By Dave “Dmac” McGlashan, director
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is about hiking boots. Because we spend so much time on our feet during trips, it’s crucial to make sure your feet are happy. Here are a few tips in picking out the right boots and breaking them in.
What is your favorite boot?
If you ask 10 Adventure Treks instructors what their favorite boot is, you’ll get 10 different answers. We all have different feet: arches, forefoot width, toe length, heel shape, and many other factors. This is why I always hesitate to tell someone to buy a certain boot. Some will fit my foot perfectly out of the box, and some will give me blisters every mile that I wear them.
Getting the correct fit
When you are shopping for a pair of boots, make sure you go to a store and try them on. Ordering online can be a little cheaper, but you don’t have access to a boot specialist from a store like REI or EMS. Bring socks that you will be wearing on the trip, as hiking socks are generally thicker than socks you wear to school or soccer practice. Make sure they fit well around your ankles and toes, meaning no pinches or painful squeezes. Feet tend to swell a little during hiking trips, so leave a little wiggle room. If they hurt walking around the store, try on another pair!
Low-cut boots or above the ankle?
Because you may not have experience in hiking with a backpack, we ask that you get a pair of above-ankle-height hiking boots. These will provide extra support as you carry weight in your pack, and you’ll be less likely to roll your ankle while hiking. Don’t try on lightweight hiking shoes; you’re looking for a mid-weight boot.
What can happen when boots don’t fit
Breaking in your boots
Your boots will be a little stiff when you first wear them. This is completely normal! The more you hike in them, the more comfortable they will get. We recommend wearing your boots around your house and neighborhood as soon as you get them. Wear them for short periods of time over a few weeks; your feet will be much happier, and you’ll be less likely to get blisters. We do not recommend cramming the break-in period into a few longer sessions right before your trip. And remember, you are breaking the boot in as much as you are getting your foot broken into the boot.
Does it need to be waterproof?
In the outdoor world, nothing is 100 percent waterproof (unless you buy rubber boots). Buying waterproof boots adds an extra expense, especially if your son or daughter is still growing (and you’ll be buying boots again). It’s not necessary to spend the extra money to get waterproof boots for Adventure Treks. However, you can apply a waterproofing product like Nikwax to add an extra layer of protection. *Do not purchase boots with open mesh covering the toes, sides, or other areas.
For the best boot-buying experience, we recommend heading to your local gear store and talking with someone in the boot department. Let them know about the Adventure Treks trip and itinerary, walk around the store in different pairs to see what fits best. Happy feet = better backpacking experience. Feel free to give us a call at 828-698-0399 with questions about boots or any other gear!
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to capture a fantastic shot. What’s more, you don’t even have to have a fancy or expensive camera. Today’s point and shoot cameras come equipped with systems that rival more expensive options (think digital SLRs), so you’ve got what you need to create a beautiful photograph. The next time you head out on an adventure, just keep these tips in mind and you’ll be creating magazine-worthy images before you know it.
Perspective
Always think about what will make the photograph look interesting and different. Below, in the image to the left, there’s a pretty contrast between the snow and the creek. But it’s just an average picture… until the wind picked up. Try to include an element of awe or surprise, and you’ll instantly add a wow factor to your photograph. Filters also help add creative elements to an image. This scene was originally shot in color, but was switched to black and white to add a more powerful contrast. Most cameras and smartphones have a variety of built-in filters. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Take the picture in the normal setting as well in case you’re not sure you’ll like the final effect.
Though the highest summit in the Appalachians, Mt. Mitchell, tops out at just under 6,700 feet, during their formation more than 300 million years ago, the Blue Ridge Mountains were among the highest peaks in the world. On the Blue Ridge Explorer trip, students will get to hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness, the largest protected wilderness area in the state. They’ll traverse several peaks over 6,000 feet, including Black Balsam Knob (6,214 feet, pictured), from which they’ll be able to view several other impressive summits like Mt. Mitchell, 45 miles to the northeast, on clear days. What’s most awe-inspiring, however, is the panoramic view of the lush, vividly green rolling hills of the Black Balsam range.
Waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls! There are as many as 1,500 waterfalls in North Carolina, and the other area in which we backpack, Panthertown Valley, houses at least eight of the prettiest ones. Students will have the chance to stop and swim around beneath the larger falls, including Schoolhouse Falls (pictured). There’s no better way to cool off on a hot day than having “splash wars” in crystal-clear swimming holes next to sandy beaches! Panthertown, a 6,700-acre tract of gorgeous wilderness, also contains huge granite domes, validating its nickname “Yosemite of the East.”
More water! Just as impressive as our host of waterfalls is the sheer volume of rivers running through western North Carolina. Known as a hotbed for boating enthusiasts, our students spend five to six days inflatable kayaking, canoeing, and whitewater rafting the great waterways of the region. The Chattooga River, the first river east of the Mississippi to be designated a Wild and Scenic River, has some of the most exciting rapids we paddle. They’ll also hop into inflatable kayaks, aka “duckies,” down the Nantahala River, culminating with the optional drop down the dramatic, class 3 Nantahala Falls. Finally, Blue Ridge students will learn and hone canoeing skills on either the serene Lake Santeetlah (pictured) or the French Broad River, which is the third-oldest river in the world!
Chances are your teenager has seen the movie The Hunger Games, and it’s also likely that your teenagers knows that filming took place all over western North Carolina. On the Blue Ridge Explorer, our students mountain bike through DuPont State Forest, where some of the more memorable movie scenes take place at Triple Falls (pictured) and Bridal Veil Falls. DuPont’s single-track trails attract mountain bikers of all skill levels, and many of its trails offer something that most Appalachian forests don’t: slickrock, i.e. smooth, wind-polish rock trails, that wind through beautiful waterfalls and rare habitats like high-elevation bogs.
Last but not least, the wildly diverse ecological systems of North Carolina help make the Blue Ridge Explorer trip so memorable. Students will have a birds-eye view as they zipline through the Green River Gorge, whizzing through deciduous forests down 1,100 vertical feet. This gorge has some of the most dramatic landscapes of any area we visit in North Carolina, and is bursting with plant and animal life as one of the most bio-diverse regions in the eastern United States. This zipline is one of the fastest in the United States—the perfect end to a wonderfully fun trip.
In Mindset, Stanford researcher Carol Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success, but whether we approach challenges with a fixed or a growth mindset. Praising intelligence and ability isn’t the best way to foster self-efficacy and confidence, and may instead actually jeopardize success. Instead, understanding that the brain is malleable, and that we are all works in progress, leads to the development of a growth mindset. By encouraging and rewarding effort and hard work over innate talent, we can better motivate our kids to more eagerly approach new challenges while building resilience. We use Dweck’s book in instructor orientation to show staff how to encourage our students to develop a mindset focused on continuous growth rather than accepting our talents and abilities as fixed.
Harvard professor Edward Hallowell gives us a
One of the Wall Street Journal’s “most important reads for 2013,” The Big Disconnect: Protecting Child and Family Relationships in the Digital Age discusses how technology is affecting family relationships and how parents’ involvement with technology at home affects family connections. Renowned clinical psychologist and author Catherine Steiner-Adair explains that families are now in crisis around this issue. Not only do chronic technology distractions have deep and lasting effects, but children desperately need warm interactions with the adults in their lives.