Gear failure at the worst possible time

Sandy and I grabbed a quick sandwich, immediately after arriving back home from the Sunday morning service, and struck out in the direction to the trailhead. We had been planning a walk along this particular trail for more than a week. And we were prepared to tackle the five-mile excursion in spite of overcast skies and a high probability of precipitation.

Mist had already began to fall, by the time we left home, and intermittent showers followed shortly thereafter. In fact, we were greeted by rainfall upon reaching our destination.

But we refused to allow a little bit of rain to spoil our plans. The ponchos that we had in our daypacks were more than enough to protect us from the rain, and as for our feet, the gore-tex linings in our hiking boots would more than suffice.

Light rain was consistent during the first hour, or so, of the hike. But the heavy cloud cover that blanketed the sky eventually began to thin, as the rains moved to the east.

In spite of high humidity and dense fog, we had certainly experienced less hiker-friendly conditions during previous hikes. One could not have asked for better temperatures, as they hovered in the high fifties to low sixties. And we welcomed occasional light winds.

Everything was going as good as could be hoped for. We were traversing the hills and draws at an average of in the neighborhood of 2.5 miles per hour. And if all went as hoped for, we would be back at the rig, with ample time to address a few chores that lurked at home before dark.

Well, as it turned out, things didn’t exactly go as planned. I fact, we were on the verge of a series of events that would surely slow our pace.

It all began when I waded through a small branch and began walking along a dim road. I had not worn this particular pair of boots in several years. And with time, the glue securing the soles to my boots had evidently begun to deteriorate. And in turn the introduction to water was more than enough to cause

the sole to detach itself from the mid sole.

We were already halfway into the walk when the boots failed. And the hard plastic mid sole still seemed to be firmly attached. That in mind, we chose to continue forward.

Of course I chose my steps gingerly. And the remainder of the boot was remaining intact. But we were not out of the woods yet. And to top it all off, the sole on my other boot decided to come unglued following our next creek crossing.

So here I was. Walking on two midsoles that were constructed of a hard, slick, plastic midsole. Of course, it could have been far worse. I could have been walking on bare feet. But we still had a handful of creek crossings and a long and steep ascent ahead of us. And I was doubtful that the boots would hold together during the entirety of the trek.

Surprisingly enough, the midsoles lasted through the entire walk. However, the slick midsoles were far from hiker friendly, especially immediately after a rain. My feet slid with every step. And to avoid losing my footing and falling at creek crossings was a chore within itself.

Well, I eventually made it across all of the creeks unscathed. And with practice, I grew more adept at navigating the leaf-covered substrate. But then came the steep ascent. It was an entirely different ballgame. In fact, getting traction was on the verge of impossible.

I continued to push forward, though, and eventually reached the spot where we had the car parked, atop the ridge-line. It would hardly be an understatement to suggest that I have never been more relieved to see the vehicle.

My legs were tired and the bottoms of my feet had grown tender. And I gasped with a sigh of relief upon situating myself in the comfortable seat of the rig.

Of course, the scenario we had just experienced was a topic of discussion during our ride home. We both agreed that the odds of losing the soles of my shoes on another hike were slim to none.

However, that being said. I suspect we’ll both stash, at the least, a pair of sandals in our day pack prior to our next excursion along a trail.