Hiking along Little Devils Stairs – Restrictions imposed by Shenandoah National Park – Possible re-opening of REI outfitters – Hesitations about foreign travel – Removal of a landmark in Alexandria – Trump at St. John’s Episcopal Church – Spain’s pension system – Russia and Latin America – Evening statistics
Today I led the Little Devils Stairs hike for the Vigorous Hikers group. It is the same hike that I scouted on Saturday but the conditions were easier. Three days of relatively warm temperatures and minimal rainfall combined to make the streams lower and the trails much less muddy. I did, however, use my water-shoes when crossing the Thornton River – the first time I had an opportunity to do so this year.
Normally when we ascend Little Devils Stairs we do so at the beginning, parking in the lot outside of Shenandoah National Park. But that cannot be done at this stage, because the current restrictions prohibit parking at such lots and hiking into the park from beyond the boundary. When I scouted the hike on Saturday I saw several cars in the outside lot, despite the signs stating that it is prohibited. It seems that the police have taken action since then and that word must have gotten around that cars parked there will be ticketed, for the lot was nearly empty today. There were only two cars in the lot, and one had already been ticketed. I was very glad, therefore, that I had rerouted the hike so that it started within the park and thus had not exposed the other members of the group to this risk. Little Devils Stairs is one of the more arduous ascents in SNP and it is preferable to complete it towards the beginning of the hike if possible, but the situation was mitigated by the fact that we had lunch at the Bolen cemetery about two-thirds of the way into the hike, which allowed us to rest and get the energy for the climb up the rocky gorge. Initially the weather was cloudy and damp, but it cleared early in the morning and we had a beautiful day. We noted the effects that the unusually cool spring has had in the higher elevations: tree foliage is far from complete, and azaleas were still in bloom while the mountain laurel was barely budding. The low temperatures of the past several weeks have inhibited the butterflies, but now that the weather has been warm for several days they are to be seen flying over numerous portions of the trails.
LH, a member of the group who has been working part-time for REI, gave us a welcome piece of news. REI has been closed for several weeks as a result of the lockdown restrictions, but LH said that his supervisor called him to ascertain if he was willing to resume work. Not everyone is willing, on account of the risk of infection. But an inquiry of that sort must mean that REI is contemplating opening its outlets soon. His news certainly interested me, for I am anxious to get new hiking boots. This year I have hiked over 900 miles so far and the traction on my boots is getting worn. Boots can be ordered online, of course; but I prefer to try them on before I commit myself to buying a pair, which means purchasing them by means of physically visiting a store.
TK, another group member, spoke to me about his uncertainty of the status of an impending trip to France in late summer. I myself am not prepared at this stage to travel in a foreign country; if I become ill with the virus I would prefer it to happen where I know something about the hospital system and am familiar with the language spoken by the physicians and nurses. He agreed somewhat ruefully when I expressed this point of view, saying that he himself had similar concerns.
The statue in Alexandria at the intersection of Prince and Washington Streets has been removed. It has been something of a landmark since 1889 – a landmark, one might say, of doubtful quality. It is a bronze statue commemorating the Confederate soldiers of Alexandria. The United Daughters of the Confederacy, which owns the statue, moved it to an undisclosed location, probably fearing that it would otherwise by vandalized as a result of the recent protests. It was an interesting sight – a statue in the center of a cobblestoned intersection, cast in the classical style that was popular in the late 19th century. On the whole, though, its absence is not to be regretted. No doubt that the youths whom the statue commemorates freely donated their lives to their cause, but the cause was a bad one. For all of the blather that is spoken about “states’ rights,” the right for which the Confederacy fought for was the “right” of men to own slaves – a thoroughly repugnant notion, which can only result in the most unfavorable opinion of both the heads and the hearts of the men who championed it.
Donald Trump emerged from his bunker yesterday and I daresay his acolytes were agog to see what bold stroke of leadership he would perform next. What he did was to arrange a photo-op, displaying him holding up a Bible while standing in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Trump did not notify the church officials beforehand that he was planning to visit, seeking to take them by surprise – as well he might, considering that his church-going has far from assiduous. Maryann Budde, the bishop of the Washington D. C. diocese, strenuously denied that the diocese received any notification of his visit, and declared herself astonished at Trump’s proximity in the church at all, adding that “The only time that President Trump has been at St. John’s church as president was on the morning of his inauguration.” Various leaders of other denominations expressed disapproval of the use of the Bible as a prop. Indeed, even his supporters must be somewhat dismayed by this apparent defection from the service of Mammon, who is of course the chief deity of the one and only true religion. But I have confidence in our leader. I have no doubt that he will eventually atone with numerous acts of penitence, such as cheating a contractor, depriving an employee of his wages when they are due, or embezzling some of the Treasury funds.
A strange but not unexpected result of the coronavirus system has been to improve the sustainability of the pension system in Spain. Spain’s death toll from the virus is estimated at over 27,000, of which 80% consists of people over 70. This result has in turn affected the old-age dependency ratio, which has gone up from 2.3 in April to 2.56 in May. Until the virus made its impact, the ratio had been going steadily downward, to a degree that would have made the system unworkable. In all probability the nations with a high proportion of elderly (i.e., most of the European ones) will ultimately be affected in the same way.
Russia, Brazil, and Mexico have had surges in new cases and new deaths but they are easing their lockdowns all the same. Putin claims that Russia has now passed its peak of infection; such statistics that are available suggest that there is a fair amount of wish-fulfillment involved in this statement. But Latin America in general appears to be undergoing the greatest concentration of the virus at this point. Peru is now tenth on the list of nations with the greatest number of cases. Brazil’s case count is nearly 30% of that of U.S. – up from less than 25% about a week ago.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM — # of cases worldwide: 6,473,097; # of deaths worldwide: 381,706; # of cases U.S.: 1,880,529; # of deaths U.S.: 108,057.