Not safe to hike (Phoenix, Glendale: home, to live in, dangerous)

[3STRSSN]

Accessed a trailhead by foot last weekend for a trail run, went late,. a little after 8am and paid the price. Decided to go on a loop that included a 2 double black diamond trail.



Ran into a man with 2 dogs, a couple with their dog; a group of 4 or 5 mountain bikers that were huddled together on a downhill section..twice. Shoulder to shoulder with most of them due to the narrow section. Ran into an old couple who went straight instead of making a turn on one of the switchbacks (they looked lost).



Used my Buff as an impromptu facemask whenever I would come across other people as I stepped away.

They are closing more trails and trailheads here. City employee said that locals can still access the trail as of Sunday. That could change in a few days given that the trails are still packed. We'll see how it goes this weekend.

[More Rock]

Hit the canals at dawn. If someone gets too close, push them in.

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by More Rock

Hit the canals at dawn. If someone gets too close, push them in.

The canal water is more toxic than Covid-19.

[chaparrito]

Sadly, people take after sheep and tend to go to the most popular trails. This is the reason the Sedona trails are all closed. There are plenty of safe, empty trails to be found.

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by grmi66

The canal water is more toxic than Covid-19.

I was wondering about that. Back in the 90s when I was at ASU I sometimes studied at ASU West. At the end of the day I often went jogging out by the canal near Greenway and 67th Ave. As I jogged I often saw the construction on the Arrowhead Mall. It was great to jog at dusk - very private too. I often saw fish jump out at dusk and there were many fishermen along the canal. The last time I jogged there was in 1997, then I moved out-of-state for a couple of decades.

Years later, I am back in AZ. Due to crowded mountain hiking trails at Thunderbird Park and Piestewa Peak, I finally decided to jog by that canal again. It's much more crowded with housing compared to the 90s, but still more spacious with hikers and runners compared to the mountain trails. But I noticed people are still fishing there which I find odd. I would think the water might be contaminated with city runoffs. I also wouldn't think the fish would get that big like in some of those hot spots in Gila or Graham County or the Colorado River. I guess it just relaxes them. The spot closer to those condos by 75th smells like dead fish.

I still enjoy the jogging out by those canals - great for social distancing. The only thing I miss is the youth of the 1990s. I am now in my 50s with a bad left knee. Back in the 90s I often jogged that canal in the morning then ran up Piestewa Peak late afternoon. In my prime I ran up that Piestewa Peak in 18 min and 19 seconds. Now I can barely break the mid 20s - lol. But at least I can still do it.

I get flashbacks of the 90s running alongside that canal. The last time I ran it in 1997 was when I was frustrated that ASU lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl for the championship.

Another good place for social distancing on a run is at Papago Park north of ASU. When I lived on campus I often jogged there from the dorm by Lemon St. Papago Park was surprisingly not crowded. I did notice a large outdoor pickup basketball game though which I thought was at risk of being stopped by park officials, but apparently no one confronted them. I used to play outdoor games like that when I was at ASU in the 90s - pickup games at Cave Creek or Kiwanis Park were great on weekends.

[locolobo13]

Not sure about the fishers along the Arizona Canal. But at least some of the fishers along the Grand Canal are fishing for food. I've seen them taking their stringers home.

On the water quality. The Deer Valley Water Treatment Plant is on the Arizona Canal. That means drinking water. Of course it's treated. As long as you cook the fish it's probably alright.

In the 70s I used to swim/wade in the Grand Canal and smaller canals. Where the Grand Canal goes under 75th Ave and Camelback Rd was a good spot. Jump in just above the water gate and get shot under the bridge to the other side. It was farms back then. The 7-11 was there tho.

[ben young]

I thought fishers were related to the cat family.

[grmi66]

I used to live near Dunlap and 19th Avenue and walked my dog along that stretch of canal every night. At least that section you couldn't pay me enough to dip a toe into. The homeless people used it as a garbage dump. The stuff I saw floating downstream was pretty disgusting at times.

But one fun thing is I found the graffiti equivalent of caveman drawings once near where the canal goes under 19th Avenue. One spot tagged with 70's era rock bands. Somehow not covered over in 30+ years.

[personone]

There's still a lot to learn about the coronavirus' virology, but for most respiratory infectious diseases being outdoors is much safer than being indoors. Aerosols are, in a sense, diluted in natural air. Whereas they are not indoors (which is why there will likely need to be disruptive innovation changes to ventilation systems when this is all said-and-done). You still want to be able to try and keep social distance as much as possible. But if you happen to pass by someone closely outdoors, it's not likely going to put you in serious risk, and it would be much less risk outside as opposed to passing by people in thin aisles in grocery store indoors where it's not possible to keep social distance.

[NorCalRunner]

Trails are tricky because so many are quite narrow and technical. Passing is not easy. But I assume the people I meet on them have accepted the same level of risk I have, so we do our best and keep moving. I feel like the people who're running trail or hiking the higher elevations are spending more time outdoors for recreation than they are wandering the aisles of Walmart and Costco for recreation, so better to run into them than go to the grocery store.