6/1/09

I bought Keen’s this weekend. Only took me three trips to the shoe store (three shoe stores) and about an hour and a half of walking back and forth wearing different (and then repeat) pairs of water-capable sandals. I gave up on Chacos early. The salesman (from Clemson!) was very patient with me, and said if the Chacos didn’t feel right, don’t try to force it – despite the fact that he said he had more pairs of shoes than his girlfriend due to the preponderance of Chacos in his closet. So mine are Keen’s, the “whisper” if you know what that is (google-able), and they are light as a feather. I like ‘em. The color is even starting to grow on me – they’re black instead of brown – and they fit great with my sealskins so my feet can stay nice and toasty in my waterproof (usually water-filled) socks.

Also went for a run last night and figured I’d just go ‘til I couldn’t anymore, since it’s been so long since I’ve run (late February?). At 30 minutes I decided to stop myself after 40 minutes so I wouldn’t be too sore, walked home from the riverfront, and did 20 minutes of yoga to ward off soreness… Totally worked, I woke up this morning feeling great, a little sore in the legs, but not nearly what I was expecting. (We’ll see about tomorrow morning.)

Oh my gosh – today! – I went to IDAHO! First time in Idaho – not too shabby, since we drove two hours on highway 12 out of Lolo, through the Clearwater National Forest (NF) and saw maybe 15 cars along the way there and back. The Lochsa (Lock-saw) is GIANT right now and there are literally 40 foot logs careening down the river, and some huge waves rolling over even bigger rocks (we can only imagine). Am I right that the Lochsa is the steepest river in the lower 48 when you consider its total drop across its total length? Not a spot of blackwater in sight, which I’m sure is great for some people, but I’d be exhausted. CJ (of the SBF) said she thought the Selway River is up about 8 feet right now(!). I guess she’s seen it at 11 feet above normal (!!!). The last trip that left to float it (not long ago) aborted the trip in the first day or two because it was too dangerous, so it’s safe to say the snow is coming fast and furiously out of those mountains right now (too fast for late-summer water supplies, unfortunately, boo climate change). We hung out at the Wilderness Gateway picnic area most of the day, the wilderness behind us, the rest of the forest ahead, and heard John McCarthy of the Wilderness Society talk about his life, his work, his life’s work, and how he’s managed to make them pretty much all the same. Also, it’s an hour earlier in Idaho than it is in Montana.

Tomorrow – back to Idaho for (**drum roll**) CROSSCUT SAW TRAINING! Yea! We’re going the other way this time, down 93 to West Fork Ranger District (RD) on the Bitterroot NF, instead of out 12 through the Clearwater. (There will be a quiz on all these acronyms at the end of my detail. Do you remember all the ones you’ve learned so far?)