On riday, the first day of 2021, the U.S. recorded its 20 millionth confirmed coronavirus case since the beginning of the pandemic.
That's according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University, which reported 20,037,736 cases and 346,687 deaths in the U.S. at the time of publication on riday. Over 83 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide.
With COVI-19 cases still soaring across the U.S., it can be tempting to just ride the winter out on the couch, binging on Netflix. But psychologists say it's important in 2021 for us all to keep up human contact.
"Isolation and particularly quarantines and lockdowns have been associated with increases in distress, depression, anxiety," says ana Rose Garfin, a psychologist at the University of California, Irvine's Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing.
Social isolation and loneliness, Garfin notes, are also associated with health effects, including coronary heart disease, stroke and even premature death.
Looking down through the flume at Stewart Creek from the snowmobile bridge.
Taken on Friday January 1, 2021 at Cod Pond.
Down by campsite 8 which I explored for the first time today.
Taken on Friday January 1, 2021 at East Branch Sacandaga River.
It really was a good combination for dinner on New Years Eve with good artesian rye bread and swiss cheese. 😋
Taken on Thursday December 31, 2020 at East Branch Sacandaga River.
It was an absolutely beautiful night camping up on the East Branch of Sacandaga River. Fresh white snow under the moonlight, modest temperatures (for New Years Eve in Adirondacks), no wind and a full moon. 🌝It was so bright I killed the lights around midnight and could see like it was day. 🏮 I really thought about staying up north until Sunday but this is the forecast.
Tonight
Snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 4am, then freezing rain between 4am and 5am, then freezing rain and sleet after 5am. Low around 25. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total nighttime ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. Total nighttime snow and sleet accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.Saturday
Rain showers, snow, and sleet before 3pm, then a slight chance of snow between 3pm and 4pm. High near 33. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
I have no problem with snow. ❄️ I was parked less then 10 feet away from NY Route 8 – I left my truck intentionally at the end of the driveway and had it shoveled down to the gravel. I could shovel snow. I wasn’t that worried about a little sleet or ice. But rain, especially if it lasted most of the day on Saturday, that would be an enormous bummer. 🌧 While I could probably stay dry and warm in the tent, sitting next to the heater, truth be told that is cramped and no fun. I’d rather be home where I could walk around my apartment, be somewhere more comfortable then a tent sitting next the propane heater.
So instead today, I took down camp, hiked back to Stewart Creek and then hiked to a few locations along the East Branch of Scanadaga River. It was a pretty nice day, and now I am home, fully unpacked, going to take a shower and relax. 😌