A little more than 8.2 miles on my first outing. A section of Trail 3 of the Mullerthal Trail, from Blumenthal to Heringer Millen. Not too bad, right? And I am pretty happy with the overall result too.
Obviously, I am tired and for the last 1.5 mile my right shin started twitching, just above the shoe. Maybe a posture thing. We'll see. But, most importantly, my knees are ok and so are my feet.
The shoes are great: Lowa Taurus GTX mid. For once in my life, I did not rush into a consumer decision (meaning buying stuff right away, there, on the spot) but I took the time to pester a poor lady with questions over questions. She (at McTrek's in Trier) did an outstanding job in guiding me to those shoes. They are great. There is no other way to put it: Even though they look humungous and solid, they weigh less than two pounds the pair. And they are extremely comfy. No blisters, after 8 miles breaking them in.
On the other hand, I got to improve my hydration system. I dug out an "old" camel bag I bought two years ago, when I felt like riding the bike more regularly (I ended up riding 3 times). And I bought a plastic bottle with integrated straw yesterday, for about 10 Euro. Both won't do the trick. It's like drinking cold, liquified plastic. I guess I need to invest a little more for a decent stainless steal kind of thing, or two. And I'll leave the purification process for later on.
Overall, it was a success. And I am looking forward to my next hike. I was thinking of having a few more day hikes these next weeks, gradually increasing the length and weight. And by the end of summer, I want to go out there for a two or three day hike, geared up and fully loaded. The full AT-simulation ...
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