If you have made it this far on Trail #441, you are now giving the soles of your footwear a very good test. The surface of the trail is hard, sharp hexagonal basalt rocks without any padding soil. Most athletic shoes do not have tough enough soles and you will feel the rocks through them. Trail shoes and hiking boots usually have tough soles or an extra "rock plate" in the sole to protect the foot from just such a trail surface.
Do You Really Need Trail Shoes?
Do You Really Need Trail Shoes?
On this trip in 2010, I noted that a large percentage of hikers were using trekking poles. This is a change from the past, showing that more and more people appreciate the extra stability and confidence they can get from using trekking poles.
