Ahhh, a zero day! What a treat after being on the trail for so many days. Rather than bore you with the mundane stuff we do on a zero day like washing clothes and having to wear a towel while all our hiking clothes are in the wash, retrieving the resupply box we sent a few weeks ago and resupplying our bear canisters, eating and resting, eating some more, writing journals and lounging around waiting for our clothes to dry, I can give you a synopsis on how the hikers on the trail have been dealing with the extra issue of Covid19. Every single person on the trail was well aware of the dangers of how easily this coronavirus is passed around. I’d say 99.8% of hikers had either a mask, a bandanna, or a buff draped around their neck. Many hikers pulled up their face coverings as we approached, as we did too. Most pulled way off to the side, as we did, to provide plenty of space for passing. Even in the tight spots on the trail, one pulled off as far as they could and turned their backs. I’m sure people were holding their breath as we did. Even with the Covid, people were friendly and pleasant and thanked each other for pulling off the trail for passing. In the past, hikers used fist bumps to congratulate or give attaboys to each other. Now they slap each other’s trekking poles. At VVR (Vermilion Valley Resort), we mostly stayed in our room except for running back and forth to the laundry room, and buying food.
This is the fourth time I have stayed at VVR. Hikers love to stay at VVR, they’re friendly and helpful and the food is good. It’s rustic and has a kick back feeling. There is no TV and no cell service (except for ATT a quarter mile down the beach towards the dam). It can also be quite entertaining. As we were sitting in our room, Seasoned Strider and Vicki were gazing at the ceiling and discovered a lot of cobwebs. More analysis showed more cobwebs on the walls, and between the night stand and beds. After we finished our breakfast that morning, Seasoned Strider made a comment about the cobwebs to one of the staff who notified Housekeeping. They quickly arrived on the scene with their duster busters and proceeded to “clean” the room. Seasoned Strider helped by pointing out the cobwebs they missed once more. Good job Seasoned Strider!
VVR runs by generator, a big honking thing, that hums from 7am to 10pm. Then the power is shut off. One must make sure all electronics are charged by then and to make sure you know where your headlamp is for those nightly potty visits.