Our departure date just gets closer. I always second guess starting dates on a trail, but reading the survey for last year’s group those who started a week or two or more before our start date were likely to have wished they had started later.
Those who started a week or so or more after our start date were likely to wish they had started sooner.
I’m glad to be in the middle of that.
Weather and time and chance happen, but we are doing our best. Getting excited and antcy.
April 17, I pick Win up from work and we head to Heather’s for a granddaughter birthday party and to store our car. Then we fly to El Paso and connect to Lordsburg for the shuttle the next morning at 6:15 in the morning and we are off.
One thing I’ve done is pick up some shoes in advance to be mailed to me as needed on trail.
Everyone says not to do that. Everyone says your feet will get bigger. I’ve backpacked over five thousand miles. No change in shoe size.
Yes. I understand it is common. For someone’s first trail I’d advise them to not get shoes in advance because their feet will probably get bigger.
But this is my third long trail. Yes. I understand that the advice is well meaning. But it is too often mindlessly parroted.
I’m in an eight wide (for Topos) and it is darn hard to find my size in stock.
Right now if you checked Topo’s website, their Amazon account and REI all three wouldn’t have any available in my size for the shoe o prefer (I’m certain here because I bought the last ones).
So for my CDT hike I’ve bought some in advance.
I’ll try to order replacements as I go, but it is very nice to know I’ll have some shoes (and I would have bought more if only they were in inventory).
Just venting.
There is just so much “traditional” knowledge that is just parroted over and over again. It often really isn’t true. Just recently advice about how to react to lightning storms was updated as the standard advice turned out to be wrong.
Sometimes the rote advice is worth considering. If you disregard it you should know why. But if someone doesn’t agree with you perhaps one might consider the possibility that there is a good reason.
And I’m excited to be on the trail again.