Where am I going?

Highlight Hiker Blog

Trail Planning, Blisters and New Gear

September 8, 2020

I can’t believe it’s already September. The pandemic has completely messed with my sense of time.

But I digress.

I was originally going to hike today but my blister is keeping me in flip flops for another day. I figured rather than keep you waiting for another blog entry, I’d talk about what I do in my down days… which usually involves hiking, but in a different capacity.

One thing hikers love to do is talk shop. Where’d you go? What’d you take? What’d ya see? I’m no exception. And I need YOUR help in taking my next steps (pun intended): visit my facebook page to help me decide which trail I should cover next!

In the gallery you’ll find photos of NY/NJ Trail Conference map #116 (12th edition, 2017) which includes Waywayanda & Abram Hewitt State Parks, Pequannock/Newark Watershed, AT Corridor and Hamburg Mountain WMA. I have complete nearly all of the marked trails on this map and am in the final stretch! The few trails I have left to complete the map are long (6+ miles) and are out-and-back (which means I’ll need to coordinate drop-off, pick-up or both). I’ll also need to switch to a larger/heavier pack to carry more water + gear, and lastly I need better fitting boots/shoes.

Judging by the 1.5” x 2” blister on my right heel, I can only surmise that my (relatively) new pair of Oboz hiking boots are not a good fit. They’re fine up to 5 miles, but anything over and I’m hurtin’ fer certain. There are a few things I can do: better pre-hike prep (wrapping notorious hotspots with leukotape, using a liner sock & thicker wool sock combo). I can also buy new boots. The toe box in great with my Oboz, and my feet are comfortable overall… I think I just have a boot that is 1/2 size too big, and the friction that causes in my heel is giving me a Neptune sized blister on my right heel.

The other solution is just to buy a new pair of boots!!! Or shoes… as was the case. I had a pair of Hoka One One hiking shoes (Clifton 5) that were ok, but I fell into the category of hikers who experienced pain in the sole of my foot while breaking them in. Once my foot had adjusted to the shoe the pain went away but I wanted to find a shoe with better out-of-the-box fit. I did some research and a lot of AT Thru-Hikers were raving about Topo, so I bought a pair of Terradventure 2. They were, however, in competition with a pair of ASICS that had just as good of fit, but were much stiffer. I settled on the Topo for the cushion in the sole. I haven’t worn them out yet, so my review of the new shoe is pending!

I want to take a minute to mention Runners’ House in River Vale, NJ. I get no kickbacks for mentioning them in my blog, so this is an honest review. Owners Russ & Jason are amazing. They have an incredible selection and they know how to fit, in case you need someone to help get you started. Yeah sure, you could go to a big retail store like REI, but you’ll get much better, more personalized service and knowledge at Runners’ House. And they love to talk shop! Keep in mind that they don’t have boots: this is primarily a shoe store for runners, after all. But if you’re looking for an ultralight trail shoe, Runners’ House is the best place to shop. Click the “Explore it” button for direct link to the store website. A+++

Going back of blisters… let’s talk aftercare. I’m a big fan of Band-Aid Hydro Seal. BIG. FAN. Even the worst blisters heal faster and my downtime is much shorter. Though Hydro Seals don’t work well on trail because they swell (thereby increasing friction), this is a miracle cure for day hikers. I am on day two with my hydro seal and the blister is already at the itchy healing phase, which means I should be able to get back to the trails comfortably tomorrow. On trail, I try to solve my friction issues with leuko. But because blisters are a relatively new thing for me, I’m still getting caught up on the learning curve.

With all of that talk out of the way I’m going to ask you for your help. Where should I go next? To test my new shoes I’ll head over the Campgaw this week, but to finish out map #116…. where do you want to see me go? I need some help making this decision, and I’m taking it to the people (I am suddenly reminded of Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus: “People Help The People”. LOL)

If you look closely at the photos of my maps, I mostly have the four corners to explore: the AT Corridor in the northeast, the Highlands Trail in Pequannock Watershed to the southeast and southwest, and my big closer: Stairway to Heaven to the Waywayanda State Park Office in the north. I need to complete the Pequannock section in 2020 before my permit expires. If I can do that, I’ll have hiked all of the trails in less than 1 year, which is kind of a cool milestone. But where to start? AT? Highlands west? Highlands east? You wouldn’t think it would be this difficult to decide, but here I am! If you would like to see one trail over the other, let me know on my facebook page! You wanna see me stretch myself and take on the longest trail first? DONE. You want to see the scenic overlooks of the AT Corridor and explore more NY hiking trails? DONE! Help me choose! Voice your opinion!

THANK YOU!