Hiking with CHC – Doggedly clinging to facemasks – Long COVID – Evening statistics
I went today with the Capital Hiking Club to go up to Mary’s Rock and from there to descend to the Hazel River Trail and eventually, by means of the Hannah Run Trail, to ascend to the Pinnacles Overlook. It is one of the more strenuous hikes in the CHC repertoire, no so much in distance (the long and moderate hikes are 9½ and 8 miles respectively) as in elevation gain. The ascent along Hannah Run to the Pinnacles in particular is long, rocky, and, in some places, very steep; and the total elevation gain for the long hike is nearly 3000 feet.
I always seem to have bad luck in scheduling hikes to Mary’s Rock. The weather never seems to cooperate when I set one up. It rained a good deal, especially during the morning, when we were ascending to Mary’s Rock, and the air was so laden with clouds that we could see nothing when we reached the overlook, which under better circumstances provides one of the best views in the entirety of Shenandoah National Park.
Come to think of it, although it is not exactly the same thing, those who signed up for the hike in expectation of seeing one of the celebrated features of the park had a little reverse in fortune as well.
Not many braved the forebodings that the weather forecast naturally evoked, and something under a third of the seats of the bus were occupied. But the hikers who did show up took all of the adverse conditions in stride, both figuratively and literally. The average age level was fairly young and I believe that I was the only person over 60 among them. However, I held my own. I was the sweep for the long hikers on this occasion, and one of them, who had been on the long hike the previous week and who thus knew something of my capabilities, commented upon my “patience” in slowing my pace down to accommodate the less swift-moving members of this group.
In one respect, perhaps, my age made a difference: outside of the bus driver, I was the only one who wore a facemask during the bus rides to and from the trailheads. I am more likely to be badly affected by COVID than persons twenty and thirty years younger.
In case it may be thought I am obsessing in this matter, it may be observed that at this point one out of 13 Americans have reported symptoms of so-called “long COVID”: i.e., symptoms not present prior to COVID-19 infection and lasting three or more months after first contracting the virus. The symptoms can be severe, such as a decrease of oxygen capacity in the lungs that could preclude any possibility of vigorous exercise – which, for me at any rate, would be little short of a catastrophe. So I prefer to minimize the risks of contracting it.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 560,185,538; # of deaths worldwide: 6,372,297; # of cases U.S.: 90,313,843; # of deaths; U.S.: 1,045,780.