#10 Social Distance Hike Myrtle Creek, Oregon

Hike #10  Myrtle Creek, Oregon
#52HikeChallenge

Date:  March 21, 2020
Distance: 3 ish Miles
Weather: Sunny 
Type: Urban
Company: Solo- practicing Social Distancing

Reflections: On Friday, March 20, 2020 Governor Brown held a press conference encouraging Oregonians to stay home and avoid crowded areas in order to practice "social distancing" and help stop the spread of COVID-19. While it was a strong recommendation she stopped short of making it a direct order -all though that did happen as a result of this weekend! It was a beautiful weekend in the Pacific Northwest and Oregonians flocked to the beaches, trails, and any outdoor space they could find. There were tons of pictures from this weekend of crowded parking lots, packed beaches, and people just generally ignoring the recommendations. In addition to the many pictures of packed places, social media was full of pleas from residents of many of the small towns impacted by the swarm begging people to stay away and help them stay safe. Needless to say on Monday, 3/23/20 Governor Kate Brown issued  an executive order requiring Oregonians to "Stay Home to Stay Healthy." The order also closed all parks and any space that people would be tempted to gather (basketball courses, trails, playgrounds, etc.) and put in place the possibility of being fined or otherwise ordered to disperse. But on this day, parks were still open and I was practicing social distance by staying close to home and avoiding contact with others. 

I walked around my town looking for trees, water, and a dirt trail!  I found all of them. After walking through Evergreen park,past the pool and skate park, and checking out the buildings down town, I made my way to the disc golf course by Millsite Park. That is where I found a couple of actual trails! For a few brief moments it felt like I was out in the forest and away from the world...my absolute favorite place to be!  

I followed all the trails in this section just so I could feel disconnected for awhile. I took time to enjoy the view of the river and appreciate the fact that I was able to find a little oasis so close to home. There were a couple of disc golfers out this day and it was fun to watch them in action while trying to stay out of their way! I would call the Social Distance hike a success!
#52hikechallenge, # everydayadventures #thingsthatmakemehappy