It’s the summer of July, 2020. America and most of the world is in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Typically, this is the time most of us are looking to take our summer vacations, whether domestic or international. Given that most countries are not accepting the American passport currently, due to America’s rising cases, I opted for a short road trip to Mt. Shasta, which is about 3.5 hours north of my home in San Francisco. Here is what you need to know before you decide to take a road trip to during the pandemic.

1. Lemgth of the Trip

When deciding where to go for my first road trip, I wanted to minimize the number of restroom stops (reducing risk of exposure). I also wanted to take advantage of places I hadn’t visited previously. Mt. Shasta is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County. It is located about 4 hours north of San Francisco and I had never been there. Since we were leaving in the evening, I calculated we would stop for dinner and the restroom once (the car already had a full gas tank so stopping for gas would not be necessary).

Tip: I just ended up packing my own leftovers as dinner (I ate at a rest stop) so I didn’t have to actually stop anywhere AND eat greasy fast food 🙂

2. How Popular is your Destination and what do the cases look like??

Right now I would highly recommend choosing destinations that are not going to be super crowded. Mt Shasta was perfect because we were able to socially distance on hikes as there weren’t too many people on the trails. When we did encounter people however, we found ourselves having to step off the path/trail as many folks weren’t wearing masks here. For this reason, please try to time your road trip in the off-peak seasons for those specific destinations.

Do your research to determine how many confirmed Covid-19 cases there are in the area that you are visiting. If they have a lot of cases, you may want to re-think your trip.

Tip: Skip summer travel to popular destinations like Yosemite and Tahoe and maybe save them for Fall or even post November instead. Visit places like Mammoth Lakes November onwards.

3. Call the Visitor’s Center or Forest Ranger

Once you decide the destination, make sure you check the website to understand the new rules with regards to Covid-19. The Mt. Shasta Visitor’s Center assured me it was alright to travel from San Francisco to Mt. Shasta. She also mentioned that cops were not ticketing out of county visitors at this time. I felt much more relieved after talking to the lady and decided to put my plan into motion!

Tip: Since the guidelines are changing rapidly, make sure you call before you visit.

4. With Friends, Family or Solo?

The next question to ask yourself is, are you traveling solo, with family you live with or with friends? I decided to travel with two of my single friends who were also itching to get out of their apartment after 4 months of lockdown. The questions to ask if you are traveling with friends are:

1. Are your friends exposed to other friends/visitors?
2. Ask your friends if they trust these people they are exposed to?
3. Do you trust your friends are being cautious and taking this pandemic seriously?
4. Do your friends believe in protecting others and themselves by wearing a mask when needed?
5. Are your friends willing to quarantine themselves before a road trip?

In general, I felt nervous traveling with people I wasn’t living with. I can’t control who my friends are exposed to, and I also had a partner at home (who wasn’t able to join) that I wanted to protect as well. So in the end, we agreed we would each quarantine for 14 days before the trip. We agreed we would shop for groceries online and only step outside for our walks/runs. I felt this was safe AND responsible so we don’t unknowingly spread it amongst ourselves as well.

Tip: If you are not able to get everyone to quarantine before a trip, limit the number of people in your group. Consider their health status and if your group is high-risk for this virus.

5. What to Pack?

Here’s my packing list:

1. 2 masks – You need at least 1 mask that you can wash. If you are hiking or going to be doing any activity that makes you sweat (or runny nose), you will want to wash your mask. While that is in the wash, having a second one handy is critical. I love Ruben Rojas’ love mask especially because he’s a local artist and I love his message!
2. 3 bottles of hand sanitizer – You need enough for your entire group. We kept one in the car at all times and one inside the Airbnb we stayed at.
3. Hiking boots – I wasn’t summiting Shasta but I wanted good hiking boots for whatever hike I was going to be on, and it paid off! We ended up doing a rocky hike, and my shoes were the least of my concern! I love the Oboz waterpoof ankle support boots.
4. Layers – Mt Shasta can get cold, especially if you are hiking. When we went, there were still patches of snow on the trail and the fog had set in, making it an extremely cold hike. I ended up having to borrow my friend’s extra layer. Please bring a fleece and rain gear.
5. Snacks/food – Know that you may not get certain spices, vegetables or snacks that you are used to at home, in the grocery stores where you’re headed. So be prepared and bring whatever you think you need to make you feel comfortable and happy while you’re away. For example, Mt Shasta’s grocery stores didn’t quite have the coconut milk we wanted for our chicken stew one evening.
6. Toilet paper/toilet covers/soap – Pack a roll + covers + soap for those bathroom stops on your road trip. Most bathroom breaks can be at a gas station, in the wild, or at a restaurant. While one hopes bathrooms are being sanitized often, who really knows? If you want to avoid touching any surfaces, I highly recommend you use your own toilet paper and seat cover. Alternatively, you can also squat over the toilet seat – which is what I do! You might also want to bring your own soap so you can avoid touching the soap dispensers.

Tip: Per the CDC guidelines, wash for 20 seconds, use a clean disposable paper towel to turn off the faucet, and then wipe your hands dry.

5. Getting Gas

Gas stations are known as high-touch areas. The gas pumps could be contaminated from frequent use. Wearing gloves is a smart idea. Also know that your car’s steering wheel, cup holders, radio buttons, the dashboard and your seats are also known as high-touch areas, so please wipe them regularly with cleaning wipes/sanitizers.

6. Where to Stay

I believe when we went to Shasta in June, the campsites weren’t all open. We therefore decided to stay in an Airbnb in Shasta. We found an Airbnb that had the enhanced cleaning protocol and a bedroom for each us. We did our groceries as soon as we arrived at Grocery Outlet. I was quite appalled that no one inside this store was wearing masks. Even the cashiers were not wearing masks. Remember, I am coming from San Francisco where they even wipe down the carts inside the stores!

We found Ray’s Food Place a lot more hygenic, with more variety than Grocery Outlet. We picked up deli meat, cheese, vegetables, fruits, trail mix, and liberally used the hand sanitizer once we got back to the car. As soon as we got to the Airbnb we made sure we washed our groceries before storing them.

We cooked all our dinners and made our own sandwiches along with a fruit, granola bar, and some chips for our day trips. We opted to not try any restaurants, and hence reduce risk of exposure.

7. What to see in Mt. Shasta

So now that you’ve finally made it to the lovely town of Mt. Shasta, what do you see? Lucky for you, you have a number of options! Just remember, if a trail or recreation area looks too crowded, please have a plan B and visit an alternate trail or area.

Hike Black Butte: I highly recommend planning a few hours (either early morning or late evening) for a hike up the intimidating Black Butte. While it looks difficult, the trail itself is not hard. Know that you will have to cross some large boulders for a while. I’m not a fan of boulder crossings, as I have to pay attention to my footwork and I find this draining plus nerve wracking. For the more adventurous, this hike is pretty straightforward with direct views of Mt. Shasta. Approximately 5.2 miles round trip, the 2000 ft rugged hike to the top is worth it for the 360 degree views of Mt. Shasta, and the Klamath range in Oregon on a clear day.

Tip: Wear hiking boots!There is also a warning sign at the entrance of the Black Butte trail asking you to beware of a section where there is a wire holding back a large number of boulders. Should the wire give away, the rocks will come tumbling down the mountain. Alltrails indicates this trail is dangerous due to lack of maintenance. Go at your own risk.

McCloud Falls: The McCloud falls consists of three sets of falls. Start at the lower falls, then walk your way along the river up to the middle falls (most impressive) and spend some time here. This is the perfect spot for lunch imho. The surroundings are lush and the gushing sound of the waterfalls is soothing. This is a heavily trafficked trail as it’s quite easy for families as well. Wear masks and please step aside if you encounter others on the trail not wearing masks.

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Faery Falls: We nav’d our way to Faery falls and parked in a small dirt parking lot. We saw a sign that pointed toward Faery falls and some hot springs (know that this is sulphuric cold springs) and we started walking on a trail toward the falls. This area is a little cooler as you are surrounded by lot of trees. You will hear the falls gushing in the distance. Stay straight on the trail until you come to a fork that heads left and down. Follow that toward the sound of the falls until you get to your destination. We were the only ones here in the evening.

Lake Siskiyou: Lake Siskiyou has a lovely beach and spectacular views of Mt. Shasta, IF it isn’t cloudy. We were not lucky but we were lucky enough to witness a magnificent sunset over this lake.

Heart Lake: While we ran out of time for this hike, I hear the views of Mt. Shasta from Heart Lake are magnificent and the hike isn’t too difficult either. Check Alltrails for difficulty level.

Horse Camp trail: The horse camp trail is about 3.5mile short hike from the parking lot to the Sierra Club stone cabin. When not covered by clouds, you can see Shasta behind the stone cabin as you hike through sparse pines.

In conclusion, I think getting outdoors during the pandemic is critical for mental and physical health. Studies have shown being outdoors can help with depression, anxiety, stress, blood pressure and other ailments. Do I recommend a short road trip during the pandemic? Yes, but only if you can commit to wearing a mask, be diligent both while grocery shopping and when hiking around other people. So have you taken any road trips during the pandemic and if yes, was your experience a positive one?