Dale Matson
I had an ear infection and a camera while the rest of the folks enjoyed a Labor Day Swim from boat ramp one. Our usual three (of four) Mike, Marie and Sharon were there and a young group of swimmers in training plus master and and Tri swimmers led by Faron Reed. I didn't get any photos of the younger folks who went out with a kayak. Mike chased the geese away from personal property.
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Dale Matson
Over the years I have used the Salomon Trail Runners for backpacking and hiking. In particular I used the Speedcross 3 and Speedcross 4. The four was an improvement on wet rock traction over the 3. Then, Salomon decided to come out with the Speedcross 5 with a more aggressive tread.
I didn’t like the model 5 because of my tendency to trip with that model. It also seemed heavier on my feet. Well, you can’t get the Speedcross 3 in my size (12) in any color any longer.
Outdoor magazine recommended the Hoka One One for trails and one of the features was a less aggressive tread. This appealed to me since I am older and don’t pick up my feet as high as I used to when walking on a trail.
The Hoka shoe was too much of a departure from what I was used to with the Salomon shoes. After walking one mile on asphalt with these shoes, it was obvious to me that the experience was horrible. It seemed like I was walking on platform shoes. I thought to myself, “I bet I could turn an ankle in these very easy”. The sole was way too thick and cushioned. In short, the shoes felt clumsy on my feet.
One of the advantages in trail shoes vs boots I have found (even off trail) is that I have been blister free for years (I do use orthotics). And with thick Darn Tough merino wool socks, I believe my ankles have been adequately protected. I also use trekking poles which are great for additional traction support up and downhill and stability.
I had a pair of Sportiva shoes for a couple of years which I wore from time to time, although I didn’t like them as much as my Salomon shoes. I noticed they have a La Sportiva Bushido II Trail Running Shoe that looks good. Salomon has a newer model Men's Xa Pro 3D V8 GTX Trail Running Shoe that also looks good (I have always liked the Salomon lacing system).
I have never had a pair of Salomon trail shoes fail on me but admit that I usually don’t go beyond 300 miles with a pair of shoes. By that time, the heal lugs are worn down too.
So, I am open to suggestions from you folks on this. I plan on going to REI this coming week to try on some shoes. It was so much easier to order a new pair of shoes, knowing I would be happy with them. Sorry, but I don’t trust magazines and reviews to be unbiased in recommending shoes.
ATER WORD: I bought the La Sportiva Bushido II Trail Running Shoe. They are size 13. That is one size up from my usual size 12.
Dale Matson
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We took the bus tour on August 21st to the mile 62 turn around at Stony Overlook (4,700’). Don, our bus driver was a treasure trove of information and a bit of a soothsayer. He predicted that the ongoing landslide at Polychrome pass would eventually change the route. As it turned out he was correct and the road was closed on August 25th near Polychrome Pass. The reports did not state when the road would be open again beyond the pass but those who were located beyond the pass would be relocated by the NPS.
The day before, we drove to mile 15 (Savage River) in our rental car. That is a far as you can drive into the park in a car. The following day we took bus #2 and had snack bags on the bus seats. We had keen eyes on our bus and with Don as driver, we were able to stop for lots of wildlife along the way. The busses are equipped with drop-down TV screens that magnify animals where they are located which was helpful for those of us photographers in locating the animals. I missed the Dall Sheep however. There were several bathroom rest stops along the way, and for photography out of the busses.
Don noted when we passed a bicyclist, that the park people jokingly referred to them as “meals on wheels”.
He also noted that there are as many moose in Denali as Caribou but the moose prefer thick vegetation and are harder to spot than the Caribou. We saw one large group of Caribou migrating to another location in the park. In all, I saw grizzly bears, willow ptarmigan and moose in addition to the fresh snow on the mountains. When Mt. Denali is in view (only 1/3 of the time) Stony Overlook is a good place to view it from. There are two turn outs that you can drive to about nine miles in, where you can see Mt. Denali when it is clear. The 2nd turnout has a metal sign that points to Denali.
We stayed just outside the park two nights along the Nenana River and the morning of the 3rd day drove back into the park. We wanted one last try for a clear view of Mt. Denali before we headed south to Anchorage. We were treated to a clear view of Mt. Denali. There is also a north and south vista which includes Mt. Denali along the George Parks Highway (Alaska Highway #3) as you head south to Anchorage.
I used a Sony A7R4 and the Sony 100-400 GM lens. It is a 61mp camera that can crop to 600mm at 24mp. I also used the newer A7C which is the size and weight of the original Sony A7 but has image stabilization and a better sensor. I paired this with the relatively new small 50mm f2.5 lens. For the animals 400-600mm is most suitable.
Don noted that our day trip only showed about 1/10th of the 6 million acres of the park, which is about the size of Massachusetts.
