Fire Roads

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  • This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 2 years ago by SK.
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    • 05/08/2020 at 6:22 am #3991
      SK
      Participant

      Are there any Fire Road or wider trails that would make social distancing easier for hikers passing each other?

    • 05/08/2020 at 7:56 am #3993
      MikeH
      Participant

      You’ll have to check whether or not it’s open, but you can walk a nice, wide road up to the Notch at Mt Baldy.  Start from Manker Flats.

      Most trails I’ve been on in the San G Wilderness are essentially single track trails.  For someone concerned about catching a virus etc by passing someone on a trail, you should avoid all of those types.

      Perhaps public parks trails would be a better option as they are usually wider for bikers, horses etc.  You also may have more room to step off trail to create the distance you desire more easily than a mountain trail.

    • 05/08/2020 at 3:39 pm #3996
      SocalJim
      Participant

      Speaking as a retired hospital RN who knows a thing or two about infection control and isolation procedures and has read anything published by infectious disease specialists on coronavirus transmission, chances of being infected while walking, hiking, and biking are close to zero. An infected person exhales virus by coughing or sneezing and in lesser amounts by talking and breathing. The virus is quickly dispersed in the atmosphere outdoors and the more windy it is, the faster it dissipates. Think of what happens to exhaled smoke outdoors for comparison. A study of 7,000 COVID patients that traced how they became infected found that two people were infected during conversation outdoors. That’s two out of 7,000. Someone would basically have to cough, sneeze, or pant in close proximity to your face to infect you during outdoor activity. I’ve been hiking a lot lately. I worry about being infected by careless people in Target and Vons, not by other hikers and runners.

    • 05/08/2020 at 3:55 pm #3998
      SK
      Participant

      I appreciate both of your responses! I read that the road to Baldy Notch is closed…..Point well taken regarding the low risk during hiking. I guess it’s all about the density of hikers if it’s a very crowded trail. The sense I get is that while the trails in SGW are popular on weekends, they may not be overly crowded at any one point.

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