Perspective from lockdown.

Written by Kaitlyn Boyle 

For over 95% of Americans, we’re weeks into state-issued stay home orders and federal social distancing instructions. For me, I’m hunkered into the transition season in the Teton Valley, Idaho. Snow is melting, precipitation falls as a rain/snow mix, and trails are many weeks away from being rideable. So like so many, I too, am beginning to feel restless with cabin fever as I wonder when I’ll be able to load my bike up to travel and pedal freely again.

The Bears Ears Loops will be released sometime this summer. Photo credit: Kurt Refsnider

Concurrent with lay-offs and furloughs from Coronavirus, Americans nationwide have demonstrated how valuable America’s public lands and recreation opportunities are. People who are looking for fresh air, movement, social interaction (often under the parameters of social distancing), and vacation have flooded recreation destinations from the closest urban trailheads and parks to the gateway communities adjacent to America’s most coveted landscapes. Our last blog post shared the needs and requests of small gateway communities. In summary, mayors of gateway communities have publicly requested visitors stay home and wait to visit their tourist town once the pandemic crisis has settled. But as states are starting to discuss the process of reopening local economies and lifting restrictions, how do we determine the responsible and appropriate ways to expand our personal recreation opportunities?

With these discussions happening in our federal and local governments, I’m advocating for the communities and landscapes that bikepackers impact. How state and local governments start to lift stay home orders will vary from place to place. Let’s wait and continue to listen to small communities. If you’re thinking of going somewhere as your state opens up, reach out and learn if those communities are ready to have visitors again. Just because local businesses open won’t mean that communities are at the same time open to visitors quite yet.

From the Wild West Route. Photo credit: Molly Sugar

Curious for a broader understanding of the impacts of Coronavirus on recreation spaces, I’ve asked Board members at Bikepacking Roots who represent various regions of the country to share how their home communities are trying to flatten the curve in relation to recreation, travel, and land management. Here's what they shared:

• Here in Alaska, trailheads and open spaces remain open. However, the Governor has ordered everyone to refrain from travel "between communities." This has since been clarified to mean that you can drive to hunt, fish--or, presumably--ski, so long as you practice social distancing and do not stop for anything in the towns you may travel through. Many rural communities in Alaska can actually isolate, so it's up to us to ensure they do not get exposed to the virus. -Tom Flynn, Anchorage, AK. 
  

 

• Molly Sugar, in Portland, OR, shared that Oregon's state parks, National Parks, the Columbia River Gorge and much of the Oregon Coast are all completely closed and all the developed recreation sites on federal public lands are closed while the lands themselves remain open. This has led to “creative” parking by people escaping the city and putting residents who neighbor inaccessible, but open, public lands at risk. 

 

• From Matt Nelson at the Arizona Trail Association: Since the majority of the Arizona National Scenic Trail is remote and is not experiencing issues with overcrowding that urban recreational locations and National Parks are facing, the AZT remains open and welcomes people to hike, run and ride, provided travel from home to trailhead is nearby and doesn’t involve stopping to refuel, purchase supplies, and interact within individuals within Arizona Trail gateway communities. We also recommend not parking and recreating from trailheads where parking areas are full (have a Plan B in mind before leaving home, and be prepared to be happy with Plan C, which is returning home and watching adventure films on Netflix instead). Following Leave No Trace principles is vital during this time, including Dispose of Waste Properly (take your trash back home to dispose of), Leave What you Find (including others’ trash); and Be Respectful of Other Visitors. This is an unusual time and many locations are seeing increased use from visitors that don’t normally frequent these areas. We should be kind and tolerant and represent the outdoor community in the best ways possible.
  
  
• In the Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, home to BPR board president Andy Williamson, most trails, gravel paths and facilities are closed.
  
  
• Pennsylvania has closed all State Park and State Forest facilities (these are the vast majority of our rec spaces, as we have little Federal lands), but the trails and lands are open and the governor has put out guidance that you shouldn’t travel more than 15 minutes to recreate. -Francis McGuire, State College, PA. 
  
  
• In Colorado’s Gunnison County, home of Jonathan Houck, trails are open to county residents only and groups can only consist of individuals from the same household. All other groups or gatherings are prohibited. 
  
  
• Yesterday I heard from a friend on Yavapai County Search and Rescue here in central Arizona, who shared that they are nearly overwhelmed by rescues and as busy as ever. People are making the 2+ hour drive from Phoenix to recreate in the Prescott National Forest and often ending up in need of rescue. And I just heard that as of this week, in the New Mexico National Forests, anyone violating state recommendations for social distancing or group size limits on National Forest land will be subject to $5,000 fine per person.  - Executive Director, Kurt Refsnier, Prescott, AZ.
  
  
• And, here in my home in the Teton Valley, Idaho, public land access has remained open to residents but outside visitors have been asked to stay out of the county and any residents who leave are expected to self-quarantine for 14-days upon return. With the closure of ski areas and Grand Teton National Park in our backyard, locals have instead flocked in the masses to crowd popular trailheads. Sadly, the Teton County Search & Rescue (based in our neighboring town, Jackson, WY) experienced the strain of a fatal backcountry avalanche fatality that brought a group of 30 rescuers into group search amidst the social distancing orders.

I'm pedaling all the roads in Teton County while under a stay-home order in Idaho. Photo Credit: Will Stubblefield

These examples illustrate the concurrent marked value of access to fresh air, natural spaces, and recreation to this nation and the challenges that small communities and land management agencies face in protecting the health and safety of their community members and employees during a pandemic. As we begin to contemplate resurfacing from the lockdown, I ask that as a representative of the bikepacking community, you proceed in seeking recreation with the selfless perspective of the individuals, communities, and landscapes you intend to engage with. To us at Bikepacking Roots, responsible recreation in the foreseeable months looks like seeking the stances of local communities on outside visitors before traveling to or through them and diligently practicing the hygiene, social distancing, or group size guidelines asked of by the locals communities. And of course, local and solo riding is, now more than ever, an opportunity to explore your home while recreating responsibly.

-Kaitlyn Boyle, Program Coordinator