, it is probable but far less likely to be infected outdoors; however, Cevik goes on to say in a very informative Twitter thread, that “with the new variant, all interactions are higher-risk, but outdoor risk is still relatively low. Most important, given very high community prevalence, you are much more likely to encounter someone infected now than a few months ago.”
So how as weekend warriors, thru-hikers, and lovers of the great outdoors are we supposed to operate? Well, consider doing your own research, consider the anecdotal evidence of those who have experience with this, consider the experts, consider the science and do the best you can. Operate as outdoor enthusiasts should always operate: “leave no trace,” “leave it better than you found it,” and “let know one say and say it to your shame, that all was beauty here before you came.” And for the sake of the inner peace seekers, leave your Metal Music and Bluetooth speakers at home.