Scouting on the Bull Run/Occoquan Trail/The shifting status of the COVID virus as news/Passover begins/Evening statistics
The Capital Hiking Club wishes to give its hike leaders the opportunity to take to the trails again in case they have remained relatively inactive over the months as a result of the virus-related restrictions; and to that end, it is setting up several training hikes. The first of these, which I am to lead, goes along the Bull Run/Occoquan Trail. The series of hikes is intended as a means of ensuring that the hike leaders will be up to the challenge of leading the proposed bus hikes beginning in August.
The Bull Run/Occoquan Trail is slightly over 18 miles long. For the most part it parallels Bull Run up to a point not far from where the stream drains into the Occoquan River; and, like many hikes that parallel streams, it goes up and down numerous ridges as a result of the gorges created by the creeks that run into the stream. The ridges in this case are neither especially high nor precipitous, but there are several of them and the cumulative elevation gain of the entire trail in one direction is over 3000 feet. Originally the plan was to begin the hike at Bull Run Regional Park, since the trail at the northern terminus has fewer hills, most of them with mild gradients.
Accordingly I went there at 9:00 AM to scout the hike, anticipating few problems and expecting to end the hike at an early hour, possibly a little after 12:00. The plan was to go there-and-back for about six miles to the “M” marker. But the project proved to be unexpectedly difficult.
To begin with, it was extremely muddy. The trail goes through a floodplain; and since it had rained overnight, there was scarcely a dry spot to be found. My progress was slowed considerably; and it was extremely irritating to be forced to concentrate on maintaining my balance without slipping or sliding at every step I took.
Then, just under a mile from the starting point, I came across one creek that used to have a wooden footbridge, which was now completely washed out.
It still would have been possible for me to continue, since my water shoes were in my backpack. But I could not in conscience lead others to such an impasse and I was forced to investigate alternatives. I did ask at the park office whether they had any plans to replace the footbridge, but there were none – at least, no immediate ones. It could happen that a boy scout troop may be in need of a trail project to undertake as part of their training, in which case this matter would be assigned to them. But obviously, such a contingency was not to be counted upon within the next couple of weeks.
In the end I drove to Hemlock Overlook, where a spur trail about ¾ mile long leads to the main trail at about 7 miles from the trailhead at Bull Run Regional Park. Here I went on the trail without too much difficulty. It was considerably drier than the portion of the trail near the park; there were muddy patches, to be sure, but they were negotiable and they occurred at relatively long intervals. It is a little more challenging than the stretch beginning at the park, with a couple of rock fields and with three stream crossings that use concrete pylons as stepping stones. But the hike leaders, as I think, should be able to meet challenges such as these.
The trail is noted-known for its abundance of bluebells, which are beginning to appear now and should reach their peak in mid-April (the usual time for this flower). The area around the stream features many other wildflowers as well, of which great numbers are already in full bloom: spring beauties, bloodroot, violets. I once was assigned to lead a hike in this area for the Wanderbirds during a year when spring arrived exceptionally early – considerably earlier even than this year. My co-leader TJ and I scouted the hike three weeks in advance; and when we did, we found that the bluebells were nearly at their peak. TJ and I looked at one another in dismay when we saw this. If the bluebells were at their peak at this point, there surely would be none left three weeks later, when the hike was to take place. As it happened, we need not have worried: true, the bluebells were indeed nearly gone on the day that we led the hike, but there were many other flowers in glorious profusion, including the brilliant yellow trout lilies and the deep purple spiderwort.
The above may appear to be a good deal of space to devote to personal matters, and yet it is in a sense reflective of the national mood as a whole. The amount of vaccinations that have been administered and the reduction of daily increases in infections and deaths seem have induced not merely a state of optimism, but one that almost might be described as indifference. Yet the pandemic is far from over. The incidence of daily case rates and deaths has gone down, but there are still well over 50,000 new cases and 1,000 new deaths every day. Hospitals are no longer strained to the breaking point and the health care profession is generally less harried now than it has been in the past, but over 7,000,000 cases of the virus are still active. About 9.3% of the national population has been affected by the coronavirus; that figure could easily become 20% cumulatively by the end of the year if infections continue even at this reduced rate.
But all the same the virus is no longer dominating the headlines. There are indeed several other matters of interest. Georgia has passed a new law that initiates changes to Georgia’s elections, including expanding early voting in most counties, requiring identification information for absentee ballots, and restructuring the State Elections Board to have more control over local election offices. Two noted authors died yesterday: Beverly Clearly, who wrote more than 40 children’s books, at 104, and Larry McMurtry, author of “Lonesome Dove” and “Terms of Endearment,” at 84. The veteran actress Jessica Walter died Wednesday at 80. Major General William Walker has been appointed by Nancy Pelosi as top law enforcement officer for the House of Representatives, the first African-American to occupy the position. The suspect in the recent massacre at a shopping center in Boulder, where he killed 10 people, is being held in jail without bail while his attorney prepares his defense. I’m not saying that these matters are unimportant. But it is strange to see that the virus is no longer taking its place among them.
Today is the first day of Passover. Ordinarily this holiday does not involve mass gatherings in the manner of Easter or Ramadan, but it usually is celebrated with gatherings of numerous relatives under a single roof and various ceremonies at synagogues. Many of the traditional activities have been reduced to virtual ceremonies, like those of last year; but less rigorously. I myself plan to be with my relatives in New York next week, where we will celebrate the final day of the holiday in conjunction with my aunt’s 90th birthday. (We have the excuse that we will all be vaccinated by then.) Easter will begin on the 4th, and it will be interesting to see how many churches will revert to in-person services and how many will remain virtual.
Today’s statistics as of 9:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 126,673,096; # of deaths worldwide: 2,778,770; # of cases U.S.: 30,848,248; # of deaths; U.S.: 561,070.