Hiking with the Dogs

My family decided to have a bit of a snow day yesterday. We drove out to Bragg Creek with the idea that we'd do some snow shoeing. Turns out that the snow wasn't all that deep out there and most of the trails had been groomed. We decided to hike with just our boots instead.

Again, I had the dilemma of which boots to bring. I decided to bring my old pair of hiking boots from the pre-minimalist footwear days. I don't have a pair of minimalist boots that would work well with snow shoes. I think it's one of those few times when you probably want a rigid sole beneath your foot.

It was the first walk I think I've done in conventional footwear in over three years! Here are some observations I made:

• I missed feeling the ground
• The boots were surprisingly wide enough for my feet
• My feet were warm the whole time
• They are so heavy!
• Walking on snow and soft ground wasn't so bad
• Walking on asphalt felt like I was walking on a wedge despite the miniscule heel rise the boots have
• There are times when a conventional shoe isn't a bad idea (ie, snow shoeing)

Here are some pics from the hike. Snow days are great! :)

Take 1: With dogs

Take 2: Without dogs