Date: 2009-03-18
To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

How ready am I and is this possible?Has anyone else gotten to the point of practicing flossing without a mirror?It's gotten that bad. I did countless day hikes last year with my full outfit..25 -30 lbs with food. Sometimes heavier as there is not much water at high elevations during summer in the Wasatch Range.Still haven't got everything worked out. Besides health and wealth two big ones:1. SHOES: ANYONE REMEMBER Imelda Marcos? my shoe line up picture. Because I have size 15 oddly shaped feet it is pretty darn near impossible to fit. I better work out and break in ahead of time. For the past year I've been trying out, from lightest to heaviest: 2pairs, Montrail Streak, trailrunner; Vasque Breeze lowcut light walker; Montrail Hardrock Mid, fastpacker/runner; Vasque Breeze GTX, light hiker; Vasque Switchback, light hiker and Montrail Helium GTX,heavy backpack.So far no perfect fit or clear winner. I've tried all 15s at all running and outfitters of which Salt Lake has plenty.Also wore out one pair of Montrail Hardrocks which were the most comfortable and fastest ever until the heel collapsed to one side causing my bad ankle to deteriorate rapidly. Montrail sent me a pair of Streaks as warranty on the Hardrocks. Also wore out a pair of Vasque Breeze, which took a while to break in then not too much longer to break up. These are the best I can find but they all rub on various parts of my toes which are too long (picture a gorrila's fingers). I've been advised to get shoes 1/2 size big to allow for feet flattening out day after day with a pack. COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH TOES ALREADY HITTING! With coumadin blood thinner for AFIB heart condition, any pressue causes bleeding under the nails which has gotten infected. Once the nails are off and toes toughened it is much better. May have to resort to soft shoes which will stretch. Also use BODY GLIDE..It comes in a miniture version and looks like rub on anti persperant. I helps prevent blisters. It realy works I've been using for years in my bike shorts. Also doubles as sunscreen. So hopefully by next year come March I'll have tough feet with plenty of callouses and plenty of broken in shoes.2. STAYING DRYHard to test raingear with beautiful high desert weather here. I try to get out whenever we get the occasional downpour. So far nothing has kept me even slightly dry for more than an hour. Especially with driving wind. Tried Marmot Precipe Jacket and was wet from the shoulders before leaving the parking lot. After going over the seam sealing, tried the Precip jacket with a large silnylon poncho over it. No good wind blew the poncho all over and I kept stepping on the corners scrambling up rocks in the snow. Also tried the extra light Frog togs Dry Ducks which were pretty much shredded with just very light bushwacking. The frog toggs certainly breath well and are comfortable to the touch. I the heavier Frog Togs Pro-Action rain suit. Pants work pretty well, but still soak thru after rubbing on brush covered with very wet snow. I have yet to try the full heavier frog toggs full outfit thoroughly.Also found that the inside of my pack, Granite got wet even with a pack cover, due to water running between my back and the pack. My old REI gortex over mitts turned out to be only gortex one side. Gortex "waterproof" bike gloves also failed miserably. With 37 1/2" sleeve length I can't pull my hands into the sleeves. My hands got scary numb a few times....I could be bad out alone if I can't work the pack straps...In this case just keep moving to lower elevation and the car. My Gortex Vasque breeze kept my feet warm and dry for about 1 hour. After that the gortex seemed to trap more water! Also tried shoe covers modified from bike shoe covers. NEW PLAN: EVent ultra light overmitts, Event ultra light short gaitors, and I got a prototype thepacka from Ed "Cedar Tree" Hinault which is a combined pack cover jacket. Mine has an EVent Jacket with silnylon pack cover..about 110z in a generous XL. This seems like best ever while hiking but not sure how to make/break camp in the rain? No problem if close to a shelter. Will try the Frog Togg pants w Packa. Maybe get some light chaps if frogs leak too much. So maybe despite best efforts,I'm not really ready for 5months of AP.