The trouble with hiking during a pandemic

APPALACHIAN TRAIL

In some respects, people starting the nearly 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail this month couldn’t have better timing. While the novel coronavirus was spreading across the globe with alarming speed, they were leaving civilization behind and heading to the woods of northern Georgia, with the ultimate goal of walking all the way to Maine.

But COVID-19 has disrupted nearly every aspect of regular life, and even long-distance backpackers aren’t exempt. To keep their packs relatively light, “thru-hikers” count on being able to periodically leave the trail to stock up on supplies, shower and sleep in a real bed for a change. Those setting off for months-long journeys on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail now have to consider whether they risk introducing the virus to otherwise isolated rural communities, and whether the freeze-dried food and survival supplies they rely on will be available at a time of widespread panic-buying.

On Friday, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy issued a warning to hikers, encouraging them to avoid congregating in groups, sharing water bottles and utensils, and eating out of communal food bags. That same day, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, which helps maintain 3,100 miles of trails from Mexico to Canada, went even further by suggesting that hikers should stay home unless they were prepared to spend two weeks self-quarantined in a private hotel room.

For many people who choose to walk the length of the country, the trip represents the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. Thru-hikers often spend years saving up money, carefully planning the logistics and training for a gruelling feat of endurance, then leave their jobs and give up their apartments to spend anywhere from four to seven months on the trail.

Given the intense commitment, it’s perhaps unsurprising that coronavirus has become a controversial topic in online backpacking forums.

Some thru-hikers argue that while on the trail, they’re less likely to contract the virus and spread it to others.

Plus, too many people deciding to stay home could deal a devastating blow to small towns whose economies rely on a regular influx of backpackers.

But others worry that hikers could unknowingly bring the virus with them, or pick it up in the process of travelling to the trail.

Meanwhile, for backpackers who have already started on long treks, or those who plan to begin their hikes in the coming weeks, there’s one major lingering question: What will the world look like when they get out?