Extremes

25 miles ago I climbed into another world.  So far the scenery has been a toasty combination of burning sun and little wind and shade.  But just north of the Pines-to-Palms highway we ascended into the San Jacintos Mountains where pine trees and thousand foot cliffs of solid white granite dominate the landscape.  I found myself at 8,000 feet with the most stunning surroundings that certainly even rival the White Mountains back east.  Incredible. There is a small mountain town that many hiker use for re-supply.  Idyllwild welcomes hikers with open arms and an enthusiasm I have not yet come across anywhere else.  Simply walking on the sidewalk in town with a pack on, every other car will slow down and offer a ride. 

The night before I was heading into town turned out to be 34 degrees with persistent wind that chilled everything it touched.  Even in a fairly sheltered valley near the gap it was difficult to stay warm with my desert gear.  Sure enough a frigid storm has been rolling through and many hikers are using it as a welcome break in a lovely little town.  40 degrees and rainy in town means it is 30 and snowing up above, not the time to be heading north.

A hikers' feet are perhaps the most important part of our bodies.  Hiking >20 miles a day certainly reveals any weaknesses and nowhere is that more thru than in our feet.  The shoes we use look more like running shoes with more aggressive traction than actual hiking boots.  The reason for this is trying to balance lightweight gear with function.  Furthermore, our feet literally grow so the size of shoe that a hiker starts with is hardly going to fit in a couple weeks.  The bones obviously don't actually get longer but the muscles and tendons stretch and spread out as our feet get stronger.  Some hikers go up as much as 2 sizes in the course of their hike.  Many hikers try to anticipate this and start with big shoes.  I started with shoes that were 1 size bigger and comparable to the size I ended up with on the Appalachian Trail.  Turns out that still wasn't enough, the desert heat may be a factor as well.  Luckily there is a great little outfitter in town that caters to thru-hikers in anticipation of the hundreds coming through needing to change their foot gear.  A small miscalculation can mean big injuries down the trail.  

Happy Trails
~BEADS