Mountain Vacation Booked, Covid heating up

[Born2Fish]

I booked a cabin the the NC mountains for 1 week vacation. Me, DW, DS, DD.

Now the Delta variant has cases on the rise.

The daily activities will be low exposure - hiking trails, tubing down mountain streams, waterfalls, trout fishing. We can easily avoid exposure to others.

I am concerned about possible exposure from the folks that rented the cabin the week before us. Any chance we could become infected if one or more of the previous occupants was infected while there?

Should I just go for it or cancel and re-book later on? If I cancel before August 1st then I get a full refund.

My family and I are vaccinated and in very good health.

Am I overthinking it?

Should I just go and bring our own disinfectant to spray and wipe down any surfaces?

I REALLY want to be able to spend a week enjoying the mountains.

 

[iloveyoga]

My personal opinion is you will be fine, to go and enjoy your nice vacation. I don't think the virus spreads much from surfaces, but always good to clean in general. Your activities sound very safe to me and you are vaccinated.

 

[Montecfo]

You are overthinking it.

 

[audreyh1]

I booked a cabin the the NC mountains for 1 week vacation. Me, DW, DS, DD.

Now the Delta variant has cases on the rise.

The daily activities will be low exposure - hiking trails, tubing down mountain streams, waterfalls, trout fishing. We can easily avoid exposure to others.

I am concerned about possible exposure from the folks that rented the cabin the week before us. Any chance we could become infected if one or more of the previous occupants was infected while there?

Should I just go for it or cancel and re-book later on? If I cancel before August 1st then I get a full refund.

My family and I are vaccinated and in very good health.

Am I overthinking it?

Should I just go and bring our own disinfectant to spray and wipe down any surfaces?

I REALLY want to be able to spend a week enjoying the mountains.

I would not be worried about the cabin at all. I think surface transmission is super low. Sharing air at the same time with infected people is what is dangerous. You can open windows and do a bit more cleaning of counter surfaces when arrive if you like, but I bet it doesn’t matter. You can always take your own pillows if you like.

I would probably take most of my own groceries and avoid visiting inside local shops perhaps. I wouldn’t be concerned about outside activities.

 

[Midpack]

Since you're vaccinated, I think it's manageable. You should take some precautions, like masking up around strangers/crowds, but outdoors with folks you know you should be fine? We have two vacations coming up, and we'll be as careful as possible, but we're not planning to cancel. We are flying for one vacation, that's the scariest proposition to me. I sure hope we don't end up seated with passengers who want to fight the mask requirements...

 

[harllee]

Where in the NC mountains? I have a cabin in Banner Elk and can give you some ideas of safe outdoor things to do if you are in that area. I would not be worried at all about the rental, that is not how Covid spreads. I would be worried about being in crowds, especially indoors. The vaccine rate is low in my area of the NC mountains and very few people wear masks. Unfortunately I was harassed recently for wearing a mask inside a grocery near my mountain cabin so be prepared for some of that.

 

[tulak]

I wouldn’t worry at all. You’re vaccinated and unless you have underlying health issues, the odds of you having a bad outcome are low if you get infected. And odds of that sound low based on where you’ll be.

 

[Aerides]

I would not worry at all and have a good time. If you're at all worried about prior visitors, run in, open all the windows for an hour before you unpack and settle in, and go have lunch, then come back (but even that is overkill).

 

[jollystomper]

DO not worry about it. Bring a few cans of Lysol Disinfectant Spray (or equivalent) to spray out the cabin, if you are really concerned.

 

[ivinsfan]

As a point of reference for the last 3 months our Menards has free with rebate sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer.


3 weeks ago they started paying you take the hand sani as in by a BIG bottle for 3 dollars and get a 4 dollar rebate per bottle up to 12 bottles.


So time has shown that its the airborne close contact that's the issue not the surface germs or touching something.



I guess you need to ask yourself if you feel you. can relax and have fun

 

[Montclairbobbyb]

Wife and I went the camper trailer route; we bought a Casita Spirit Deluxe 17 ft (just before Covid, luckily). We love.it; it has everything we need and we outfitted it for off-grid boondocking. And we can unhook our tow vehicle, which to us is huge. Spending 2 weeks on the coast of Maine in September... This is RETIREMENT, baby!!!

https://casitatraveltrailers.com/

 

[skyking1]

Those vectors have been proven negligible by all the studies. Go forth and have a great time, and treat the virus for what it really is, an airborne risk.
Stay away or upwind and when it gets less than about 10 feet separation, mask up.

 

[Bamaman]

You are overthinking it.

Take a spray bottle of Lysol, and do a quick wipe down of any hard surfaces.

We've been in the mountains a few times recently, and found it very easy to distance yourself from others.

We did have a bear visit one night sniffing where I had dropped and broke a bottle of fine German beer. He just snorted and went on his way.

 

[vafoodie]

Which NC mountains? Love it there! We have a cabin in Waynesville, and I’d happily give you some recommendations.

 

[Born2Fish]

Thanks all for your perspectives. We are definitely going!!

We have been vacationing in the NC mountains for over 30 years. We always managed to build lasting memories.

Started out tent camping on the Oconoluftee River near Cherokee. Tubing, fishing, hiking, gem mining - we did it all.

We have hiked all over. I love Linville Gorge, Wilson Creek, Grandfather Mountain area (McRae’s Peak is a favorite). Great Smoky Mountains national park is another favorite.

Going to stay at a cabin in Burnsville on the South Toe River, very close to the trailhead for Mt. Mitchell trail. We stayed at a cabin nearby several years ago and we loved the area.

We moved near the coast to retire but still try to spend time in the mountains, too.

 

[Chuckanut]

I think you are worrying too much. But, just to be sure think ventilation. As soon as you get to the cabin, put on your mask and go through it throwing every window and door open. Let it completely air out, replacing the indoor air with fresh outside air. Then move in for the week. Problem solved, unless you invite some virus shedding stranger into your vacation home.

My understanding is that most of that wiping down of stuff we did last year was not really necessary unless a virus shedding person had very recently touched or sneezed on something.

 

[harllee]

Thanks all for your perspectives. We are definitely going!!

We have been vacationing in the NC mountains for over 30 years. We always managed to build lasting memories.

Started out tent camping on the Oconoluftee River near Cherokee. Tubing, fishing, hiking, gem mining - we did it all.

We have hiked all over. I love Linville Gorge, Wilson Creek, Grandfather Mountain area (McRae’s Peak is a favorite). Great Smoky Mountains national park is another favorite.

Going to stay at a cabin in Burnsville on the South Toe River, very close to the trailhead for Mt. Mitchell trail. We stayed at a cabin nearby several years ago and we loved the area.

We moved near the coast to retire but still try to spend time in the mountains, too.

Burnsville is a neat town. If you go north to Spruce Pine, get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and go a little further north to Altapass Orchard, a neat apple orchard with a nice store, apple pie and ice cream and mountain music and dancing on Sat/Sun afternoons at 2:30 in an outside pavilion. We like to eat at Little Switzerland Cafe, has outside seating. They have their own outdoor smoker, I highly recommend the smoked trout BLT

 

[old medic]

Burnsville is a neat town. If you go north to Spruce Pine, get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and go a little further north to Altapass Orchard, a neat apple orchard with a nice store, apple pie and ice cream and mountain music and dancing on Sat/Sun afternoons at 2:30 in an outside pavilion. We like to eat at Little Switzerland Cafe, has outside seating. They have their own outdoor smoker, I highly recommend the smoked trout BLT

And we were trying to think of where to ride the bike to today....
so many roads, so little time.

 

[Born2Fish]

Burnsville is a neat town. If you go north to Spruce Pine, get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and go a little further north to Altapass Orchard, a neat apple orchard with a nice store, apple pie and ice cream and mountain music and dancing on Sat/Sun afternoons at 2:30 in an outside pavilion. We like to eat at Little Switzerland Cafe, has outside seating. They have their own outdoor smoker, I highly recommend the smoked trout BLT

We will have to check out the Little Switzerland Cafe.

I remember stopping in Little Switzerland several years ago to grab a coffee. While in line my sister phoned and asked where we were. I said, "Little Switzerland". She thought we had travelled to Switzerland!!

Our cabin was on a gravel road in the Pisgah Natl Forest within walking distance of the beginning of the Mt Mitchell trail at the Black Mountain campground. A bear opened a cooler sitting outside on a table overnight and chewed open a few bottles of water. The cooler only contained ice and water. The cooler has teeth marks on it now.

We still use the cooler and call it "the bear cooler".

I lived in eastern NC for 25 years before moving to the NC coast 2 years ago. I am always torn between enjoying coastal living and spending time exploring the mountains.

My entire family loves our time spent outdoors. Looking forward to the upcoming adventure.

Life is good!

Edit to add: DW told me that the Switzerland Cafe was the place we stopped to get coffee!...

 

[Born2Fish]

Which NC mountains? Love it there! We have a cabin in Waynesville, and I’d happily give you some recommendations.

We are going to be near Mt. Mitchell on this trip, about 65 miles Northeast of Waynesville.

I remember Waynesville from the times we vacationed in the Sylva/Dillsboro, Cherokee, Bryson City area.

You are lucky to have a cabin there! What do you like to do around Waynesville?

 

[vafoodie]

We are going to be near Mt. Mitchell on this trip, about 65 miles Northeast of Waynesville.

I remember Waynesville from the times we vacationed in the Sylva/Dillsboro, Cherokee, Bryson City area.

You are lucky to have a cabin there! What do you like to do around Waynesville?

My husband likes to pretend he’s in a Hallmark movie since the town looks like a set for one. We go to the breweries, hike around Lake Junaluska, and go to Asheville and other cute towns.

 

[Born2Fish]

Wife and I went the camper trailer route; we bought a Casita Spirit Deluxe 17 ft (just before Covid, luckily). We love.it; it has everything we need and we outfitted it for off-grid boondocking. And we can unhook our tow vehicle, which to us is huge. Spending 2 weeks on the coast of Maine in September... This is RETIREMENT, baby!!!

https://casitatraveltrailers.com/

Good timing - looks like a nice camper trailer!!

I have considered doing the same in a couple of years. Hopefully I can find a good deal like you did.

 

[Born2Fish]

My husband likes to pretend he’s in a Hallmark movie since the town looks like a set for one. We go to the breweries, hike around Lake Junaluska, and go to Asheville and other cute towns.

That sounds like a fun place.

 

[audreyh1]

Seriously, I can’t imagine a safer way to have a vacation during a pandemic. Your own cabin, up in the mountains, outdoor activities, lots of fresh air. You should be delighted to have a remote place to hide away from the masses during an outbreak, even if just for a week.

 

[MRG]

You are fine. If you need groceries it's good to bring your own I'd possible. Not sure about NC but here the groceries are picked clean. It's almost like last spring with more paper products.