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 蜜柚直播鈥檚 Desert Research Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, was proclaiming the closure a success.

Last weekend鈥檚 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.

鈥淭he fact that 90% of the walkers were upholding the closure 鈥� that鈥檚 a great tribute to the community,鈥� said Wilder. 鈥淭he 10% who are choosing not to uphold 鈥� that鈥檚 a slap in the face to everyone who鈥檚 upholding.鈥�

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.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful day 鈥� I don鈥檛 feel like staying inside all day,鈥� one walker said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nobody up here 鈥� I don鈥檛 see a problem,鈥� 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, 鈥淚鈥檓 not touching what other people are touching,鈥� she said.

Wilder, when told of the walkers鈥� comments, responded, 鈥淚f everyone thought like that, it wouldn鈥檛 be safe.鈥�

His staff monitors the hill periodically, but it鈥檚 too limited to check hourly for violators, he said. But if more people walk it, 鈥渨e will react accordingly鈥� and start citing violators, he said.

鈥淭he last thing we want to be doing is policing our community,鈥� Wilder said. 鈥淥ur community is under so much stress right now.鈥�