Corona Virus

[bobby49]

My dog and I were getting ready to go out for our daily walk, but now she is afraid that some German Shepherd is going to arrest her. When she sees a stranger approaching on the sidewalk, she moves off about ten feet into the lawn and lays down until they pass.

[balzaccom]

Taking daily walks around town, where we noted that even the local wildlife it taking this seriously:

[fishwrong]

I appreciate this topic and the folks involved. A lot of level headed, practical folks trying to do the right things. It's encouraging to see. I heard a speech a couple nights ago that resonated with me a little bit about this type of situation. Kind of along the lines that people have been dealing with scary and unknown situations for most of history. My generation probably the most removed from the most serious ones, but all survived and life has moved on for the better. The key to most of those was level heads and strong backs. Lots of examples given of folks in need, or those who are most at risk, known by good people who have some means to help out those who need some. It was kind of inspiring, and a reminder the collective "we" have tremendous resources, knowledge, talents and abilities to help see others through, more so than at almost any other time in history. Sorry for the sappy post, but I draw inspiration from this group more than others, and I wanted to share a little too.

Good health and hard work to all.

[maverick]

SEKI NP:

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is Modifying Operations
to Implement Latest Health Guidance

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, California March 17, 2020– Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are announcing modifications to operations to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and local and state authorities to promote social distancing. As of Tuesday, March 17, Foothills and Kings Canyon visitor centers, Giant Forest Museum and the parks’ Wilderness Office are closed until further notice. Pear Lake Ski Hut which is managed by our park partner Sequoia Parks Conservancy will be closing effective Wednesday, March 18. All lodging and dining facilities managed by Delaware North Companies (DNC) will close effective Wednesday, March 18 through April 1. Markets in Lodgepole and Grant Grove also managed by DNC will remain open with shortened hours of noon-5 p.m. Where it is possible to adhere to the latest health guidance, outdoor spaces including trails and campgrounds will remain open to provide healthy options for the public.

We encourage visitors to use a variety of available tools and resources in preparation for future visits and to enjoy the parks from afar. The official Sequoia & Kings Canyon app is available for free and works even away from cell service. Download the free app by searching for “NPS Sequoia & Kings” in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. This interactive guide will help you with navigation, guided tours, accessibility features and wheelchair-accessible sites. Our park website www.nps.gov/seki allows you to download the park newspaper, plan a trip, enjoy snowy vistas from our webcam, explore natural soundscapes across the elevations of these parks, and browse our photo gallery. If you’d like to speak with a park ranger to help you with future trip-planning or request park information by mail, call our main park line 559-565-3341 (dial 0) during business hours. If you plan on driving to the parks in the next few days please call our main park line 559-565-3341 (dial 1, then 1) for weather-related road closures, tire chain restrictions and current conditions. This information is updated daily and as conditions change.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Sequoia and Kings Canyon is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.

The NPS urges visitors to do their part when visiting a park and to follow CDC guidance to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by maintaining a safe distance between yourself and other groups; washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; and most importantly, staying home if you feel sick.

For high-risk populations, such as the elderly and people with underlying conditions, we ask that they take extra caution and follow CDC guidance for those at higher risk of serious illness.

Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations.

For information about Pear Lake Ski Hut, Crystal Cave and other Sequoia Parks Conservancy services please visit www.sequoiaparksconservancy.org. For information about lodging, restaurants, and markets managed by DNC please visit www.visitsequoia.com.

[commonloon]

So, if the Wilderness Office is close then it seems that one cannot obviously pick up permits. I wonder what the situation will be 7-8 weeks from now, when the road opens up. It seems like besides the permit pick up, hiking/backpacking would be a great activity for social distancing. Even the thru hikers generally only interact with a small group of people traveling at the same speed.

Ugh.

[Teresa Gergen]

Check out the info in this thread from a CO outdoor forum about new restrictions on hiking/camping/entering other western states.
https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57750

[TahoeJeff]

My family had reservations at Furnace Creek campground in Death Valley starting April 13th. Then this happened:

Campgrounds CLOSING

Alert 1 , Severity ,closure , Campgrounds CLOSING

On March 18 at noon, Furnace Creek, Mesquite Spring, Texas Springs, and Emigrant campgrounds will close. Stovepipe Wells and Sunset campgrounds will close March 19. This is due to shortage of CDC recommended PPE to protect custodians from COVID-19 spread.

[c9h13no3]

My family had reservations at Furnace Creek campground in Death Valley starting April 13th. Then this happened:

Campgrounds CLOSING

Go anyway, camp on BLM land out in the styx, see no one. I have a hard time believing you're spreading more virus than the hypocrites that are standing in line, nut to butt, 100+ deep at the Trader Joe's outside my house this morning.

But yeah, I wouldn't camp in a campground around other people.

[commonloon]

After thinking about this (parks shutting down) a bit, I can understand the need to protect various agency/park staff... AND not spread the virus, particularly places like Yosemite Valley with all of its over crowding. I just hope in a few weeks we can find solutions to mitigate the risks and keep the parks at least partially open. Online printed wilderness permits? All year self-issue permits? 1/2 capacity (site-wise) car camping. I hope all the park staff, etc. is still getting paid... Hoping the growth rate slows and things improve.

[TahoeJeff]

Go anyway

We are thinking of doing just that. We were going to tow our pop-up tent trailer, however. We may now just car camp, still in the park, adhering to the "backcountry roadside camping " regs.