COVID-19 Affecting Your Plans?

Looks like San Juan County is now shut down to non-residents as far as camping and leisurely travel goes:

PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE/RESTRICTIONS
NO NON-RESIDENT CAMPING

We want to inform all public that there are current restrictions on all camping and on all non-essential leisurely travel within San Juan County, per the San Juan Public Health Department orders that were signed on March 27, 2020.

San Juan County residents are to follow the same social restrictions while camping as have previously been ordered. Gatherings of more than 10 individuals are prohibited. While camping, maintain a minimum distance of 100 feet between family groups. Maintain one camp per designated space. We are not trying to discourage outdoor activities and we also believe there are benefits to outdoor exercise and activities as long as they are done responsibly and in accordance with current social distancing recommendations. We ask San Juan County residents to avoid leisurely travel to other areas and also limit non-essential travel.

Leisurely travel is defined as travel into San Juan County for the purpose of vacationing or self-quarantining outside of your home county or state. Just as many other counties do not want San Juan County residents burdening their resources at this time, San Juan County does not have enough resources to welcome leisure visitors to our county at this time.

Leisure visitors to San Juan County are not allowed to camp, including developed and primitive sites. Although we understand the great outdoors may be a good way to self-quarantine, visitors can place heavy burdens upon our resources. The rural nature of our healthcare facilities presents us with limited services that are already taxed by a potential COVID-19 incident in our area. One injured visitor who needs overnight medical care means one less hospital bed for all of those who live in the county. Additionally, one visitor case of COVID-19 in our area would take away essential resources from those who live in the county. Leisurely travel in and through San Juan County is prohibited.
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IntrepidXJ said:
I got a DM on Instagram last night from someone who likes my photos and was looking for recommendations about hikes in the Four Corners region since they are tired of being stuck in their little apartment in Chicago and are driving down to an AirBnB in the Four Corners region of Utah this weekend for a couple of weeks to get away during this pandemic...
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Nice.... Bring it here. .hope you told them to stay in place
 
I called the SW UT Health Dept and the Governor's office to ask who makes the decision to implement tourism restrictions, as were put in place in SE UT. They both pointed to each other. The proportion of the Washington Co. population that is 65+ is almost twice (21.5%) that of UT overall (11.1%) and higher than the US as a whole (16.0%). It seems reckless to wait around for the inevitable explosion of cases before doing more than closing schools and on premise dining, especially given our age demographics.
 
wsp_scott said:
DBNF is still open as is BSF, I'll bet you can find somewhere to hike in one of those "areas" :)

Totally agree about the solo part, my goal is to not see anyone when I backpack :)
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For sure, they're just too much of a drive. Aside from vacation time, I've been working 6-7 days(nights) per week, so 1 night every other week has typically been all I've had to spare since last fall. Have to keep it ~3hrs to be hiking by lunchtime, plus be able to get back in time for work the next night. Plenty of 12-20 mile overnighters to do in wilderness areas within range, but available and desirable are two different things.

The virus certainly affected funeral plans this week. Immediate family only, the indoor viewing was a waste of time, and the graveside service tiny. Our family usually treats funerals as reunions, with people showing up from all over, so it was a big difference.
 
the current situation in Zion

summary:
  • 2 SAR events on Thu
  • NV resident reported a positive Coronavirus test after returning home from Zion. No local notification went out to alert those he may have exposed, including on his Zion Jeep Tour.
  • People are ignoring social distancing rules, and popular places like the Narrows are packed.
adding another report expressing NPS employee concerns
 
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fossana said:
the current situation in Zion

summary:
  • 2 SAR events on Thu
  • NV resident reported a positive Coronavirus test after returning home from Zion. No local notification went out to alert those he may have exposed, including on his Zion Jeep Tour.
  • People are ignoring social distancing rules, and popular places like the Narrows are packed.
adding another report expressing NPS employee concerns
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I don't get it. The Zion frontcountry would among my very last picks for places to avoid people while recreating outdoors.
 
I just want to add my voice to the very reasonable and sensible posts here. Thank you all for doing your part to preserve the concept of social distancing and sheltering in place. Yeah, we are getting tired of the same few walks around our town (only one of which includes a small bit of elevation) but dear God, those are first world concerns. We need to think about the rest of the country, and world, right now. Not our vacation plans for next week.
 
Granted, a lot of people are being idiots right now and doing hikes like Angels Landing, etc. But I think you can still get out there responsibly. I went out last weekend for a 3-day trip Southern UT trip in which I saw exactly zero people other than for a few minutes near the trailhead (my route was mostly off-trail). I slept in my car to avoid using a hotel, I got gas once and was very careful to use hand sanitizer before and after and use a paper towel to touch anything, and I packed my own food in my cooler so I skipped the customary restaurant meal afterward. I'm positive that I did less to spread the virus last weekend than in my normal day-to-day life here in town. My bigger ethical concern was definitely the guilt from busting the crust (I tried not to, but boy can it be challenging to avoid in some areas!). Having said all that, it does irk me to see so many people flooding the tourist towns and popular trails
 
fossana said:
the current situation in Zion

summary:
  • 2 SAR events on Thu
  • NV resident reported a positive Coronavirus test after returning home from Zion. No local notification went out to alert those he may have exposed, including on his Zion Jeep Tour.
  • People are ignoring social distancing rules, and popular places like the Narrows are packed.
adding another report expressing NPS employee concerns
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social distancing is not a thing in Southern Utah.
After my hike in the desert backcountry, I came to the parking area only to find a group of 20+ people partying there with BBQ, gathering, and so on. Almost all had Nevada plates and Utah plates.
Not sure what people do not understand but this is getting ridiculous.

On my hike cross-country I saw no one which was pretty nice for social distancing
 
I also wished stores down here would add extra shopping time for us in the highest risk group. They have kupuna hours with is awesome but nothing for someone like me with immune suppression. I already have bad leg infections all the time because of this do not even go to any stores now because I fear I will get something else when I tough a cart or doors.
And since people are pile stocking who do not need essentials like wipes and hand sanitizer, it puts the one like me at really high risk since there is nothing left for us.
 
Now often have I been down there in Zion at this springtime time of year. But Not this year! Zion can be such a madhouse in the spring when all the people on spring break descend upon Zion. But there are such lovely backcountry areas where one can disappear in Zion. Heard that even though Zion is open, much of the infrastructure like the lodge, the shuttles, the campgrounds are closed. Guess will be just staying up here in Wyoming this spring.

Yes GTNP and Yellowstone said they were closing for now. But how much do the parks half close in this early spring period between the seasons when like in Jackson it is the offseason. But how much are things closed down here in Jackson also. So maybe they will open when summer does arrive in this Wyoming country.

As for myself, not much has changed. Am still working at the local Dollar Tree Store. We are deemed an essential business so we are open for business everyday. Plus those at the top of Dollar Trees are now temporaily paying their employees several dollars more per hour because of all that is happening right now. So guess will just continue to work and self-isolate. Maybe when this is over, time to go down to Zion maybe. But maybe this year or season, time to just forget about that redrock country. And wishing it all returns to normal conditions soon.
 
Yvonne said:
I also wished stores down here would add extra shopping time for us in the highest risk group.
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A special 6-7 am hour for elderly and high risk groups has been established in our community. But it has now turned into being the most busy, most crowded time to shop now, (I heard directly from several who went a couple of times). Do you know anybody locally who could shop for you and bring it directly to your doorstep, leave it outside? A close friend, a young person looking for a job, a colleague? Having somebody shop for you might be better now.

Things are getting much better in the grocery stores here. It's going to get better, but the first weeks were crazy. I predict after hand sanitizer and toilet paper, chicken will be the next shortage thing in Utah. But suddenly last week giant super sized bags (!) with 10 lbs of chicken, either breast or 'tenders' showed up in the coolers! Last Monday I got one for a local family of 5 and who knew you could make kids super happy with an unexpected delivery of chicken breasts, crazy times....! :D
 
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