
A marker at the San Francisco Bay Discovery site points North. The Sweeney Ride hike includes some steep climbs and remarkable views on the way to the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site. The site is where the Portola expedition discovered San Francisco Bay. Photo Credit: Douglas Zimmerman/SF Gate
I can feel my chest tightening.
Every time I scroll through Twitter. Every time I check my email. Every time any public official gets in front of a camera.
The coronavirus news cycle is all consuming and inescapable.
Until, well, you escape it. I do so by stepping foot on the Sweeney Ridge trailhead, one of the few activities still getting the thumbs up from medical experts and the Bay Area’s new shelter in place orders — provided COVID-19 precautions are followed (i.e. you still can't leave your county as of May 20, and need to ensure you're social distancing).
"You will still be able to walk your dog or go on a hike alone or with someone you live with, or even another person as long as you keep six feet between you," San Francisco Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax said on Monday.
I see six people during a two and a half hour hike, none of them get closer than six feet, one of them whizzes by on a bike, all of them say a comforting “hello” and — for the first time in a month — I (and my chest) feel some relief.

A sign marks the start of the trail. The Sweeney Ridge hike includes some steep climbs and remarkable views on the way to the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site. The site is where the Portola expedition discovered San Francisco Bay. Photo Credit: Douglas Zimmerman/SF Gate