"Stay local, stay low"
Hiking and risk in the time of Omicron
I try not to let current events play too much of a role in shaping the offerings of this newsletter. Hiking, after all, can often be an escape from the more stressful events that undergird our lives. But hiking is also a recreational activity that carries some degree of calculated physical risk. And that’s why this week’s issue of MIND THE MOSS is about hiking at a time when the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is surging.
This wave of Covid is different for a few reasons. The Omicron variant is insanely transmissible. It took one week for the variant to overtake Delta as the dominant variant behind new infections in the U.S. On the brighter side, the mRNA vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer appear to be highly effective at keeping Omicron from causing severe illness and death. But the definition of “fully vaccinated” in the face of Omicron has essentially changed to three doses, not two. Boosters are in high demand, along with access to PCR testing, rapid antigen tests, and high quality masks. And even before Omicron became a game changer, the U.S. health care system was already overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. The Omicron surge will exacerbate this. Elective procedures have already been cancelled at many hospitals, and accessing urgent medical care could become quite difficult over the next few weeks. Point being, we (but especially our political leaders) need to keep the health care system from buckling under duress.
Back in 2020, we faced the same imperative in spring and winter. And during the first wave of the coronavirus, I spoke with Steve Smith, a hiking guidebook author and the owner of The Mountain Wanderer bookstore in Lincoln, NH about his safety practices during a time when you really didn’t want to find yourself in the position of needing hospital care. Smith’s basic approach can be summed up in four words: “Stay local, stay low.”
In other words, save those hikes that require considerable travel and/or climbing for times when the health care system isn’t shuddering under high demand. Hopefully the Omicron wave will peak within a month, but until then, consider hiking by Smith’s words. I’m planning to scale my “risk dial” back these next few weeks: especially because it’s winter in New England and winter hiking carries heftier risks than summer and fall hiking. Prolonged exposure to frigid air temperatures, slippery ice, or having your foot sink through a mound of snow into a hollowed out space beneath the powder (this is called “postholing”) can lead to injuries and medical problems in the field. And while each of us has to decide what constitutes risky hiking, based on our experience and comfort levels, January 2022 will be a good time to indulge your more cautious side.
So here’s how I’m going to break this down. First, as a seasoned winter hiker, I’ll offer my four most salient tips for reducing personal risk while hiking in January. Then, I’ll spotlight four of my favorite easy hikes across New England, where you can still find some measure of peace amid the Omicron wave while enjoying the cushion of gentler terrain.
- STAY CLOSE(R) TO CIVILIZATION. Winter is a quiet time for hiking and when you clomp deep into the backcountry—especially as a solo hiker—you’re putting yourself in a more vulnerable position by being farther from help and farther from the parking lot. If there’s ever a season to consider the timing and rigor of a return journey, it’s winter.
- BRING TRACTION. I cannot stress this enough. If you’re going hiking on ice or snow, you need a strap-on traction device for your boots. Ice has already led to some gnarly injuries and search-and-rescues in New England this winter. Don’t become the next Boston Globe story. Try Yaktrax for urban hikes and MICROspikes for woods and mountains.
- WEAR INSULATED BOOTS. If you’re going to be wading through snow, you’ll want to wear hiking boots with winter insulation. Many bootmakers offer winter models. You could get away with basic athletic sneakers on an urban or suburban hike where you’ll only be walking on concrete or relatively dry grass. But otherwise, insulate those feet.
- WHEN IN DOUBT, BAIL. Winter hiking is supposed to be fun, despite the bitter temperatures and the fact that as soon as you stop moving, you go from sweaty marinade sack to human popsicle. The minute your winter hike ceases being fun, you should turn around and head home. The stakes are just too high for pushing through.
Now, with those caveats in mind, consider putting them into use with these four winter hikes that will allow you to “stay local” and “stay low” while savoring the ambiance of a world shrouded in white. The summits will still be there waiting for you, after the Omicron surge.
GAY CITY STATE PARK (Hebron, CT.) If you’re like me and you enjoy winter as a time for ruminating on the cycle mortality and rebirth, then you’ve gotta head to Gay City. This under-visited state park in Connecticut was once occupied by members of a religious sect who built their own mill-town here. The industrial revolution hollowed out Gay City but stone foundations, flowery cellar holes, and weathered tombstones survived, as nature reclaimed the space. The trails that spiderweb throughout the park visit these old ruins, as well as Gay City Pond and the accurately named “Split Rock.”
Hike distance: 2.2 miles (loop)
CLICK HERE for a map of the hike
THE SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR (Boston, MA.) You’ve heard of the Southwest Corridor: the linear park that runs from the Back Bay to Arnold Arboretum. (It was created by the People Before Highways movement of the late 1960s.) But how often have you walked the whole thing? As a tributary of Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace, the Corridor feels like a true menage of urban infrastructure like subway rails and brownstones with pieces of greenery like balsam firs and spruce. It bypasses restaurants and coffee shops from which you can nab some savory takeout, and as you walk the Corridor, try imagining the big, ugly six-lane interstate that was supposed to go here.
Hike distance: 4 miles one-way (you can backtrack via the MBTA Orange Line)
CLICK HERE for a map of the hike
HORSE HILL NATURE PRESERVE (Merrimack, NH.) Last winter, I spent some time self-isolating at a friend’s studio apartment in Southern NH and during my “vacation,” I stumbled across the Horse Hill Nature Preserve. It’s the largest preserved open space in the town of Merrimack and it’s home to some vast swamps and wetlands that look enchanting under cover of snow: especially at winter twilight around 3pm. Even the power lines that run through an easement on the land have kind of an odd aesthetic beauty in these conditions. They resemble alien infrastructure in a frozen lunarscape.
Hike distance: 4.1 miles (loop)
CLICK HERE for a map of the hike
MOUNT AGAMENTICUS (York, ME. ) Alright, fine. If you must climb, here’s one of the safest summits to which you can hike. Mount Agamenticus, aka “Big A,” is a 692 foot tall monadnock at the southernmost tip of Maine: a stone’s throw from Portsmouth, NH. There used to be a ski resort here and you can still find rusted lift towers in the woods on the north side of the mountain. But the real draw is the grassy and gusty peak where an observation tower offers an astounding view to the White Mountains and the Mahoosucs—proof that “harder = better” is Puritanical bullshit when it comes to hiking. Definitely bring traction for this hike, and if you follow the suggested loop trail in the link below (there are lots of trails to choose from on Mount Agamenticus) I suggest beginning your hike by taking the western half of the loop to the summit. That way, you’ll enjoy a less rocky and more gradual descent back to the parking lot, via the eastern portion of the loop.
Hike distance: 1.7 miles (loop)
CLICK HERE for a map of the hike
Miles, I would not dream of hiking today but I love reading all you have to say about it. Thanks, Hope