FEATURE

Time outdoors improves our mental and physical health the great reconnection Scott Titterington

I PAUSE IN A GREEN MEADOW above Hewlitt Gulch in the Cache la Poudre Canyon on a foggy morning. Patches of blue sky and ridgelines appear then retreat as the mist shifts. Bird chirps interrupt the silence. And that’s when I get it. It’s quiet. No jet sounds, no distant truck brakes, no other people, just the chirping.

I was about an hour into a morning run on sweet single track when I took that moment. Poets and songwriters have been trying to capture that feeling or whatever it is that we get when we’re out there surrounded by trees and hills and critters and fresh air. We connect to something, whatever it may be that just makes us feel better.

But most of our lives we’re too busy buzzing around or stuck in front of the TV. Time in nature is left for a different day.

Well the coronavirus has moved that day to today. As events are cancelled, bars and restaurants shuttered, theaters silenced, what is a person to do? Well, it appears the answer for many of us is to head for the hills or rivers or lakes or any other natural space we can find.

“We’re seeing record numbers of people recreating who didn’t have that chance because they were busy doing other things,” says Zoe Shark, public engagement manager and interim natural areas director. “And now they have the opportunity to remember the value that natural areas bring to us.”

A minimum of 40 to 150 percent more people are visiting natural areas than previous records, Shark says, and crowding is becoming a challenge. The busiest times are between 9am and 5pm on the weekends; the least crowded are early and late in the day.

Fort Collins and Larimer County maintain webcams at the most popular trailheads so you can check before you leave home. You can also check trail conditions at www.nocotrailreport.org.

“We’re all about getting people outdoors, so it’s wonderful,” Shark says. “It’s just so important for mental and physical health.”

I returned from my little excursion that day refreshed and recharged, and my problems seemed just a little bit less consequential. I hope our rediscovered connection with our natural world persists long after the coronavirus is an old story that we pass down to the grandkids.

Trailhead webcams Overflowing parking lots and trails are challenges as more people find solace in natural areas. Find out how packed the parking lot is before you go by checking the webcam.

Reservoir Ridge, Bobcat Ridge, Coyote Ridge

www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/ status.php

Devil’s Backbone, Horsetooth Mountain Park

www.larimer.org/about-larimercounty/maps

Rocky Mountain National Park entrances

https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/ photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

Know before you go City, county, state and federal agencies administer trails and natural areas, and each has its own rules and fees. Also, find trail-condition information and the latest in Covid-19 restrictions. CITY Fort Collins area: www.fcgov.com/naturalareas Greeley area: www.greeleygov.com/activities/natural-areas Loveland area: www.cityofloveland.org/departments/parks-recreation/ open-lands-natural-areas COUNTY Larimer County: www.larimer.org/naturalresources/trails List Larimer County trails and current conditions www.larimer.org/naturalresources/parks Has links to national, state, county and city parks in Larimer County Weld County: www.discoverweld.com/features/lets_go_play_outside STATE Lory State Park: www.cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/Parks/lory Boyd Lake State Park: www.cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/boydlake FEDERAL Rocky Mountain National Park: www.nps.gov/romo Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grasslands: www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/recreation

Stay safe on trails during Covid-19 Recommendations to protect yourself and others • Do not leave your home unless you absolutely need to, especially if you are not well. • Stay near home to recreate. Explore your backyard, take a walk, or bike ride around the block. • Be a party of one or two; keep groups small. Recreate only with people from your own household. • Limit your visits to public open spaces/parks; find trails closest to your home. • Bring your own personal hand sanitizerand use your restroom at homebefore leaving. • Stay on trails to avoid damage—step off, do not walk off. • Travel in a one-way direction, if possible. • Wear a cloth face-covering and stay6 feet awayfrom others who are not in your household. • Avoid crowds. Go early in the morning or late in the day. Check webcams before you go. • Be flexible. If you arrive at a trailhead and it’s full, think twice before getting out of the car. • Avoid unnecessary driving, risky recreational pursuits, or remote locationsthat may put a burden on first responders. On a rescue, physical distancing is not possible and offers asymptomatic people (individuals and rescuers) a window to unknowingly spread the virus. • Park only in designated parking spots. • Keep your dog leashed and under control; pack out its waste. • Be kind, have patience, and send a smile and wave along the trail. • Checknocotrailreport.orgfor trail-condition warning and closure report.

LIST IS COURTESY OF THE LARIMER COUNTY WEBSITE.

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