Anyone who has been to Mammoth Lakes knows that spending time outside in the Eastern Sierra is the perfect escape, and thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic just about everyone could use a trip to the mountains for some outdoor sports.
Fortunately, the huge spaces and open air that the great outdoors provide are ideal for participating in outdoor sports like hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and other solo activities, but that doesn’t mean you can throw caution to the wind. To help clear the air on COVID-19 and outdoor sports, the ASO Mammoth team has put together a basic guide on how to avoid spreading or contracting the virus while participating in outdoor sports. Keep reading to start your research ahead of your next outdoor trip!
Don’t Go if You Know You Have Symptoms
One of the things that has allowed COVID-19 to spread as far as it has is the fact the people with no symptoms can carry and spread it. That alone makes participating in outdoor sports around other people dangerous, so if you know you have symptoms then isolate yourself to prevent potentially spreading the virus. We promise, once you have either tested negative or not shown symptoms for the CDC recommended number of days the trail, mountain, lake, or whatever you were visiting will still be waiting for you!
Don’t Share Gear
One of the best parts of getting outside is the community of people who bond over their love of nature and support each other as they pursue different outdoor sports. Pre-pandemic, that meant sharing hiking poles, clothes, and even water bottles if it helped someone. Now though, those behaviors could cause COVID-19 to spread amongst the communities we all love. Until we have COVID under control, refrain from sharing gear with anyone except those who you live with.
Only Travel with People From your Household
We all love to adventure into the wilderness, and even more so when we’re doing it with our close friends and family. Unfortunately, travelling in confined spaces with little ventilation like a car makes catching COVID-19 extremely easy if someone in the car is infected. As much as we’re missing road trips right now, we have to recommend not travelling by car with people outside of your household if possible. If you do travel by car, then lessen the chances that you’ll contract the virus by wearing masks in the car and finding a way to circulate the air by either cracking a window open or setting the car’s air-conditioning to not re-circulate the air in the vehicle.
Be Careful Inside Facilities Near Your Destination
We love Mammoth Lakes more than anyone else, but COVID is not under control to the point where we can all celebrate the town in our favorite bars, restaurants, and shops. Even though skiing and snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain is relatively safe, spending time inside is still risky if you do not follow COVID safety procedures like social distancing and wearing a mask. It is especially risky in a ski town like Mammoth Lakes where there is a large population of visitors from all over the Western United States and beyond. Don’t bring your outdoor behaviors inside. Wear a mask, wash your hands often, and avoid crowds.
We know that outdoor sports are important activities for maintaining mental and physical health and that altering how we enjoy them adds stress to an already stressful situation. However, the better we all follow COVID safety guidelines the sooner we can leave them behind!
Don’t forget to check out our hike trail maps before coming here to hike!