SOCIAL DISTANCING ON THE TRAIL
Need to escape from the indoors? Wheeling can still be enjoyed despite the current Covid-19 climate. Here’s how to do it safely.
Exploring in your vehicle has always been an essential form of escape. However, with societal norms ever changing, and new restrictions being constantly implemented, we all need to escape and remind ourselves of what is important now more than ever.
The simplicity of being out in nature and enjoying the adventure of exploring are a natural appeal for us off-roaders. However, the open road is starting to become convoluted in today’s climate. You can still get out exploring and we will show you how to take advantage of this situation while simultaneously respecting societal expectations.
While the world is teeming with activity and information from all fronts, there’s no better time than now to get away. Although escape does sound appealing, there are some new precautions to be aware of before jumping in your rig and hitting the road.
In addition to devising the usual checklist of tools, a first aid kit, recovery gear, and snacks, we must all now be hyper-aware of social distancing precautions. This doesn’t mean it’s more complicated to get away. Quite the contrary, with a little planning, adventuring these days can be even more rewarding.
With this in mind, we reached out to a few friends (and one novice) that are off-roaders and asked to tag along on Pinion Pass Trail in Calabogie Hills, ON, one of the most challenging trails in the area. The goal was simple; experience a new trail in our rigs, meet some people, see some new countryside, and most importantly, get out and get away.
The group was small – adhering to local gathering by-laws – which meant more ground covered on the trails, less back log and less trail traffic. We stocked up on snacks, fuel and other provisions before we entered the outskirts, thus limiting our environmental footprint and exposure in the local community whose trails and land we were travelling on.
After meeting up with our new guides and exchanging pleasantries, we hit the trail quicker than usual. Small talk was actually kept to a minimum since we were all unsure how to socialize while maintaining distance. This meant more time on the trail. Win for us! This particular trail was mostly Canadian Shield rock, off-camber areas, a few water crossings, a beaver dam, and what turned out to be a broken bridge crossing that forced us an hourand-a-half out of our way.