[pct-l] High Sierra footwear - waterproof or not?

[Kevin Cook]

You cannot keep your feet dry in the Sierra. Well, you can, but you will
spend more time sitting at the side of creeks swapping shoes than you will
hiking!

Once you resign yourself to wet feet, you are free!

I haven't thru hiked yet, but I've spent much time in the Sierra and
elsewhere. I'll often start out trying to keep my feet dry until eventually
you will step in something that is too deep. I learned many years ago it's
not worth the struggle. Just stomp through the water and keep moving. It
becomes even more important when you're trying to cover a lot of miles. When
you're crossing a stream every half mile, you don't have time to change
footwear at each crossing. Wear wool socks to keep your feet warm.

That's my take. I'll be wearing running shoes the entire trail. HYOH

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 1:29 PM, Meredith Dicey Ishida
<merishida at yahoo.com>wrote:

> I know that everyone has different opinions on this one... just trying to
> get a feel for pros and cons, and what most thruhikers prefer.
>
> Do you wear regular running shoes and just walk 'em dry after creek
> crossings and getting wet walking in snow?
>
> Or are Goretex trail runners with waterproof gaiters the way to go?
>
> I really don't like cold wet feet (not that anyone does), but I have heard
> some say that it's inevitable so you might as well wear shoes that dry
> quicker rather than Goretex which stays soggy for days.
>
> On the Ozark Highland Trail, I wore Goretex trail runners, and for creeks
> took them off and crossed in socks (putting on a dry pair after the
> crossing).  It worked really well for Arkansas, but I've heard that the
> Sierra creeks in early summer are far too deep and rapid to use that method.
>  So now I'm trying to figure out what kind of shoes to buy for the Sierras.
>  Any advice?
>
> Dicey
>
>
>
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