Scheduled Hikes Suspended – From Tom Orsi: I am going to temporarily suspend scheduled hikes, for a few reasons: The next scheduled hike would have been on ‘Black Friday,’ but I won’t be around to lead it, so I would have cancelled anyway. (see the note below about needing leaders). The number of COVID-19 cases in Oregon (and Coos County) has been increasing steadily over the last several weeks, and health authorities have recommended against large gatherings (and our hikes have attracted a lot of people). We are entering the rainy season, which makes it difficult to plan hikes. We’ve run out of nearby trails to hike, so we would just be repeating hikes from the last few months. I will probably start scheduling new hikes after the first of the new year, when I’m considering a hike on the Dunes to see the Yardangs. Use Facebook to Arrange Small Group Hikes – While scheduled hikes are suspended, I urge hikers to use the facebook group to arrange small group hikes. The hike on Black Friday would have been Bastendorff Bog, but Cape Arago/Shore Acres/Sunset Bay hikes are always good. South Slough is good, and is well marked. To arrange a small group hike, post your intention with the day and time, and let other group members know how many people you hope to have join. Check out the list of trails on the Coostrails Website.