My experience so far…
It hasn’t changed much. I wear a bandana over my nose and mouth and pull it down when no one is around.
It does get bothersome being so repetitive and sometimes you’re not as quick about getting it back in place as you’d liked to be, but almost everyone is doing the same thing. Trying to be respectful of your space.
“Hold on! Sorry! It’s like getting caught with your pants down!”
Chuckled a fellow hiker as he struggled to pull up his mask while we pass within six feet of each for a brief moment.
I only witnessed a few people who didn’t care to wear masks, and I just took extra effort to keep my distance.
Despite those few, majority of people that I witnessed were keeping a safe distance and only passing closely when necessary.
Even more troublesome than people not wearing masks, I noticed that there is a ridiculous overabundant flow of trash on the trail and at the trailhead.
- Doggy poop bags piled high around the base of the CLOSED trashcan
- Tea bags and snack wrappers abandoned near water source
- Toilet and tissue paper haphazardly littered off the side of the trail
- Treeline surrounding parking lot overrun with trash of all kinds
- Peanut shells, banana peals and goldfish scattered at every rest stop
Because of Covid, hiking trails have becoming more popular for people who just want to get out of the house. These people may have never hiked before and are unaware of the Leave No Trace principles that keep the wilderness clean and beautiful, free of human harm.
Also because of Covid, our national forests and trails are getting far less funding and care than they currently need. Which means there is no one to empty the trash or poop bins. No one to keep the bathrooms open. And no one to clean up after YOUR mess.
With that said, please please please, when you go out to enjoy the open parks during this time of crisis, please pack out ALL of your trash. That means everything that arrives at the trail head with you. Every wrapper, empty bottle, and used tissue needs to go out the way it came in.
Be conscious of your surroundings, look around where you were sitting or where you set your pack down before you move on, never leave a trace behind.
For more information visit LNT.org
