It’s hard to destroy a post-summit high, but the mansplainer judging my footwear just about did it. I was happily sauntering down the pine fringed trail from the top of Hunter Mountain, the second-highest peak in New York’s Catskills range at 4,406 feet, when the gearshamer appeared.
My hiking companion Maggie and I had just climbed Hunter for the first time. Despite air so cold we could see our breath and a layer of sweat that chilled us to our bones, we were giddy. Our next stop? A Hudson Valley winery to celebrate, sip, and grab a bite before heading back home to New York City.
But as we rounded a bend in the trail, one hiker stood between us and my car’s seat warmers—a man so decked out in shiny new gear and gadgets he might as well have been an REI store mannequin.
“Oh, sorry,” we mumbled after realizing we’d taken up more than our half of the trail, preventing the bedazzled hiker and his group from passing. But his hands-on-the-hip stance told me the encounter wasn’t over.
The man’s lips parted in a smirk. He looked at our well-worn running shoes, then stared me straight in the eye and proclaimed, “That’s a good way to break a tailbone.”
Was he right? Maybe. After all, any hiker in road-running shoes could benefit from an upgrade to grippier, more durable trail footwear. But, at the time, we couldn’t afford the $100-plus it would take to make the leap. And, having just bagged the second-highest Catskills summit successfully, ragged Asics and all, I could confidently say that high-end gear wasn’t a requirement, no matter what this fellow hiker thought.
Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Backpacker.
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Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Backpacker.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HORROR
CANADA’S MOST REVERED BACKPACKING TRAIL WAS BORN OUT OF A GHASTLY MISFORTUNE
TRUE NORTH
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WHEN THE FOREST IS AN ESCAPE
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Let The Rivers Run Free
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Thru-Hiking, Canadian Style
When the pandemic shut down my plans to hike Europe, I found a world-class trail right on my doorstep.
Training Station
There's a great new wearable for every kind of athletic goal
CBD for Your Pain
Everyone feels the hurt as we age, but CBD can help you deal with it.
Home Base
These shelters score major comfort points