A Short Addendum to Reconnaissance, Not A Vacation
Towards the end of my last blogpost I discussed possible safer travel options this summer associated with the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, and lightly alluded to possible issues related to crowds in resort areas. A month and a half later, I would like to further expand a bit on those two issues. My general sense is that it is manageable out there, but you want to be cautious...
The link above pretty much outlines the issues related to other people's behavior in vacation towns on the east side of the area. Clearly what I witnessed in Bishop and Mammoth in early June needs to be taken into account this summer. When in town, it is best to behave like you were back home in Los Angeles, San Diego or the SF Bay Area.
On a far more upbeat note, I was actually able to get a Yosemite backcountry permit for the period right after the 4th of July weekend for four days on short notice. I hiked out of Tuolumne Meadows to the Vogelsang High Sierra camp, which is closed this season due to the COVID19 situation. The area was a little more crowded with backpackers than I would have expected, but the usual High Sierra camp guests were nowhere to be seen. After I came out of Vogelsang, I also did a hike down the Tuolumne River the following day.
Besides the trails feeling a bit more crowded than usual, in comparison to previous years, it was first time since mid March that being out in the world did not require a certain kind of vigilance around personal spacing. BACKPACKING is a good option this summer as I had suspected in early June! Be safe, have some fun...
