The SHTT recently invested in proper hiking boots in preparation for Epic Road Trip 2009. The salesman at REI was very helpful in pointing us towards the most expensive pair of boots for our particular activity. Unfortunately, they felt so damn good that we couldn't resist buying them. After lessons in how to fit boots, how to tie your boot laces, and other extremely basic concepts, we had boots. In an effort to have people make fun of us, Nate and I bought matching boots, the Asolo Fugitive GTX:
According to REI's website these boots are perfect for trekkers who demand light weight and comfort. I don't remember demanding any such thing but they both sound nice. In addition to the boots, we also decided to buy some nice woolen socks and liners for our boots. With all of these things, the moisture created by our sweaty feet would immediately be magically whisked away to evaporate elsewhere. Savvy adventurers call this wicking; I call it good for the prevention of trenchfoot.
Apparently it is very important to break in your new hiking boots before using them for real. In other words, you must hike in your boots before you can hike in your boots. We set out to do this at the Cedar Ridge Preserve in Duncanville, Texas. The preserve is run by the Audubon Society of Dallas and boasts 10 miles of hiking trails that make various random loops and such.
As far as scenery went I can't say I recommend the Cedar Ridge Preserve, in fact I can't say I can recommend it for much of anything. Nonetheless, it suited our need for trails to hike and there was a nice water feature along one of the trails:
There was a tower to watch birds from:
We climbed it in hope of a scenic overlook. Disappointment followed:
We ended up hiking all of the trails in the preserve with no adverse effects on our feet. I was extremely pleased with my footwear apparatus and feel confident they will propel us to victory in Epic Road Trip 2009.
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