Instructions for how to break in new hiking shoes

It is easy really. Two simple steps.

1. Hike for 2 hours in the Grand Canyon.
2. Climb a 2,000 foot mountain in Phoenix.

Now when I say it is simple, I mean that it is not complex. In that there are not many steps to remember. This would be an easy 4 mark exam question. However, the easiness in statement does not necessarily extend to application of the steps. The steps themselves vary in complication for each individual. Criteria that should be taken into account follows:
- individual fitness level
- fear or lack of fear of heights
- weather conditions
- motivation
- time constraints
- etc.

As promised, here is one of my stories. After the wonderful day at the Grand Canyon the blisters were out in full force. It has been so long since I had new shoes I totally forgot about needing to break them in. Silly me. Anyway, it was fine because I just did not wear them for the rest of the week. Then my grandfather asked if I wanted to hike up Camelback Mountain. It sounded fun so I said sure and took a look at the trail guide. There were two trails - Echo Canyon and Cholla. Both listed as strenuous and difficult. But I decided to tackle Cholla trail because it did not sound as busy even though it was quite a bit longer. Half way up and it was fine. Not so strenous or difficult. But then things got scary. The trail sort of disappeared most of the time and it became more of a 45 degree rock climb and occasional scramble. In a couple spots I even had to pull myself up when there were no footholds. It was tricky but more than "strenuous and difficult", this trail had become what I would classify and moderately terrifying. I will admit, my quads were burning a bit but the real problem was that on either side of me the ground disappeared and dropped, say 1000 feet or so. When I was facing up, it was not too big of a problem, but when I thought about coming back down, my legs would begin to shake, impeding my climbing ability. Perhaps I had not make the best decision to do this climb on my own.

I continued to the summit because, to be honest, I was too scared to go down. I would have thought skydiving and hiking around the Grand Canyon would tipped me off to my previously unknown fear of heights. But it took Camelback Mountain to do it for me. Although, I suspect it is a fear of going splat into the ground more than the actual height because I was fine once I reached the summit. And I don't think I would have fallen on the way down (although Grandpa says that 1 or 2 people slip and fall every year). But once at the top my decision was easily made to go down the other trail (Echo Canyon) when I talked to a girl that said the "path" is steeper but it is wider. I took it slow, lowering myself from rock to rock while still shaking a bit. Some people were slower than me and some were the same speed. But then there were they crazies who were jumping and running down this thing. One girl passed me on her way up. Then she passed me on her way down. Then she passed me again on her way up. And just as I was getting to the parking lot she passed me again. She did the whole mountain twice in the time it took me to get down. Hmm. I was fairly impressed. But she had about the most sour expression on her face that seemed to scream "Don't you dare try to talk to me and get out of my way!" I do not think we will be friends.

Well, that is my first story. I wish I knew how to put pictures on my blog because I would show you what the "trail" looked like. And how pretty the view from the summit was.