Keeping our fingers and toes crossed...

Day 188
9-11-2006
Started: Pueblo West, CO
Finished: Pueblo West, CO
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles: 2575.0

After a long, painful day of walking yesterday, we came to the conclusion that Randy's new shoes were never going to fit him quite right and would most likely continue to rub layers upon layers of his skin off his feet. He had four quarter size blisters that not only caused him pain when he put his shoes on, but with every barefoot step he took as well. It was quite obvious that we needed to change out his shoes. Unfortunately, any pair of shoes at the moment would not feel good on his very sore and swollen feet, but we decided that there was no way he would ever break his current pair of shoes in without sacrificing several layers of skin. So, we began the search for shoe stores in the area that carried the type of shoe Randy was looking for. After only a few phone calls we were directed to a shoe store back in Pueblo that seemed to carry a good selection of hiking shoes. We managed to find a ride back into town and after arriving at Red Wing Shoes, successfully purchased a pair of light hiking shoes that we are hoping will do the trick. We have not had much luck with shoes that haven't caused blisters so all we can do is keep our fingers crossed that this new pair will work. By the time we found another ride back to West Pueblo, where we had left all of our gear, it was very late in the day. We weighed our options of either walking only a couple of miles before the sun would set on us, or once again continue the process of draining and soaking blisters, and decided that in the long run it would probably be best to spend what we had left of the day off of our feet. Thanks Mom and Dad Natoli for the cozy accommodations. Our fingers and toes are crossed that Randy's feet will fell better tomorrow in his new shoes and he will be able to take steps that won't cause him to grimace in pain. The mountains are calling our names and we are anxiously waiting our time to enjoy their grandness and beauty. For now, we will enjoy a good night's rest and hopefully head for the hills in the morning.

Your Friends on the ADT,
Randy and Sheri
Follow our Journey at www.treckusa.com