Barefoot Down Under

No, not Down Under: Australia. Down Under: Ground.

Yesterday I visited the Olentangy Indian Caverns.

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Up the Bright Angel Trail

So far in the last week and a half I’d hiked barefoot in Zion (8.4 miles, 5.4 miles, and 5.4 miles) and in the Grand Canyon (1.1 miles on the rim, 6.3 on the way down, and 3.7 north of Bright Angel Campground). I wasn’t particularly footsore.

But now it was time to head up the Bright Angel Trail: 9.5 miles horizontally and 1 mile vertically.

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Zion National Superhighway

Over the last couple of days you may have noticed how Ian’s footwear kept changing, and how he went barefoot on the Angel’s Landing trail.

There’s a tale to tell.

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Angel’s Landing

On our last day at Zion it took us a while to figure out what to do. I was a bit footsore from doing 8.5 miles two days previously, and 5.4 miles yesterday. Ian’s knee was acting up. Our choices were to just hang around soaking up scenery, trying the Narrows (upcanyon where the walls close in on you), or Angel’s Landing, a knife-edge mesa.

Eventually we decided we’d go for the challenging Angel’s Landing, with a nearly 1500 foot climb and a 5.4 mile round trip.

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There Really Is a Reason . . .

I’ve written before about how I play tennis barefoot. But I’ve also written about how, while barefoot hiking builds up the soles, barefoot tennis tends to wear it down.

So, what ought I do when I’m preparing for a hiking trip?

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Barefoot Shopping

Going out shopping barefoot can sometimes be a bit of a crap shoot. If you are going to a new place, you never really know what to expect. But that can also be true of places that you shop at regularly, since there might be a pelmatophobe on duty that day who causes trouble.

But other times it can be gratifying when store employees simply express interest.

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Snowshoe

OK, I couldn’t resist.

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Dual Survival: Belly of the Beast

First, don’t forget that there will be a new episode of Dual Survival on tonight, 9:00pm EST. The new one is titled “Castaways” and the description says:

Joe and Cody are left stranded on an uninhabited island in Fiji, and as they brave tropical storms, shark-infested waters, limited resources and other unpredictable odds, they show viewers how to survive and make it back to civilization.

And now, here are some thoughts about last week’s show, “Belly of the Beast”.

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Dual Survival: Meltdown

First, don’t forget that there will be a new episode of Dual Survival on tonight, 9:00pm EST. The new one is titled “Belly of the Beast” and the description says:

Cody and Joe are stranded in a labyrinth of caves beneath the isolated mountains of Romania, and as they attempt to best the pitch-black maze, dying headlamps and opposing survival techniques hinder their effort to escape.

And now, on to “Meltdown”.

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O’Meara O’Vencha Hike: Half-Shod

Last Saturday was another of the monthly Adventure Hikes led by Columbus MetroParks Executive Director John O’Meara. The starting temperature was around 25°, and the forecast high was only about 34°.

Did I do the hike barefoot? Do I look like an idiot? (Don’t answer that question.) But I did do it half-shod (one foot bare and one foot shod ).

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Dual Survival: Trouble in Paradise

First, don’t forget that there will be a new episode of Dual Survival on tonight, 9:00pm EST. The new one is titled “The Green Hell” and the description says:

The hosts fight to survive on the Amazon River.

And now, on to “Trouble in Paradise”.

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Mileage

Since the beginning of 2006 I’ve kept track of my barefoot hiking miles. I’d meant to recap it at the end of last year but never got around to it.

So here’s what I’ve done.

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A Barefoot Mid-Winter Hike

The Hocking Hills Mid-Winter Hike was held on Saturday.

Of course I had to hike it barefoot.

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The Clear Creek Ice Cave

Yesterday was the Clear Creek Metro Park Metro Five-0 hike to the ice cave. It is a really popular hike: 51 people tried to sign up for 30 slots.

The only thing missing was the ice (mostly).

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Dual Survival: On the Menu

First, don’t forget that there will be a new episode of Dual Survival on tonight, 9:00pm EST. The new one is titled “Into the Frying Pan” and the description says:

A diamondback rattlesnake is eaten; Joe attempts to get out of an abandoned mineshaft.

Those two highlights were on “Unbraided”.

And now, on to “On the Menu”.

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