So, is this a good time to go for a long hike?

It's complicated.

To keep their packs relatively light, “thru-hikers” count on being able to periodically leave the trail to stock up on supplies, shower and sleep in a real bed for a change. Those setting off for months-long journeys on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail now have to consider whether they risk introducing the virus to otherwise isolated rural communities, and whether the freeze-dried food and survival supplies they rely on will be available at a time of widespread panic-buying...

Some thru-hikers argue that while on the trail, they’re less likely to contract the virus and spread it to others. Plus, too many people deciding to stay home could deal a devastating blow to small towns whose economies rely on a regular influx of backpackers.  But others worry that hikers could unknowingly bring the virus with them, or pick it up in the process of traveling to the trail...

The PCT passes through California and Washington, two of the states hardest hit by the virus, which makes the stakes even higher. While hikers are used to confronting that they could get sick or injured in the wilderness, many now worry that a bad fall might mean diverting crucial emergency resources, or that there could be a shortage of hospital beds.

A number of hostels catering to Appalachian Trail thru-hikers in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maine and New Hampshire have already closed, citing sanitary concerns about shared bunkhouses and bathrooms. Meanwhile, some backpackers fear that there will be a general reluctance to pick up hitchhikers who haven’t bathed in a while, and that backcountry cooking staples like powdered milk, instant mashed potatoes and ramen noodles could be in short supply.

Late last month, Mountain House, an Oregon company whose freeze-dried meals are popular with hikers and doomsday preppers alike, temporarily shut down its website after seeing a 1,093 percent increase in sales compared to February 2019. While the company says that it’s prepared to handle the demand, thru-hikers emerging from the woods in search of hand sanitizer, biodegradable soap and toilet paper may be out of luck...

One French woman spent a year planning her Appalachian Trail hike, quit her job and sublet her apartment, only to find out that her nonrefundable flight from Paris to Charlotte had been canceled...

More at The Washington Post.