Originally Posted by
BasinCruiser
Just got back from a trip to Tetons/Yellowstone this weekend. Was kind of surprised to see a big street info sign pulling into Jackson Hole saying that masks are required county wide. I guess they have enough liberal power in Jackson, and with it being a central hub of international tourist travel to the NPS nearby, to pull that off. Only place I got out at in Jackson was at Maverick where all but a couple of people were muzzled. I had to shake my head as i was heading north of Jackson Hole toward Tetons to see people riding bikes on the bike trail beside the road wearing masks.
Hiking through Teton trails was interesting, to say the least. When crossing paths with many people, they would jump 5 feet of the trail, and if they weren't already muzzled, they would hurry and grab theirs and pull up over their face as we would walk by.
I have seen an article or 2 about the social impacts to personal interactions with people in public to mask wearing, and how it will likely cause people to be less sociable and have less interaction with others they don't know. I easily witnessed this myself as I cross all kinds of people on the trail around Jenny Lake. In crossing people this weekend, I noticed a very distinct difference in the reactions of muzzled vs non-muzzled people. When out hiking, as I cross others on the trail, I am used to making eye contact, smiling, nodding the head, and giving a warm greeting (Hello, how's it going, good day). I'll bet 80 % of non-muzzled people this weekend followed this standard norm. But the muzzled people, on the other hand were largely (> 90%) very much different. Most wouldn't nod, say hello, make any acknowledgement. About the only noticable change I could see in muzzled people as I would pass them would be the considered actual oppposite of normal welcoming people out in public - many actually would either turn their eyes and head away from me as I passed, or if they had their muzzle hanging down around their chin, would go into a total panic and hurry to grab it and pull it over their mouth and nose as I would pass. It's like they viewed me, unmuzzled, as the great unwashed, filthy, unlean. I felt like i was a leper. I think I would have received more warm welcomes if I were wearing a big stitched scarlet letter 'A' on my chest. It was really bizarre, weird, and uncomforable. After passing a group of muzzled folks and felt like being publicly shunned, it was a nice breathtaking reprieve to then pass a group of smiling, happy unmuzzled people who were happy to acknowledge my presence and give a warm welcome trail greeting with a big smile.
