Hiking on the “Roller Coaster” – Canada now rejects unvaccinated truckers crossing the border – A cruise vacation gone awry – Improved survival rate for pancreatic cancer – A promising day in Northern Ireland – Evening statistics
I went with the Wanderbirds today to a section of the Appalachian Trail that I have not visited for at least two years. The hike was a there-and-back south from Snickers Gap on the “Roller Coaster,” so-called because it passes over several ridgelines in succession and consists of almost continual ascending and descending. Many hikers shy away from this section of the AT, and it must be admitted that it has few views to offer in compensation for the exertion. But it is less daunting than it sounds. The ascents in either direction are not very long (about three-quarters of a mile at the most) and although the gradients are not negligible they are never punishingly steep – not like, for instance, the mountains in the Presidential Range in New Hampshire. The weather was similar to that of the hike I led on Tuesday, although it was somewhat cloudier, especially during the morning. It became sunnier as the day progressed. But it was clear, cold, and dry, so that there were no muddy patches to deal with. We did have to navigate over a few rock fields that were iced up, but navigating them was not especially difficult. There was a sufficient amount of firm surface everywhere and one only had to use a little caution in threading the way through the iciest portions.
We had the best part of the day on this hike. When I returned I stopped by at the Oriental market to pick up some groceries, and the sky was overcast and grayish by then. The market was crowded, because a snowstorm is predicted for tomorrow and many were stocking up on provisions. I have heard that in some areas people are having difficulty in obtaining various commodities of produce, canned goods, and so on; but that certainly was not the case here. There were no empty shelves and I was able to obtain all that I needed quite easily.
The government of Canada has announced that unvaccinated truckers will be turn away from the border. This regulation will have considerable repercussions because, according to the American Trucking Associations, 40%-50% of American truck drivers are not vaccinated. The rule applies as well to Canadian truck drivers who drive to the U.S. for delivery and then attempt to re-enter the country. For that matter, the U.S. will soon follow suit, requiring all truckers from a foreign country to show proof of vaccination. The American Trucking Associations says to expect supply-chain disruptions in both countries unless exemptions are made.
If anyone doubted that taking a cruise in the middle of a pandemic is a bad idea, that doubt should be dispelled by the experiences of the passengers on a ship managed by Norwegian Gem. On the 6th day of a 10-day cruise, the passengers were greeted with an abrupt announcement that all sailing within the Caribbean had been canceled. The passengers are in effect trapped on board for the remaining four days. “Without the islands and ports to break up the sea days, this is turning into a nightmare,” on passenger said. “I really can’t imagine four more sea days back to back without much to do.”
Not all of the news from the medical industry is bad. The survival rate for pancreatic cancer has increased to 11%, the highest it has ever been, and five percentage points higher than it was during the previous decade. Julie Freshman, the president of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), described herself as “thrilled” by the news but added that “11% is still the lowest survival rate of all major cancers.” PanCAN has set a goal of establishing the five-year survival rate increase to 20% by 2030. I earnestly wish them well. I feel strongly about the matter, having lost a close friend to pancreatic cancer some years earlier. And he was one of the lucky ones: in his case, the cancer was detected in the earlier stages and the treatments he received enabled him to live nine years past the date that it was first diagnosed.
And there is another encouraging development: Northern Ireland has undergone one day (Saturday) without a single death from COVID. Its Department of Health reported 2,668 new cases today, down from the 2,954 cases reported on Friday.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 326,774,343; # of deaths worldwide: 5,553,642; # of cases U.S.: 66,664,283; # of deaths; U.S.: 873,149.