Hike #24: Hot and sunny

When

Sunday, 2015-04-05

Where

Shadow Mountain, from the 28th St Trailhead

Duration

½ hour

Notable

First four-hike week since the first week of the year

Third day in a row testing the new shoes—this time a road run past Alice Cooper's Thrift Store, to the 28th St Trailhead. I taped the backs of my heels to protect against chafing.

Shadow Mountain is a proving ground for shoe grippiness. The trail isn't a real trail and so lacks adequate engineering; the trail goes straight up the mountain at a steep grade instead of switchbacking, and it's covered in loose rocks that thwart hikers in a hurry with mini avalanches at each step. The Five Fingers passed the test, and proved better than sneakers, maybe a little less grippy than regular hiking shoes.