I want to paddle this year, but I’m concerned about the risk that our usual car shuttles present. Limiting the number of people in a car, requiring masks and leaving the windows open certainly reduce the risk, but the risk is still present. My age puts me at higher risk if I contract Covid, so prudence demands that I take better precautions.
I have been leading trips for the past few weeks. I don’t care for lake/pond/lagoon paddling, I much prefer rivers. My solution to the dilemma is to leave car shifts to the people on my trips. Couples have been bringing both cars and shifting themselves. Some people have been shifting themselves with bicycles. A few have “buddied up” and shifted themselves. I am fine with all of that, because it gives everyone the opportunity to decide for themselves how much risk they want to assume, and gives everyone the opportunity to paddle.
I look forward to getting back to “normal”, but that’s going to take immunity – a vaccine, herd immunity or recovering from the disease. In the meantime, I’ll be satisfied as long as I have a way to arrange my trips.