Ben's Shiny New Boots

Ben Brock, our Director of Outdoor Education, showed up at school yesterday sporting his new hiking boots. His plan is to start breaking in those shiny new boots before the Sawtooth Traverse and Fall trips. Seeing Ben excited about his new boots reminded me of his email to parents prior to Spring Trips about the importance of breaking in boots and the newly established Boot Camp to help our students do just that. I wanted to post the email here as another example of Ben’s innovative and fun ideas to prepare our kids for backpacking trips. Maybe your family would like to establish your own Boot Camp this summer?

Email from Ben Brock to parents of students in Grades 8-11:

“If you’re one of the people who have outgrown your boots since your last backpacking trip, time is getting tight to properly break in new pair of boots for Spring Trips…

But don’t despair. During the next two weeks, various Riverstone teachers / trip leaders will be hitting the Greenbelt every day at lunch to put a few miles on new kicks in the First Annual Spring Trip Boot Camp! If these walks aren’t sufficient to completely break in new footwear, they will at least help identify any hotspots that might develop. We can then use a little preventative moleskin on those potential hotspots on the first days of Spring Trips to make sure that blisters don’t form, even if boots are still a little stiff.

Additionally, on the next two Tuesdays and Thursdays (April 30, May 2, 7, 9) from 3:30 to 4:30 Ben Brock will lead a little more ambitious walk up Council Springs Road, into the foothills directly north of school. We’ll walk out (and up) for 30 minutes and then turn around and walk back to school. In addition to getting a few more miles on some boots, this will also be a great opportunity to put a little weight in your pack and build an aerobic base for the upcoming Spring Trips. Don’t have a pack you say? Reserve one from the Outdoor Program and check it out early to make sure it gets properly fit. And that you know where to put that new hydration system that you just went out and bought…

Loaner Boots – If you know that you need boots for this trip and are worried about getting a brand new pair, let me know. I have a pretty good selection of pre-loved boots that have been donated to the school.

Weather is getting NICE and I can’t wait to hit the trails (blister-free)!”