Erik and John were willing to take me to REI, so solving the problem was easy.
One of the REI employees was an experienced trail runner. I had been looking at the Hoka One One Challenger ATR 5 shoe, but he recommended a different model, the Stinson ATR 5. He knew as I did that the trail ahead included more volcanic rocks. They can rip a shoe to shreds. The Stinson, he said, would be more durable.
Unfortunately, the Challenger fit better because it was available in a wide width. The Stinson only came in a regular width. I decided to try going up a half size to make up the difference.
As we were leaving REI, Ryan and Mariah called with an invitation for us to go to their house for dinner. It was a pleasant ending to a relaxing day.
Dave and his family will pick me up tomorrow and we’ll begin hiking in Oregon. I’m hopeful that the new shoes I’ll be wearing will solve my biggest hiking problem. I’ve been trying for the last 20 years to find shoes I was completely satisfied with. These will be the fourth pair and third model I’ve worn during the first 1,242.3 miles of this hike.
Only time and miles will tell if I've finally found the right shoes.