Wolf Leverich wrote:
> On 2008-08-26, ShadowTek <FAKE@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> "Wolf Leverich" <leverich@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
>> news:slrngb8fd9.arg.leverich@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>> It's getting rare to see anyone in the Southwest still using
>>> boots in summertine and, when you do, it's a prety safe bet
>>> that they're either a newbie or not the sharpest tack in the
>>> box ...
>> Boots provide good ankle sup****t. Some people need that, especially if
they
>> are packing weight.
>>
>> Your safe bet has been lost.
>
>
> I tend to hang out with locals who do 10+K vertical a week,
> often cross-country or rock scrambling, and not tourists
> from wetter areas who are wearing the same footgear they use
> for slogging through mud at home.
>
> So I'll amend my remark to say n00bs, the not-so-bright, and
> tourists. ;)
>
> Re ankle sup****t, I'm kinda agnostic on that. If you're
> going to do one 5-day backpack a year, maybe "ankle sup****t"
> makes sense. If you do this stuff several days a week,
> most folks' ankles toughen up and the "ankle sup****t" just
> becomes an inability to handle uneven ground with style
> and grace.
>
> But, like I've been saying, taint no true religion that fits
> everybody everywhere in the backcountry. High-topped Goretex
> boots may make sense for the OP, while low-cut well-ventilated
> shoes may make a lot of sense for well-conditioned south-
> westerners.
>
> Do what works for you and the environment at hand.
>
> Cheers, Wolf.
When hiking in the Southwest (AZ, NV and NM, anyway), remember that the
trails are often rocky, and that in July through September it does rain,
sometimes a lot (that's why they're called monsoons). I wear GoreTex
lined ankle high boots in hot weather and never have had problems.
One other thought: much of the Southwest is inhabited by plants with
teeth. Hiking shoes with lots of ventilation may get even more
ventilated by cactus and other pointy stuff.
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