Greetings Earthlings!
- In general:
- Maintain a minimum of 6ft distance from other people, wash your hands frequently, avoid or sanitize any shared surfaces, don’t cough or sneeze around others, etc.
- Act as though you are positive for the virus – at some point, you probably will be.
- In adventuring:
- We are accustomed to sharing water, snacks, first aid supplies, etc. with our adventure buddies, but this must now be avoided. Consider this when packing.
- Don’t carpool with anyone you don’t already live with. Also, driving will eventually require getting gas, which is a transmission risk.
- Many of the small towns that adjoin our favorite playgrounds have limited medical resources, and you put their residents at risk by visiting them in any capacity.
- For similar reasons, don’t travel long distances to play outside. Now is a great time to explore the natural spaces within running or biking distance of your home – there are more than you probably realize!
- Rocks (especially climbing routes) and trees along the trail can carry coronavirus for up to three days, like any other hard surface.
- Medical facilities will be under immense strain, and risky activities like climbing and mountain biking could result in you occupying a hospital bed needed for a coronavirus patient. Personal risk is a personal decision, but take this added consequence into careful consideration.
- Many popular trails and areas are being overwhelmed by visitors, and several areas in the Blue Ridge Mountains have been shut down. Use your adventuring experience and resources like HikingUpward to find less popular options, and be prepared to find somewhere else to play if there seem to be too many visitors already.
This crisis has upended our entire lives, and will continue to do so in ways that surprise and confound us. In a time when all must sacrifice personal comfort for the protection of others, please be sure to take care of yourself as well, and get outside however you can as long as it remains prudent to do so. Please tag us on Instagram @uvaoutdoors, and post your responsible, socially distanced adventures in the club facebook group so we can see what you’re up to! Lastly, if you are an enthusiastic tripleader and want to help the club emerge from this crisis radder than ever, please apply to be an officer – we need your help now more than ever! We’ll be in touch about possible summer plans and a hopeful return to our usual wild and crazy action in the fall.
Much stoke and even more love,