The Ethics of Outdorr Recreation in Times of COVID-19

[PB]

It's someone who tries to spread the virus but just can't quite seem to do it. They cough and their spit goes ALMOST to the next person.

Hold on, I'll contact my friend Zeno to get his expert opinion on this issue.

[zion zig zag]

just watched a neighbor leave the street with a surfboard bag in the back of the wagon...


trying to fathom how that trip is somehow legit...

Jesus we've become a nation of Karen's in about two weeks. Fast forward to 2026 and this guy is turning in his neighbors for not having a photo of dear leader in their living room.

Maybe he's taking it to his buddy who does repairs so that it can be ready when all of this is over? Or maybe he just needs to go for a paddle so he doesn't blow his brains out? Either way, the idea of you standing in the living room, pulling back the curtains and wringing your hands over it is....sad.

[snowaddict91]

Yep. I'm taking my local tags and my muck boots down valley with a case of Coors to go ice fishing.

You better go home. If you slip on the ice or get too drunk you could be a burden on society!

[Canada1]

Jesus we've become a nation of Karen's in about two weeks. Fast forward to 2026 and this guy is turning in his neighbors for not having a photo of dear leader in their living room.

Maybe he's taking it to his buddy who does repairs so that it can be ready when all of this is over? Or maybe he just needs to go for a paddle so he doesn't blow his brains out? Either way, the idea of you standing in the living room, pulling back the curtains and wringing your hands over it is....sad.

I too am at a loss. Thank God my neighbors all ride. Our yell to the next yard conversations are about which trails are clear enough to hit and whether anyone needs TP.

[old goat]

Without getting into the argument of what's OK to do and what's not OK, it seems to me that the decent thing to do, while patients, and EMT's, and cops, and nurses, and doctors and grocery store workers, and people who work in food plants are dying of this thing, is to keep your outdoor adventures--anything more than walking the dog--to yourself. Not out of fear of encouraging others to do the same--people don't need encouragement to do the same--but out of respect for the people who are risking their lives for you. Discretion is a virtue here, as in most things.

[Lone Star]

^^^ wise words. there are a few folks I agree with in principle but wish they'd take the quiet enjoy it on your own approach for the time being.

[snowaddict91]

Yup. Friends keep inviting me to ski or bike but its gonna be 100% solo or wife/dog adventures for me.

[mmmm...pow!]

I may or may not have first hand knowledge that quite a few of the people that may or may not be backcountry skiing these days are, in fact, nurses, firefighters, paramedics, etc.

[old goat]

I may or may not have first hand knowledge that quite a few of the people that may or may not be backcountry skiing these days are, in fact, nurses, firefighters, paramedics, etc.

I hope so.

[Name Redacted]

I may or may not have first hand knowledge that quite a few of the people that may or may not be backcountry skiing these days are, in fact, nurses, firefighters, paramedics, etc.

Funny, our SAR Team put out a press release asking people to stay out of the backcountry. Now I'm seeing posts from a few friends that are on SAR showing them skiing pretty big terrain. I don't really care, but of course a few people made comments. Just keep it off the medias is the first rule, but that's kinda the rule I generally follow anyways.

[Kinnikinnick]

Funny, our SAR Team put out a press release asking people to stay out of the backcountry. Now I'm seeing posts from a few friends that are on SAR showing them skiing pretty big terrain. I don't really care, but of course a few people made comments. Just keep it off the medias is the first rule, but that's kinda the rule I generally follow anyways.

Yeah,
Thats my sense. A significant subset of mtn locals are charging avalanche terrain just the same as a normal April. I see the feeds on FB and Insta.



Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Kinnikinnick]

I may or may not have first hand knowledge that quite a few of the people that may or may not be backcountry skiing these days are, in fact, nurses, firefighters, paramedics, etc.

They get a pass if anyone does


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[BCMtnHound]

Hey, a big part of operational readiness is ongoing training and experience. Gotta keep those mtn/rope rescue, avalanche response, swiftwater and ice rescue skills sharp. As long as social distancing can be maintained!
And this is the time of year that almost all the disciplines can be practiced in the same weekend.
Hopefully the training placards we put up inform the public that the activities being noticed are professionally sanctioned activities.

[powdork]

Without getting into the argument of what's OK to do and what's not OK, it seems to me that the decent thing to do, while patients, and EMT's, and cops, and nurses, and doctors and grocery store workers, and people who work in food plants are dying of this thing, is to keep your outdoor adventures--anything more than walking the dog--to yourself. Not out of fear of encouraging others to do the same--people don't need encouragement to do the same--but out of respect for the people who are risking their lives for you. Discretion is a virtue here, as in most things.

But, but, but, are you saying social media influencer is not an essential business??

it's become an instant unfollow for me

[TahoeJ]

Funny, our SAR Team put out a press release asking people to stay out of the backcountry. Now I'm seeing posts from a few friends that are on SAR showing them skiing pretty big terrain. I don't really care, but of course a few people made comments. Just keep it off the medias is the first rule, but that's kinda the rule I generally follow anyways.

The second rule is don't post photos of your shit.

The FIRST rule is don't be a fucking hypocrit. If you're out there doing it, good for you, but STFU about other people's behavior.

[Shorty_J]

The FIRST rule is don't be a fucking hypocrit. If you're out there doing it, good for you, but STFU about other people's behavior.

So much of this.

Sent from my SM-A505W using Tapatalk

[coldfeet]

It is still possible to send teh gnar responsibly as this clip shows:

[rod9301]

The people saying don't drive to recreate live close to places to recreate. The people who say it's ok don't. The point is staying away from other people. It's important to differentiate restrictions that actually impact the spread of the virus vs those that reflect a desire to keep "others" away from "our" goodies vs those that reflect a puritanical desire to ban any kind of fun while the pandemic is going on. (There's a reason people tell jokes and smile and eat and drink at a post funeral gathering.) Me having a good time in California isn't going to make any difference to the ICU nurse risking her life in NYC. Even in times like these, those who can should take as much pleasure as they can without spreading the virus or imposing a burden on the health care system. We owe it to those who are saving lives to live our lives as fully as we can, while we still have them, because tomorrow we may not.

True. In France, any activity on the mountains is prohibited, skiing, biking, hiking.

I believe it's due to jealousy from the people that live in cities, which is their lifestyle choice.



Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[ill-advised strategy]

Interesting morning.

1.5-2ft of heavy snow.
Up at 3:15 to get wife into grocery job. Had to spin-rock the tacoma with 4 snow tires and a bedfull of heavy snow twice to unstick it in drifts, etc. took two runs to punch through the hill up to my house.

Decided to go sneak a ski before dawn. Got all geared up, got to the hill...
Between being on bond (seemingly forever), being “banned from the property”, and the fascist police state scenario I sat there for 10 minutes then chickened out and went home.

My dog was all fired up so I took him for a quick walk. Between soft spring ground, soft spring wood, super heavy sticky snow loading, and gusty wind the trees were loudly warning me like a bunch of rattlesnakes. Chickened out again, turned back to go home and heard one really big (24”) limb of my biggest neighborhood pine really stressing...I fumbled around trying get my phone out but it dropped before I could hit record.

So a very wet, very disappointed poodle and a fat bitter defeated old man sit in the fucking house for another day.
Fomo alert level: severe/bright red.

[::: :::]

Jesus we've become a nation of Karen's in about two weeks. Fast forward to 2026 and this guy is turning in his neighbors for not having a photo of dear leader in their living room.

Maybe he's taking it to his buddy who does repairs so that it can be ready when all of this is over? Or maybe he just needs to go for a paddle so he doesn't blow his brains out? Either way, the idea of you standing in the living room, pulling back the curtains and wringing your hands over it is....sad.

Oh shit...turned in on an anonymous ski message board

It’s an observation, dipshit, from an urban area...you know, one of those places that rural communities have been complaining about transporting vectors and threatening to use up resources

[k2skier112]

It is still possible to send teh gnar responsibly as this clip shows:

She would so crush the kids game, "the floor is lava".

[Dee Hubbs]

How do we feel about this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5mah1F..._web_copy_link

I always feel the video is edited to benefit the story someone is trying to portray.
I'm not being pro cop here, but when the Cop says "how far do you think I'm going to tolerate your attitude" leads me to believe there was attitude laid out by the snowboarder before the video was cropped.

[funkendrenchman]

How do we feel about this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5mah1F..._web_copy_link

Someone watched too much Full Metal Jacket as a kid.

[Ottime]

I think that cop needs to take a day or two off.

Don’t know the details, but it is pretty stupid to not provide 6’ distance when yelling at someone.

Cops/laws in my town seem pretty inconsistent. All trails are closed. Including the sidewalk all the ocean. Signs up every 50’.

So we biked in the road. Still a shit ton of people walking, running and biking on the closed path. Two cops drove by in the 2 miles we bike. None stopped or said anything.

Meanwhile, counted 80 cars driving along the road. Some pissed I was biking in the road and not on the closed sidewalk. Just trying to follow the law. Which is pretty stupid right now.

I was wondering what essential business all those cars had on what is otherwise a scenic drive. Do they all love along that road and on the way to their one grocery trip this week? Or wear they enjoying a scenic drive.

Not really a big deal, but if you look on the local Nextdoor, you can see plenty of “I drove home that way and saw all the people breaking the law and not social distancing on the closed walkway”. Or my favorite from people walking their dog on the other side of the road complaining about too many people on the opposite walkway. WTF, do you want them all to come over and crowd you and your dog? Or do you expect everyone except for you to stay home?

Poorly written and executed order has me wonder in the hike and bike trails I was enjoying last week are actually still open if the Closed signs mean nothing in some places.

[mall walker]

How do we feel about this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5mah1F..._web_copy_link

I always feel the video is edited to benefit the story someone is trying to portray.
I'm not being pro cop here, but when the Cop says "how far do you think I'm going to tolerate your attitude" leads me to believe there was attitude laid out by the snowboarder before the video was cropped.

lol yeah it's hard to imagine those guys were just minding their own business up at brighton and that guy came up and started screaming out of the blue. usfs land access here is still perfectly fine/legal if you're social distancing. I wave to the cops and they wave back. UT's head of COVID response was quoted yesterday as saying it's safer/better to be outdoors than in, as long as you're keeping your 6'. there are some private residences around brighton's base area (I don't hike there if anywhere else has snow but I can't imagine brighton cares about people riding their resort terrain)... one of the instagram comments mentioned them possibly riding on a roof...?

e: the dude's immediately preceding instagram post involves him colliding mid air with a chairlift lol

further edit: actually brighton is closed to uphill and https://www.ksl.com/article/46741107...nified-officer