New Trekking Poles!

I used to not much care for trekking poles, but now i just love them. I was using them wrong. What would the world be with out You tube to learn new things?  Not only do they help with balance, they are great for pointing, using to steady a camera, whack weeds out of the way. Also I found that sometimes my hands would swell if  I wasn't careful of the salt in my diet. (Also a Camino concern as fries are pretty much a staple on the pilgrim menu) and that doesn't happen if I use poles. I had previously bought the Black Diamond Z poles that were of a fixed length. While I liked them, there were just slightly too short.  I used them anyway for awhile, but recently decided it was time for new ones. I got the adjustable yet still foldable into Z style,. so they are easy to put in your backpack and hopefully can be carried on planes.  I love them! I got them from Sunny Sports, at a good price. My sister was able to fit my old poles, so I was able to set off the cost of my new ones somewhat. I highly recommend them They are light, easy to deploy.

Stock photos of my new poles!

Since it is still fairly cool, I decided to go a walk thru the shade-less desert

Its actual quite early for wildflowers here, so hopefully it is a sign of a good season.

It was surprisingly difficult to get a shot of my walking stick while holding it. But They are just wonderful! 

A new Fanny Pack

It has been really hot this past week in Arizona. It is also the time of year that I feel summer should be over. Time for Fall! I didn't go on nearly as many walks as I like to. Hopefully the super hot hot heat is at an end. I did go on a nice walk about sunset.  I saw my first live Rattlesnake of the year, and boy did I regret not wearing my proper hiking boots instead of Teva Sandals. I saw him before I was close to it and clearly the path was big enough for both of us, but at least with boots I think a wee bit of protection could be had. Do they make rattlesnake proof shoes? 

A very nice sunset, and even though the walk was fairy short it was nice. hopefully I will be able to do some more this week. 

I came across a herd of javelinas, I was away a bit so they are a bit blurry 

Here is my new fanny pack. i found it at a thirt store for $2. It looks unuased or at least not used in the desert, as there was nary a bit of dirt in it. Its a bit heavy but fits my kindle and other things I like to have at hand on camino. I really should weigh it.  I keep hoping they will come back in style, ah to relive the nineties. 

New Kit: Socks!

Is there anything better than getting a package in the mail? Normally its just bills and all that jazz so to get something you want is a real treat. A sure sign of a long distance walker/trekker/peregrino is a fascination with socks I think. I am not sure if I have a funny gait, but I tend to get blisters on the bottom of my left foot I guess it would be called the ball. I am much too lazy to go with the whole two sock system, that's twice the laundry in the Albergue. So I have been on a search for new socks. I was looking for Coolmax socks, with extra padding and lo an behold found just what I was looking for at my guilty pleasure Sierra trading post. They were on a good discount, as it says comestic 2nd but I didn't see anything wrong with them. They wore great on my weekend long walk of 14k.  Though I think if I kept going I may have developed a hot spot, but that could be do to the fact I haven't walked that far in quite a while.  I love when

Also got a strip of duct tape! Can't go anywhere without it and it was like 70 cents. 

Where I walked on Sunday Another weirdly cool cloudy day. 

Sunflowers are out

As are falcons

It was sunny for like 15 minutes but I was able to get this hummingbird

Vanity thy name is woman

Each and every item a person carries has passed through a test on whether or not it is worth it to be carried on your back for over how ever long your Camino will last. The first couple of Albergues always have take em/leave em  places. In fact I bet you could probably bring an empty backpack and fill it with enough stuff on the tables to get you to Santiago.  On my first Camino, I left a handbag, pair of shoes, and a heavy scarf. One thing I didn't leave was my makeup. I'm a vain soul. I probably only used it every 5th day or so, but I found it nice and comforting to have when in larger cities. I suppose it is a bit of a crutch. I don't take very much - mascara,  one eye shadow, one eye liner, coverup. for my lips I just use the same Burt's bees as I do everyday on the camino. Many pilgrims don't take any at all and I first I felt a teeny bit ashamed for some reason. Granted its not a necessity, its definitely in the luxury column of things I take. But I believe in being whatever sort of pilgrim you want to be whether its wearing a reproduction medieval garment or mascara. I have decided to own who I am at this time in my life- a Make up wearer. Maybe some day in the future I will be comfortable enough in my own skin I won't need it, but I'm not going to rush or make myself feel bad about it. There are plenty of other things I already worry about. together these item wiegh not too much, but it is fun to feel dressed up in the cities. I know "its not a fashion show" but its a nice change of pace as it were to get spiffed up a bit and days of dust and sweat.

Of Sleeping bags and Snakes

But not the two together, thank goodness.

I have made the decision to not take a sleeping bag on even a sleeping bag liner- this time I will just be packing a lightwieght silk sheet. Mostly due to the fact that I am taking a 24 Liter pack as opposed to the weight. it takes up quite a bit less space as you can see below. I am not to concerned about being cold, though maybe that is naivete. I figure I can just wear most of the clothes I will be bringing and hope that with luck the cold albergues will have blankets.

Its warmer enough now here that horny toads are snakes are out and about.  On my long walk on Sat. I saw several horny toads and a bull snake. I have a phobia of snakes. I have had ever since I was little. (I blame my parents showing me Raiders of the lost Ark at a tender age) As I was walking along today I came across a dead gopher snake. It was huge and made me quite upset. Partly I find myself to blame for its death. I've never been good at confrontation. As I was driving back from my sister's I saw a car pulled over with some people on the side. They were messing with the snake. My instinct was they were going to kill it, but I rationalized to myself they were doing the right thing and getting it out of the road, especially as it wasn't a rattlesnake or coral snake. Just a harmless snake. And I did nothing. I didn't take a picture of it. I wish I would've said something, but I let my fear stop me. Even if they still killed it at least I would have tried. I need to stand up when I see something wrong instead of taking the easy way out and turning a blind eye. Another thing for my list of things to improve upon.

My maxiumalist shoes have arrived!

On my first camino, I just wore my regular road running shoes, not even trail runners. And they were mostly white, by the end they wore a faint brown. My biggest pet peeves were:
 1) Feeling rocks through the soles on the uneven terrain
 2) Lack of traction when wet

I'm in the camp that doesn't like gore-Tex shoes that much. Probably since its so hot most the time in AZ I really value the ability of shoes to breath, also if your shoes do get wet (and if its really raining they will regardless of what they are made of) they will dry quicker as you walk. So I set out to find a better shoe to take. I like runners because they are comfortable too me and not too heavy. I had read an article about a new shoe that was gaining popularity in the Ultra-marathoning world- the Hoka One One. The trail version retails for $160, but I was so happy to discover they were one on discount on Sierra Trading Post for only 94 plus I got a $20 gift card that I was able to turn into an Icebreaker tank top. So far I love them, there are super comfortable and also give me an inch or two. If I can feel a rock thru these I will be in Princess and the Pea territory. Here they are pictured next to a pair of my regular running shoes- quite the difference. tomorrow will be the real litmus test as I plan on taking them on a long walk thru the desert on uneven ground. I've had a few blisters during my training so far so I am ever hopeful that my feet are tough enough not to get any new ones, always a walkers hope.

yay for FANNY PACKS!!!!

So i have realized now that I am older, I'm more independant when it comes to what I wear. Before when I have been travelling, I would never ever carry fanny pack despite the incredible usefulness of them. They score way to high on the dorkiness scale. I can remember the early nineties/late eighties when for a glorius moment they were in style. I had a snazzy one when I was about ten and I loved it. It was white, with bright multi colored hawaiian flowers on in. It had one main pouch and then a second smaller pouch on the front. The small one was perfect for my most prized possesion- The ninetendo GameBoy. In the larger pocket I carried the acessoris, headphones, games, and the instruction books Even after the heyday of the fanny pack I still used it, for a while. Fast forward to today- my next fanny pack.  A great addition to my kit, I think.

First, I am a maximalist, so when one would do, I invaribly buy two.  The one on top I specificaly purchased in order to travel with me on the camino. During my time on the Francis, I didn't have anything for a night bag nor did the backpack model I was using have very large pockets on the hipbelt. It was annoying. At night I would use my sleeping bag stuff stack as a makeshift purse and would also take it to the shower, with my camera, kindle, passport, wallet etc. This particular model was only $6 at walmart. It fits my kindle perfectly and I can also fit my camera, mp3 player, and a snack so I won't have to stop mid-walk to get out my kindle to look at the guide. Also I will be able to listen to audible books as I walk and have easy control over them. It works well , I have been using now when I am cleaning the house , doing dishes etc. Big thumbs up. The second I got for when it gets hot and I am running in the desert. I find sometimes camelbaks can get quite hot on the back, I want to see if these are any cooler. I will try that out tomorrow durng my run. It was only $10 and it came with the two waterbottles.