[pct-l] Foot Expansion

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I was a seasoned, avid hiker before my PCT hike. I'd done lots of  
local backpacking, hundreds of miles a year of day hiking, trekked in  
Nepal, a little Sierra peak bagging. But the blisters I got in the So  
Cal section of the PCT were a surprise to me. I had them starting  
around that hang-gliding spot in the Lagunas and they did not let up  
until I got into the Sierras in the snow. Fortunately I no longer get  
blisters when I go on section hikes.

The trail is a repetitive motion injury machine, especially in So Cal  
where the grade is so gentle. 5 miles with the trail leaning in one  
direction. Then 5 miles leaning the other way. Whatever hurts you  
gets beaten into you over and over again. A little blister becomes a  
chain reaction with your knees and hips all the way up the chain.  
You'll see all these injured people around Agua Dulce to Tehachapi  
nursing their repetitive motion injuries.

And no way about it: hiking 20 or more miles a day simply hurts. I  
ended every single day in pain but started every single morning  
somehow miraculously ready to go again.

It seems so romantic to hike the PCT but the reality is there is a  
lot of pain and a significant amount of boredom. Your life becomes  
your feet and your stomach. You walk, eat and sleep and that is all  
you have time for. It's an awesome experience nonetheless and is full  
of amazing things. It's also not nearly as hard to plan for as you  
think, but nobody realizes this until they are out there.

On Feb 3, 2013, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Message: 9
> Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 12:40:29 -0800
> From: Brick Robbins <brick at brickrobbins.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Foot Expansion
>
> I was an ultra runner (races of more than marathon length, up to 100
> miles on trails) before I did my thru-hike.
>
> I noticed two things
>
> 1) Me feet did not expand, probably because they were already as big
> as they were going to get
>
> 2) All that running did not prepare the skin on my feet for the abuse
> of carrying a pack, even the 15lb base weight pack I was using
> (incredibly ultra light for 1995) When I hit the trail, I was
> regularly running more than 100 miles a week, but by Warner Springs, I
> was sporting some really bad blisters that didn't go away till a
> friend in the Angeles Crest area introduced me to Compede blister
> plasters. I still use those things, They are awesome.