trying two pairs of boots
Posted by Zonie on November 27, 2025 at 00:43:42
Saturday night we had more rain. Unexpectedly it was still going on Sunday morning, so my mountain climbing partner cancelled. In the afternoon I decided to try some cowboy boots that were not new but which I hadn't worn before at the west segment of Reach 11. They were rather loose. I was surprised by that since my physician's assistant said it looked like I had edema. There was some ankle chaffing, but they handled the mud puddles fine. Monday I changed to thicker socks and wore them until my body heat dried them so they would fit better.
Today I went to the east segment of Reach 11 and wore wellies that I bought a few years ago but hadn't worn. Those wellies fit well and did well in the mud puddles and were also comfortable. I was out there over five hours and my knee pain was minor. Strangely I felt overheated late in the hike. Maybe all that November swimming activated my winter metabolism. Unfortunately I just had to hit the canteen to rehydrate. I had my mobile phone with me and my wallet unprotected, so a full wallow to cool off was out of the question. I had committed to a stomping hike. I didn't notice any mosquitoes in the east section either.
My hiking style was very inefficient. I kept going over the same mud back and forth several times and deviating from the route to stomp in off-trail mud holes. East of the 56th Street overpass I left the recreation area to play in the truck ruts on state trust land. A couple of them were so big and deep they were practically swimming holes, and the truck tracks deviated around the mud holes previous trucks had created.
On the way back I had thought I'd be more efficient, but I still gave into temptation and stomped around in the mud in a mesquite thicket and then busted brush to get back to the main trail. At one point I thought I'd shorten the journey by taking the paved trail. I still found mud there. The rains had washed mud over the asphalt, so I still got to walk in the mud. As I crossed some mud further west, a lady was walking in the opposite direction. She saw the state of my boots and jeans and asked, "It's muddy?" I confirmed that it was.
In other news, Parker Rose, aka Mr. Viper, produced another muddy spelunking video. He didn't go with his wife or his brother but with a young man whose name wasn't mentioned. Judging by his accent, I assume he's a local.
Recently I was refueling my car and went in to pay and saw the floor being cleaned by a robot. I guess I shouldn't pursue a career as a janitor. Still it's comforting that if I enter with muddy boots I won't be inconveniencing a human being.
I do remember one time I was given janitorial duties when my boots were muddy. I was working as an apartment community groundskeeper in south Phoenix. My first assignment was cleaning up litter on the property. It was a rainy winter morning, so my boots got very muddy. After that I was told to mop the laundry room. I had the idea to mop backwards so that I was mopping up my own muddy footprints as I retreated from the laundry room, and so I managed to do it.