Agreed. It will be nice when things totally open up again. Then we can get back to talking about hiking again.
More trail closings?
- Thread starter Fuzzy
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Mike P.
Well-known member
I suspect real estate sites have data for length of stay but saying that your open for vacation business and requiring 14 day quarantine, shelter in place isn't really being open. What does that mean? If I come up to Bar Harbor, the first two weeks I can not go to a restaurant, walk into shops go to Acadia? Do many out of state tourist go for a month at a time or is that more people with second homes. Even a month would be 50%shelter in place and slightly more than 50% free to shop, dine, play, etc. (In both VT and ME's cases, if there are two of the New England States where resident's travel to another state, I imagine it's ME and VT. Mainer's will go see a ball game and a weekend in Boston or a Football game. Neither of those are looking very appealing.
OR - I drive to Portland, rent a car with ME plates and drive to BSP. (I've been to BSP in a year beginning with a 2, however, I haven't been up Katahdin in a year starting in a 2. ) Are they checking ID's or just going my license plates to determine who's out of state? I only recall them asking where I am from not checking ID. That would make the day use line even longer.
OR - I start a "Be a hiking Buddy website" where I match Mainer's up with out of state hikers. I pay for gas & food, we go to the gate, I'm your brother-in-law from two towns away from you & my wallet is packed in the trunk with my gear.
As it is, I just read that our Independent Attorney General Barr may consider suing states for enforcing restrictions. I believe Roger Goodell has a home in Maine & if they aren't playing football before Election Day, that's not going to look like an economy that's bouncing back strongly. (Disclaimer, I am not planning a ME or VT trip anytime soon)
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
If that is truly the policy and not posturing it will be highly controversial. There are two Maines, the southern 3 counties and the coast up to Bar Harbor and the rest of the state. The southern Maine area is within easy driving or a train ride from Mass so day trippers are significant. The other part of Maine tends to get more long term guests but 14 days is pushing it. As it is I expect the cruise industry is DOA and both Portland and Bar Harbor got boatloads of cruise ship passengers all summer long into the fall.
At BSP they dont charge the road fee to Maine residents and if you have out of state plates they usually ask what state you are from and if any one in the car is from Maine they usually wave the road fee.
At BSP they dont charge the road fee to Maine residents and if you have out of state plates they usually ask what state you are from and if any one in the car is from Maine they usually wave the road fee.
DayTrip
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Is that directed at me? I thought I was making a pretty harmless generalized statement about out government letting us down over the years by failing to deal with significant issues and pass strong legislation. Given the limitations of this forum regarding politics it is hard to make more than a blanket statement on these things. I'm not specifically attacking any particular person, position or party. I'm just generally disappointed with where we are overall in government. If this is the kind of statement that is going to get people all fired up and offended it's hard to imagine any of us having a conversation about anything unless we all agree 100% in advance, at which point there is nothing to talk about....
sierra
Well-known member
Absolutely not, wasn't directed at anyone specific. The political dialog was already going on when you chimed in. Hey its not my ball, if the admins let the discussion go on, so be it. It's just more political then usual for this site.
HAMTERO
Active member
Thank you moderators
Best thread in years! It’s actually worth checking back every day.
ChrisB
Well-known member
True!
I think it's hilarious how some of us start thinking like lawyers as we seek ways to avoid the spirit (if not the letter) of these stay at home orders.
Your honor, my client asks this court, "What does 'appropriate' actually mean in the context of this order???" OMG
And on this topic, I wonder: Is appropriate for me to sneak a day of solitary fly fishing in the Swift River this week?
What say you jury?
jfb
Active member
Because I live in Vermont (a half mile from MA), if I drive to my nearest supermarket to buy food, I can return home no problem. But if I drive the same distance to a hardware store, I have to self-quarantine for 14 days when I get home. If I stop to buy beer on the way back from the hardware store, no problem. What am I going to do with all that beer?
When I read that the fourteen day quarantine requirement in Maine would extend through August, I immediately wrote Maine off as a possible place to spend my vacation dollars. I'm sure I'm not alone.
This will kill the hospitality industry and my guess end of June there'll be pressure to end that requirement to save the economy. Unsure how people who live in, say, Portsmouth or Newburyport or North Conway, go about crossing the border. Is there a host of exemptions? Haven't really looked at the order. My NH friend and I were thinking of doing the six pack this summer (she needs it for NEHH) and wonder if we could and stay within guidelines.
This will kill the hospitality industry and my guess end of June there'll be pressure to end that requirement to save the economy. Unsure how people who live in, say, Portsmouth or Newburyport or North Conway, go about crossing the border. Is there a host of exemptions? Haven't really looked at the order. My NH friend and I were thinking of doing the six pack this summer (she needs it for NEHH) and wonder if we could and stay within guidelines.
I have written to all of my NH state legislators about the situation. They've all responded saying that they oppose the trailhead closures, that they are concerned that the trailhead closures are causing excess usage on the trails that remain open, and that they are working with the governor to keep the state park trailheads open.
It's sad how some people are misunderstanding what the actual orders say, most particularly the Forest Service, but others, who think they know what the orders mean when the actual text of the orders says otherwise.
It's sad how some people are misunderstanding what the actual orders say, most particularly the Forest Service, but others, who think they know what the orders mean when the actual text of the orders says otherwise.
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
The NH Governor will release his reopening plan on Friday (May 1st) as his current stay at home order ends May 4th. Every indication is the order will be extended with some reopening.He is getting a lot of feedback from the towns on campground reopening.
The next big date is May 23rd as the ATV trails in north country are scheduled to reopen. That brings a flood of ATV owners, usually overnight into Coos county from all over New England and a large demand for tourist services which currently are closed. The ATV activity may be inherently social distancing but the parties and events at the end of the day almost every weekend where many local organizations and small business's make a big chunk of their profits are inherently great places to transmit a virus. Unlike the hiking public, the local ATV industry has a fairly clear and effective media and political presence, if they don't like something they tend to speak as one and loudly to local and regional politicians. If the governor messes with the ATV crowd he is going to make a lot of enemies and major economic impact to the north country. To date Coos county has had minimal CV-19 impact, with only two reported cases several weeks old. The economic impact of the shutdown to the county is reported to be higher than other parts of the state as the economy is far more fragile. There will be a temptation to try to open things up sooner rather than later to retain some sort of economic activity. Gorham is racing to put a new ATV access point in place in time so a short delay in opening the trails may be negotiated but since the season has not started yet, many of those that would be employed in the future but not employed due to CV-19 will not be able to access the enhanced unemployment benefits.
The next big date is May 23rd as the ATV trails in north country are scheduled to reopen. That brings a flood of ATV owners, usually overnight into Coos county from all over New England and a large demand for tourist services which currently are closed. The ATV activity may be inherently social distancing but the parties and events at the end of the day almost every weekend where many local organizations and small business's make a big chunk of their profits are inherently great places to transmit a virus. Unlike the hiking public, the local ATV industry has a fairly clear and effective media and political presence, if they don't like something they tend to speak as one and loudly to local and regional politicians. If the governor messes with the ATV crowd he is going to make a lot of enemies and major economic impact to the north country. To date Coos county has had minimal CV-19 impact, with only two reported cases several weeks old. The economic impact of the shutdown to the county is reported to be higher than other parts of the state as the economy is far more fragile. There will be a temptation to try to open things up sooner rather than later to retain some sort of economic activity. Gorham is racing to put a new ATV access point in place in time so a short delay in opening the trails may be negotiated but since the season has not started yet, many of those that would be employed in the future but not employed due to CV-19 will not be able to access the enhanced unemployment benefits.
iAmKrzys
Member
Here is a link to "AN ORDER ESTABLISHING ARRIVING QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVELERS IN MAINE": https://www.maine.gov/governor/mill...strictions On Travelers Arriving in Maine.pdf Less than 4 pages, so a quick read. Perhaps I am missing something, but I don't see any travel exemptions mentioned in this order.
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hikerbrian
Active member
Thanks for posting, I hadn't read that previously. We have a reservation at a house in ME on a lake in August, so the order to close all short term rentals impacts us. Guess we're canceling that one! Perhaps things will be settled by then, but we need to cancel 90 days in advance (so mid-May) to get our deposit back.
JoshandBaron
Well-known member
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
Whatever you do document all the discussions and preferably get any changes of terms in writing. Things could get nasty at some point from a legal perspective and generally verbal agreements to modify terms are not worth much in court.
Just received the email that all AMC huts are closed this "the remainder of 2020." I have the option to do Pinkham or Highland, get a refund or a credit, or book for 2021.
What's Clint Eastwood got to do with this?I personally am shocked that this wasn't a Clint Eastwood character spitting.
Well, the curve has been flattened in Maine, and elsewhere in Northern NE. So why are trailheads still closed? I thought the goal was to "flatten the curve". That's what we've been hearing for weeks. Well? Few hospitals were overwhelmed, even in NYC where the USNS Comfort is leaving because it is apparently not needed. Certainly not in northern NE. The new goal appears to be no more cases...and good luck with that. I mean, most of the country has been locked down...where are all these new cases coming from? As many experts have postulated, maybe the lockdown is not only not effective but the wrong thing to do. And remember, those projections had lockdowns and social distancing baked into them. Maine has had a total of 52 deaths as of this morning in a state of 1.3 million. Each governor up here is afraid to be the first to open things up. And of course, the real problem is the proximity of NY and MA.
https://time.com/5827156/squashing-squash-curve-coronavirus-covid19/
https://time.com/5827156/squashing-squash-curve-coronavirus-covid19/
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