Over the past couple days, I have met a half dozen hikers passing by my place who received the PCTA email and general notice asking them to quit hiking and get off trail in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. I don’t know what they will eventually decide to do (there are no options to get off trail from my place, so they would need to continue hiking at least until Highway 74), but everyone I spoke to was taking this request very seriously. Several offered that they had firmly decided to contact family when they had cell service again to start to make arrangements to get back home. A couple hikers from Germany I spoke with had the added problem of dealing with international travel in these days of cancelled flights and border restrictions.

PCTA requests that all hikers postpone or cancel PCT travel plans due to Covid-19. State of CA issues mandatory stay-at-home order state wide, as of 3/19/20. No end date is specified for either item,

As if CoronaVirus concerns weren’t enough, early season nobo PCT thru hikers have had to contend with ten+ days of bad weather in SoCal. With a cold front + stormy weather passing by us at PCT 145, snow levels have gone down below 4000 feet. … Stay safe out there.

With the 2020 PCT northbound thru hiker season underway, and 10-12 hikers passing by my place per day, what are the implications of the European travel ban, closure of Scout and Frodo’s overnight accommodation option in Southern California, the PCTA’s message on Covid-19 for permit holders, along with a number of additional possible logistic and other challenges for thru hikers, on the number of people who will attempt a thru hike in 2020?

Because of the European travel ban, this year will almost certainly not be a record-setting year for number of hikers. (I estimate that Europeans make up around 10% of thru hikers, with that percentage increasing slightly each year.) So far, local weather conditions have had a greater impact in hiker numbers than covid-19, but the hikers passing by my place now started their trek before the travel ban and the large increase in press coverage on the longer-term implications of covid-19 for the US.

With a winter storm approaching and many newbie hikers on the trail, I posted a weather alert on my picnic table.

While my register shows that several Canada-bound hikers have already passed by, the season doesn’t really start in my mind until I personally meet the first one. That happened today when I passed Amit (from Germany?) at around mile 148, while I was returning from a horse ride to Highway 74.

I spend the last four days readying my hiker oasis (dubbed “2020 Vision” for this year) for the beginning of the northbound thru hiker season.

The most time-consuming part is digging a new hole for the outhouse and installing the wooden frame, so it doesn’t collapse. (That takes two solid days.)

With that complete, I move the frame into place atop the hole

then add the sides and door.

The last part is the shower on the side.

With this chore done, I bring up the trash can and place the signs directing hikers where they can camp. Finally, the canopy goes in over the picnic tables.

All 50 permits per day for hikers starting at Campo were snatched up as soon as they became available, so, we should see another bumper crop of hikers this year.

The permit calendar tells the story.

I have selected the theme “2020 Vision” as the theme for this new year. The sign welcoming hikers to my oasis has been updated

and the prompt on the hiker register has changed

In explaining the new theme (and the prompt) to hikers, I added a bit of instruction in the first post in the register.

It reads: “An explanation of the prompt ‘Why are you doing this?’

Each year I create a unique theme for my hiker oasis. In 2020 the theme revolves around the idea of perfect vision. While ‘2020 vision’ usually refers to the visual acuity of eyes, I am more interested in the idea of perfect inner vision … the ability to ‘see’ inside your self and understand your own values and motives. So, the question I am asking hikers to respond to is: ‘Why are you doing this?’ I realize that, for many of you, the reason(s) you decided to thru hike the PCT are very private ones — not something you would normally share with strangers by writing it in a quasi-public document. If that describes you, feel free to give your ‘public’ reason or simply leave your response unsigned.

I hope your journey gives you everything you want it to give.

‘Trail Angel’ Mary”

Effective immediately (Dec 20, 2019), overnight camping is no longer allowed at Warner Springs Resource Center. Here is the official word: “Things may change come March but right now the only thing hikers can no longer do here is camp. The gates are open and unlocked 6 am to 10 pm weekdays and all hours on weekends. Good water is flowing and we still have supplies, re-charging, wifi, bucket showers and are open Tues, 9 to noon and Wed – Saturday 9 am to 2 pm.”