What Are You Doing?!

Hey Guys and welcome to my newest followers!  It seems like my little blog has been getting more traffic lately!  I just wanted to give everyone an update as to what is going on with our hiking plans for this summer.  

I announced earlier in the winter our plans to hike four long distance trails over the summer of 2015.  So far, we have plans in the works for the Benton McKaye Trail and it’s looking like we’ll be heading out for that sometime in May.  We are in the process of moving nearly 1000 miles before we leave, so that is sort of where were are right now. 

As for hiking all four trails this year, that probably won’t happen.  I’m thinking we will probably skip the Northville-Placid Trail, as it doesn’t seem to be well-maintained and many (and by that I mean most) of the trail reports I followed over the course of the year make the trail out to be deep mud, very rugged, and poorly maintained hiking conditions.  It honestly doesn’t sound like much fun and paired with the mosquitos and blackflies we’d be seeing in the summer months the idea of skipping this short trail is pretty appealing.  However, the Finger Lakes Trail and the Long Trail are both still going to get hiked this summer. 

As far as preparations go, I was hoping to make most of our food, but with the move and the timeline of our lives right now that probably won’t be happening.  As it happens, these three east coast trails don’t have resupply options that are too awful and, as we learned on our hike in 2012 and from all the places we’ve gone afterward, a good grocery store is only a hitch hike away!  We have great options with Outdoor Herbivore foods, Bearded Brother bars, and Picky Bars for resupply as well and I’m planning on bulk ordering some of these items, however. 

That’s about all the info I have for now… it’s been a long and bitterly cold winter in our neck of the woods, but spring is finally on the way!  Wishing you all happy trails.  Connect with me on instagram or facebook to keep up with all the latest adventures!

Gear Review - Saucony Women’s Xodus 4.0

While shopping at EMS a few weeks back these sexy shoes caught my eye. I was really in the market for a Brooks shoe, more specifically the Brooks Cascadia, for my next set of thru hikes starting next summer.  When I saw these shoes on clearance in my size I tried them on and liked what I saw, so I snapped them up at a bargain price, only $58 after tax!  I figured for that price I could justify just using them for running if they didn’t work out.  After doing two 4-mile runs and a 10-mile hike in them yesterday, here’s how I feel they performed. 

The Cons:
-This shoe will NOT stop slipping on my heels when hiking uphill.  I’ve tried a few combinations of lacing and haven’t found a totally slip-free fit. I’m assuming I have narrow heels as most of my casual shoes tend to do this anyway.  I tend to buy children’s shoes if I can for a better fit, so this may not apply to everyone. 
-You can see the crazy grip on the soles of these suckers.  They work on every surface except smooth rock. One step on smooth rock and the soles might as well be made from wet glass because you cannot grip at all and will slide.  This is a major down side since The Long Trail has a lot of rocks!
-The shoe is TIGHT for the average fit.  I think if one were to put a substantially padded insole in here they’d probably lose a few toenails. I have a pretty narrow foot and this shoe fits my foot like a glove, which is hard to get used to. (This is actually a selling feature for the shoe, a “midlock” foot band).

The Pros: This list is ultimately longer than the cons!
-NO BREAK-IN PERIOD!  Saucony shoes are known for having no break-in period required and I definitely found this to be true. These shoes fit like a glove, as I mentioned above.  They didn’t even need a hiking insole added like pretty much all other trail shoes do.  The factory insole is crazy comfy.  
-The insole has a 4 mm offset, which gives your foot a more natural gait.  While the manufacturer states that this in itself can cause some sore muscles, I found that after my first short walk in these I didn’t have the pains in my calves again. 
-The sole on this shoe is amazing!  First and foremost, a Vibram sole is important to me when I hike. I know the thing will hold up to whatever I can throw at it.  Secondly, the grip on these shoes is like monkey feet digging into the turf.  From grass to mud to gravel, this shoe grips hard and therefore makes you work less hard to push your way up a tough hill. 
-Built in “sock liner.” Whatever it is they are using to keep this shoe breathable, yet soft, is top notch. I ran on crushed gravel for a total of 8 miles and never once had a single teeny pebble in my shoe.  There is also a plastic loop on the forefoot to hook on your gaiters if you wear them. 

Overall, this is a seriously kick-ass shoe.  It’s comfortable, breathable, and high performing.  My foot feels stable due to the tightness of the mid foot banding I mentioned in the “cons” section of this review.  Overall, I think I’ll get another pair and wear them for the Benton MacKaye Trail and the Finger Lakes Trail next summer.  For the Northville-Placid Trail and the Long Trail, however, I may look into something else just for more stability on rock.  It’d be a long day hiking over Mt. Mansfield in Vermont if the rock is slick as I really don’t find these shoes perform well on wet rocks, even small ones.  

This post is not sponsored or endorsed by Saucony in any way.  I’m just a huge fan of this shoe and wanted to share my views.