Bright Owl Writing & Editing

Usually, she would be the only one here. 
It’s 5 p.m. on a Sunday. It’s the time she usually arrives at the Jardine Juniper Trailhead in Logan Canyon. Normally, this lot is empty. 
Today, though, there’s a Honda. And a Jeep. And a Subaru, just like hers. Haven Thorson parks her blue car next to the green one and smiles. 
“I’ve noticed a lot more people outside. The trails are a lot more full,” she said. “I wasn’t anticipating having to deal with more people on the trails, but it’s honestly a good thing that more people are enjoying nature.” 
Many people have been spending more time enjoying nature as a result of shutdowns from COVID-19 — and long-term enthusiasts have taken notice. But rather than being upset at a loss of solitude, many are excited by the prospect of getting to share something they love. Thorson has always loved being outside. Even with her busy schedule, with two jobs and classes for graduate school, she is in nature every week. She loves hiking alone or with friends. And she even likes hiking around strangers. 
Thorson said she is glad to see more people spending time outside. “There are so many cool things to explore, especially around here,” she says. “A lot of times it’s taken for granted, but I’m glad to see that more and more people are spending time outside.” 
Nathan Miller has lived in Logan for four years. He has been working at Al’s Sporting Goods for two years. Miller works at the bike desk, overseeing rentals, repairs, and sales. As an avid mountain biker, he has always enjoyed being outdoors. He enjoys talking about bikes. He loves helping others learn to enjoy biking. He wants more people to get outside. He’s outside a lot. He’s noticed his trails are a lot busier lately.
“I’m honestly not too bothered by it,” Miller said. “I love being outside and now that more people have experience being outside, I can share that with a lot more people. We have a lot more in common.” 
Jason Larsen, the president of Al’s, noticed an uptick in sales and traffic following shutdowns from COVID. 
“There was a decrease at the beginning, but then things picked up,” Larsen said. “When movie theaters shut down and when summer hit, we definitely had more customers and families come into the store.” 
Larsen isn’t just happy because it’s good for business. He loves the outdoors, too. And he’s excited to see more people developing a similar love. 
“For a while there in April we were sold out of bikes for a long time,” Miller said. “During that time we saw a huge influx of repairs because everyone was getting their old bikes out. We were three or four months out on repair work.” 
As people adjust to the new normal and businesses reopen, will companies like Al’s start to lose the traffic they’ve gained over the past few months? Miller doesn’t think so. “I think people will still be outdoors more,” Miller said. “Now that they’ve experienced it in a non-social way. I could be wrong, maybe they hated it, but I think there will be a lot more people outside from here on out.”