Hiking in the Bay Area is extremely difficult right now. You have to wear a mask EVERYWHERE outside where you are near people.

On trails with 90+F weather you have to put your mask on every 30 seconds with how many people there are, it's a mess.

My mental health is not improving when there are a million people all trying to do outdoor activities in the limited space we have nearby.

Try a hiking loop in the Oakland hills parking at Redwood Bowl. The redwood canopy preserves a pleasant climate. It’s a popular spot but not bad like you’re describing. Yes you need to wear a mask much of the time, but you can get a comfortable mask that’s easy to flip on and off, it’s not a big deal.

This really doesn't reflect my experience. I live in the Bay Area and have gone hiking every weekend since quarantine started, both in local spots in and around the Bay and excursions to relatively-nearby Californian parks like Sequoia National Forest.

In my experience, you bring a mask with you when you hike, and occasionally put it on for maybe twenty seconds out of every five or ten minutes (or even rarer intervals when hiking in the more remote areas like the national parks) when you pass by someone on a trail and can't maintain distance. You hardly ever have to wear it.

And aside from this past weekend, it hasn't cracked 90 in the Bay Area pretty much all summer IIRC, and rarely even gets over 80.

I can't believe California is making people where masks outdoors.

I think the order is for masks outdoors when distance cannot be maintained. So almost never outdoors.

On most maintained trails in Washington this is all the time, practically. The little trails nestled in canyons in my area are so packed I don’t go near them anymore.

I highly doubt this is actually the case. I don’t doubt it is packed in the i90 corridor and Stevens pass, etc. that was always the case though.

There's 3 or 4 really big hikes that everyone does when they first get into hiking, or that people do multiple times per day when they're training for something bigger. Those are usually packed. And anything with mild elevation gain that leads to a lake before Snoqualmie Pass on I90 is packed. But once you get past Snoqualmie Pass the masses tend to thin out. And there are a lot of lesser-known peaks and destinations before the pass that a lot of people have never heard of and that I don't talk about.

What's strange about now is that the little neighborhood walks that lead down to beaches and other "hikes" like that are completely packed with people at all times, especially on weekends. It's actually to the point where people are parking multiple blocks away and then walking to the trailhead. It didn't used to be that way.

Yeah right on I don’t doubt that is the case. I was mostly refuting the “most” aspect of the post. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut though ;)

That’s what I thought also, but there is a lot of pressure to wear a mask where I am if you even walk out the door.

Only other people can apply pressure. If you're not near anyone, take the mask off. If someone is pressuring you to put on your mask, that person is probably close enough that you should have a mask on.

The stink eye can travel from distances way beyond 6 feet.

Well, it used to be a free country. I guess it was nice while personal liberty lasted. I for one, welcome our technocratic overlords.

Er, there's plenty of natural beauty, hiking/cycling/camping, & peaks higher than Mt. Tam east of Rockies, and even east of the Mississippi.

Otherwise, your point about there still being plenty of healthy ways to get out of the home, both practically and in accordance with official guidelines, is well-made.

I’m aware that there is but heavily biased towards the diversity and depth of the natural beauty of the West Coast.

Plus the humidity east of the Rockies makes outdoor anything unappealing, at least if you’re used to low humidity.

Yes, the crowds and the humidity are killing me. House is on the market and we’re moving back out as soon as we can.

It's actually pretty tough to camp these days. Everyone is doing it, so the familiar spots are packed with people eager to not wear a mask and rip through 24 beers in 24 hours.