[pct-l] bare foot hiking.

[Matt Thyer]

Your trail name reminds me of an interesting moment last spring.  I was up
on Table Mountain just north of town when there was still snow on the road.
My intent was to get to a trail (First Creek #1374
<http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/first-creek>) before anyone else might
for a run up the trail to the top of the mesa and then back around and down
another trail which would give me a big loop.  Up until this point I had
driven to within 2 or 3 miles of the trail head, gotten out and walked/run
down the road because of snow cover.  This day I had been able to drive
through many of the snow patches without incident.

As I made my way along the little forest road I ended up running into a wall
of snow which I knew I couldn't drive through.  So I parked, slipped on my
FiveFingers and got ready to go.  While I was stuffing junk into my running
ruck a sheriff pulled up behind me.  He was looking for two people that had
driven up the afternoon before, gotten hopelessly stuck in the snow, and
spent the night in the cabin of their little truck.  These guys were walking
out to meet him and get a ride down into town.  We ended up chatting for a
bit and I slipped some extra food and water into my ruck in case I ran into
this pair.

"Well, good to meet you," I said wanting to get off and down the trail,
"I'll keep my eyes peeled for those fellas and help them out if I can."

"Sure, sounds good."  He replied.

I waved and started off down the road.

"Hold it right there mister!"  The sheriff shouted out the window of his
truck.

I turned, wondering what in the world he might want or think I had done.

"So you're the fella!"  He looked me in the face then pointed at my feet.
"I get reports of Big Foot tracks all over this mountain these days and it
must be you!"

I looked down and sure enough through the snow on the road there were nicely
laid out, five toed, barefoot, bi-pedal tracks.  We both ended up laughing
plenty right then and there.  For the rest of the season every time I knew I
was leaving tracks (in soft mud, sand along creeks, and snow) I'd giggle as
I ran.

Matt

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Scott Herriott
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 8:48 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] bare foot hiking.

Yeesh wrote:

> the only problem with hiking barefoot, is you end with feet that > look
like they
> belong to an upland mountain Gorilla.
> 1/2 inch callouses.


To which Steve replied:

> Some may find that attractive:-)


Unfortunately, her name will be Koko.



Squatch
www.walkpct.com





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