Getting outside an escape in tough times

The great outdoors has become a great escape. From hiking to trail running to snow activities to fishing to mountain biking, the call from the wild can provide a muchneeded breath of fresh air.

Jim Klug’s office phone rings off the hook with anxious anglers inquiring about the status of their upcoming fly-fishing trips.

It’s a stressful time for the co-owner of a fishing travel company as he postpones and re-books international and domestic expeditions because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The best way for him to slip away from the stress — even if for a brief moment — is to follow a bit of his own advice: Go fish.

Whether it’s reeling in trout, hiking, snow activities (until the snow melts, of course) or any other endeavor, the call from the wild delivers a muchneeded respite in these turbulent times.

Typically open — although national parks are increasingly limiting access and more shelter-athome orders are being issued — the great outdoors provides a natural way to social distance.

“They may close the borders. The may close the amusements and the sports stadiums and any places that lots and lots of people gather. But they’re not going to close the great outdoors and not going to close the rivers and streams,” said Klug, founder of Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures in Montana.

“It’s something that always brings inner peace and calmness.”

In New England, where backwoods skiing and hiking to 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) are almost a way of life for hardier residents, the trails are more crowded than ever. Hikers

report they are seeing plenty of newcomers who are hitting the outdoors due to gym closures.

Those remote places? Not so remote right now. Many seasoned hikers are getting annoyed that their prized spots are getting overrun.

Then again, everyone has the same thought — get a breath of fresh air.

“It’s to get that sunlight, some vitamin D. I know it will make me feel better. I feel rested,”said Ryan Smith, the 37-yearold owner of a media company from Peabody, Mass., on why he is still taking day hikes with his wife, Jennifer, along trails on the North Shore of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.

Emily Davenport, who normally works as a wilderness guide for the Appalachian Mountain Club, has been canceling group hikes she leads until at least the end of April. She’s still hitting the trails in the White Mountains near her home in Conway, New Hampshire, for day hikes. For the 30-year-old, it’s a chance to recharge and escape the cabin fever.

“It’s a place that I feel safe. It’s familiar and you do get away,” Davenport said.

Skiers and snowboarders, meanwhile, are finding ways to hit the slopes with many ski resorts now closed in the wake of the new coronavirus.

Drew Anderson was at his condo in Silverthorne, Colo., with the intent of spending a week getting in some turns on the slopes. But then resorts shut down.

Plan B: back-country skiing. He’s been hiking to the top of Buffalo Mountain and then skiing down.