RIP second pair of shoes

They were doomed from the start. Out of the box just five days before in Wellington I ripped a hole in the side in the Richmond Range. I was almost reduced to tears, $150, 5 days old. Al propped me back up, slapped some sense into me, and I was off hiking again. I wasn't about to give up on them that early, I can sew. I must've been a cobbler in a past life because I managed to keep the shoes alive until yesterday, when I put them into retirement.

Half a spool of thread, seven sewing needles, five thread patches, two duct tape patches, two cloth patches, a tube of glue and probably over 20 hours of my time into keeping them going.

It was said in one of the backcountry hut books in the 'main activity of this trip' column: "Wearing the tread off the soles of my shoes". We have been doing just that. Have I learned anything? Mesh shoes have no place in the rocky New Zealand terrain.

Thanks to Santa, who is apparently great friends with my parents, I was sent some brand new Montrail Hurricane XCRs, the same shoes I used for the entire North Island. I am very thankful for that and can assure you all I will be walking out of Wanaka with some shiny new shoes on and a big smile. I'll probably be tripping a lot, its been a while since I've had tread. I hate that.

Dennis