What Social Distancing Looks like in Baker, Nevada

It was mid-March when things started getting weird fast. On Friday, March 13 Millard County Schools announced that they would transition to online school, starting Monday, March 16. We went to Ely on the weekend, including a stop at the grocery store, where the run on toilet paper had already started (fortunately we had gotten lots of supplies at the end of February when we took a trip to Salt Lake City).

On Sunday, March 15, White Pine County Schools announced that they would go to online schooling starting Monday, March 23. All the announcements were for two to three week periods, but it didn't seem likely that the Coronavirus would be over that fast.

I started doing mostly tele-working, but one day when I went in to get files, I found a co-worker all geared up to clean restrooms. This was the very start of going to lots of PPE. 


We had an all-employee meeting outside. This was the start of social distancing at work.

On March 17, Lehman Caves and the Visitor Center closed. For about a week, rangers would meet visitors outside, making them stay behind a six-foot distance line and answer questions. Later they just had people phone in if they had questions.


On March 25, the campground closed along with restrooms.


Viewing scopes were bagged to keep people from touching them and possibly spreading germs.


People were encouraged not to touch the pay phone.
 

Desert Girl puts out a monthly newspaper and gave a schedule of what life was like under stay-at-home time aka quarantine.


We started getting used to Zoom meetings. Here's a 4-H meeting, where we still managed to show off an animal!

We started baking more, even trying our hand at donuts (they were a little flat!). We also gladly participated in getting carry out from our local businesses, such as the Border Inn, Kerouac's and Salt & Sucre catering. It's such a mood booster to look forward to some different cooking!

On April 15, Great Basin National Park totally closed. By about this time, it was obvious that schools would not be reopening for the spring semester.

It was weird seeing the barricades at the park entrance.

Signs at the visitor center gave some safety announcements.



On May 9, the roads and trails in the Park reopened, although the campgrounds stay closed during this Phase 1 of reopening.


The restrooms with plumbing soon reopened, although with alternate days so that any bad germs would die.


In the meantime, people were boosting each other's spirits. Whispering Elms put these lovely messages on their windows.

Chalk art appeared at the post office.

Humor showed up at the post office bulletin board.

We're still all asking what this skeleton at R&R Reststop wants to know, "Quarantine How Long?"


It may still be quite awhile before Great Basin National Park and local businesses are up and running like usual. But seeing the small things people do to improve each other's lives is like seeing the rainbow. It's beautiful and reminds us that even the bad things will end.

We can get through this together.