Most of Tumamoc Hill’s walkers are staying away while the hill is closed to the public because of the coronavirus — but some scofflaws are sneaking up.
About 20 cars were parked along Anklam Road on Tuesday afternoon near the entrance to a paved road up the hill that has drawn desert lovers for decades. But considering that dozens of vehicles are usually parked there, Ben Wilder, director of the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s Desert Research Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, was proclaiming the closure a success.
Last weekend’s hill walker count was about 10% of the approximately 1,500 people and 1,700 people who climbed the hill the Saturday and Sunday, respectively, before the hill was closed on March 18, Wilder said.
Desert Laboratory officials closed Tumamoc because they felt traffic of 1,500 people or more would not be in keeping with recommendations and orders made by various officials and health experts to limit crowd sizes.
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“The fact that 90% of the walkers were upholding the closure — that’s a great tribute to the community,†said Wilder. “The 10% who are choosing not to uphold — that’s a slap in the face to everyone who’s upholding.â€
A new sign posted along Anklam informs passersby of the closure.
Three women hiking the hill Tuesday afternoon would not give their names. They said they either felt it was safe to go up there now because so few people were using it, or felt they needed the exercise.
“It’s a beautiful day — I don’t feel like staying inside all day,†one walker said.
“There’s nobody up here — I don’t see a problem,†another said.
A third walker said she feels safer on the hill than at her restaurant job, dishing out to-go food, or when grocery shopping.
Here, “I’m not touching what other people are touching,†she said.
Wilder, when told of the walkers’ comments, responded, “If everyone thought like that, it wouldn’t be safe.â€
His staff monitors the hill periodically, but it’s too limited to check hourly for violators, he said. But if more people walk it, “we will react accordingly†and start citing violators, he said.
“The last thing we want to be doing is policing our community,†Wilder said. “Our community is under so much stress right now.â€
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥-area, Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Cynthia Carsten, assistant chief nursing officer at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center, talks with Bill Fleming, director of security for the hospital, inside TMC’s COVID-19 command center.
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Kim Fore, left, operations section chief, talks with Cynthia Carsten, assistant chief nursing officer for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center, inside TMC’s COVID-19 Command Center at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center, 5301E. Grant Rd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on March 24, 2020. TMC put together a command center as a response to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
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Susan Snedaker, information security officer for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center and logistics chief, works inside TMC's COVID-19 Command Center at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center, 5301E. Grant Rd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on March 24, 2020. TMC put together a command center as a response to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
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Pam Haskell, right, plans her next move after leaving a load of supplies and food outside the door of Rancho Encanto #2, one of her two assisted living homes, after getting a shipment via Sysco, March 24, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
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Phoebe Haskell uses wipes to clean packages of strawberries for her grandmother Pam Haskell as they sort a bulk shipment of groceries and supplies delivered by Sysco to one of Pam's two assisted living homes, March 24, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.