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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 2020)
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020 THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — 3B Mark Boster /Los Angeles Times-TNS The Grand Canyon closed to all visitors on Wednesday following earlier cut- backs of services and access to popular trails. Grand Canyon National Park closed to all visitors By Mary Forgione Los Angeles Times Grand Canyon National Park closed to visitors Wednesday, saying in a statement that it was following “the guidance of state and local health offi cials” who made the recommendation as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The move came a day after Arizona’s stay-at-home order went into effect. Also, a Grand Canyon Village resident on the South Rim of the canyon tested positive for COVID-19. The National Park Service earlier confi rmed that at least seven employees (none at the Grand Can- yon) had contracted the coronavirus. The nation’s second most popular park drew criticism over the last few weeks for leaving various roads and popular South Rim view points open to visitors. This al- lowed people to enter and gather in large numbers, which runs counter to public health rules. Last week, in an effort to discourage visitors, the park canceled backcountry camping and closed access to the popular Bright Angel, South Kaibab and North Kaibab trails that lead down into the canyon. Joshua Tree National Park also closed indefi nitely Wednesday over coronavirus concerns, the park’s website says. The 800,000-acre desert park east of Los Angeles earlier had closed campgrounds and access roads into the park but al- lowed walkers and cyclists to enter. Again, crowds of hikers, bicyclists and climb- ers fl ooded the park despite the partial closures. Grand Canyon, which receives more than 6 million visitors a year, and Joshua Tree join a growing list of parks in the West that have shut to visitors. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Canyonlands and Arches in Utah, Crater Lake in Oregon, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the San Francisco Bay Area are closed indefi nitely. Other national parks, such as Zion Na- tional Park in Utah, as well as Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California, have shut services, camp- grounds and some roads but kept natural areas open to hikers. Idaho restrictions to continue “Life will not go back to normal for a long time.” Idaho Gov. Brad Little said Thursday Little, who resisted putting signifi cant night that he expects to add some sort restraints on citizens until community of action on top of the 21-day, stay-home spread was confi rmed, said the stay-home order he issued March 25. order was not done “lightly.” He issued His original order runs through April 15. a county-wide order when community It was designed to slow the spread of the spread was confi rmed in Blaine County coronavirus. and a statewide order when it was con- “I know something will take its place,” fi rmed in the Boise area. Little said during a half-hour Q&A with Blaine County’s case total ballooned to Idaho Public Television. “As we see the sci- 351 on Thursday as it has experienced one ence and the epidemiology from the other of the nation’s worst per-capita infections. places, as we see what we have here, we “This is not my natural state at all,” will adjust it. ... Until we have a vaccine, Little said, “in a state, the most unregu- until we have immunity, until we have lated state in the union, that’s my natural good treatments, something’s going to have state. But the safety of the people of Idaho to take place after the 15th, but it depends is paramount. ... It’s a heavy responsibility upon the science that’s out there. to me.” By Chadd Cripe The Idaho Statesman HOME There are plenty of resources out there to get you going. Continued from Page 2B If you’re looking for some Puzzles are also the perfect inspiration and want to get activity to do while listen- collaborative, HitRecord is an ing to a podcast or relaxing online platform that allows music. Plus, depending on the creatives to share and make size of the puzzle, you might art, whether it’s music, fi lm or be at it for a while. If you’re writing. feeling ambitious, you could attempt a 4,000-piece puzzle Organize your space I know, how dare I suggest like Ellen DeGeneres. this?! Hear me out, you’re go- Have a dance party ing to be spending a lot more It may sound silly, but time at home, so you might dancing is a great way to get as well make it a place you’re on your feet and shake off comfortable in! I’m not saying some stress. Why not make you need to go full on Marie it a party and get the whole Kondo, although you could if family in on it? There’s plenty you wanted, but rearranging of playlists out there of up- some furniture or declutter- beat songs to get you moving. ing your coffee table might Watch out for the furniture! make a bigger difference to how you feel about being Cook or bake home than you would think. How many times have You might want to dust off you told yourself you need to your old Pinterest account for start meal-prepping? Now is this one. the perfect time to try new Look at old photos recipes, plan meals and ex- One of my favorite pas- periment in the kitchen! Just be sure to wash your produce times is to look through old photos. My family has shoe well. boxes and shoe boxes full Practice your hobby/ of them, so I’ve spent hours passion reminiscing. Photos are also What do you love to do, a great way to connect with but don’t get to do often your family and friends. because of time? Now is the Whenever I look through time to pick up that instru- them, I can’t help but take ment again or start writing photos of some of the funniest that book or learn that new or cutest ones and text them language. It might be hard to to my family. You could also keep up at fi rst, but devot- watch home videos! Which, ing a little time each day to depending on how you have whatever you want to craft them saved, may need to be will make a huge difference. digitized. Another great way to spend time! Video chat with friends Staying connected with loved ones is more important than ever right now. Face- Time, Skype, Zoom and other video chatting platforms are great tools we can use to virtually interact with friends and family. You can even get creative and share a meal or watch a movie at the same time. The Chrome extension Netfl ix Party allows you to watch movies and TV shows in sync with your friends! If you’re itching for a game night, Tabletop Simulator is a platform that allows users to play and create games with other users. Rest and help others Something we all need to do during this time is allow ourselves to rest. If you have the means to do so, use this time to take a step back, breathe and take care of your mind and body. Try to help others who are high risk or those who don’t have the luxury of being able to stay home. Maybe a neighbor of yours is part of the vulnerable population and needs help getting groceries. Perhaps their garden needs some tending. Even giving a call to someone quarantined could brighten their day. As diffi cult and uncertain as this time is, there are still many ways we can take care of ourselves and those around us. Photo by Ethan Shaw This type of rock outcrop is known as a “tor.” These are granitic rocks in the western end of the Wallowas. LANDFORMS staggered, stair-step mountainsides. We have knife-edge ridges and broad saddleback ones. Continued from Page 1B We even have a caldera: the blasted-open Some look like shark fi ns, some like half- volcanic edifi ce of Tower Mountain. domes, some like clipper ships riding high Rock outcrops here take the form of belted over a sea of cirques, ridges and troughs. cliffbands and colonnaded rimrock, forebod- Our mountain margins may be strikingly ing crags and ice-smoothed bosses, subtle steep faulted fronts: the Teton-esque east scabland blisters. Some of my favorites are face of the Elkhorns, the Wallowa Valley’s our many “tors,” those broken stacks and pil- postcard backdrop, the spur-ribbed fl anks of lars scattered from foothill knolls and slopes the Grande Ronde, the loom of the Strawber- amid the dacites and andesites of the Powder rys over the John Day Valley. Or they may River Volcanics to the gray rocklands of the be dribblings of benches and foothills, easing Elkhorn and Wallowa batholiths. They have down from the high country over long miles the look of castle ruins, just as some of our to subside into rolling plains or basins — or great basalt dikes have the look of ruined continuing to plummet into the deeps of some fortress walls. of the continent’s most impressive canyons. It’s quite the topographic quilt, quite the We have some mighty rock walls — none litany of landforms. Tremendous country to mightier than the white west face of the walk over, to ride over — and to sweep over Matterhorn in the Wallowas — and also in the mind’s-eye, anytime and anyplace.