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Recent content by John Crawford Howell

  1. John Crawford Howell

    Poles or No Poles?

    Yes. Rubber tips, please. Few sounds are more annoying on the Camino than the "clack clack clack" of pole tips striking sidewalks or paved surfaces.
  2. John Crawford Howell

    Ordering beer in Spain

    And after the foregoing thread leaves you completely exhausted, just relax and order a Larios y Tonica (con Limón o Lima). The bartender knows the precise glass in which to serve it.
  3. John Crawford Howell

    Liner Socks

    My routine twice a day: in the early morning, rub vaseline into my feet, put on silk liners, put on Smart Wool medium weight socks, put on Saucony trail runners. Hike. In the afternoon after showering, rub vaseline into my feet, put on Injinji socks and slip into light weight "Crocks" for going...
  4. John Crawford Howell

    Sleeping bag or just liner (starting Frances at SJPdP on April 25th)

    I started from SJPdP on April 19th (age 75). I took my Sea to Summit silk liner. No sleeping bag. If I got cold in an unheated Albergue, I put on socks and fleece. I sacrificed some comfort for keeping the weight in my pack as light as possible. But there were only about 4 instances when I...
  5. John Crawford Howell

    Asics running shoe durability

    Absolutely not, JenPDX. It means, in lay terms, your shoes, especially the tread, are getting tired. Consider the Camino is a trek, not a race that would otherwise require intermittent equipment changes to perform at your peak. I'll admit my Saucony's—as much as I loved them—looked pretty grim...
  6. John Crawford Howell

    Asics running shoe durability

    I am not a heretic—maybe polyamorous when it comes to hiking shoes, because I, too, have Brooks Cascadia trail runners for my hikes around here and . . . in the Cascades! ;) They are a great shoe.
  7. John Crawford Howell

    Asics running shoe durability

    I echo Camino Chrissy's comments about Asics in general. Since the subject is Asics Running Shoe Durability, I purchased Asics running shoes in Hamburg in 2012 and was very pleased with them: comfortable, durable, and gave me about 500 miles of pleasure—even after I got them too close to a...
  8. John Crawford Howell

    Weather in April

    The higher mountains of northern Spain can be unpredictable at any time of the year. I started on Earth Day in 2017 from SJPdP and had nice weather. On another occasion, hiking elsewhere in the Pyrenees, it snowed on July 4th! As Trekker One suggests, it is best to be ready for all...
  9. John Crawford Howell

    A shout out to el pimiento de Padrón

    Be sure to give us a report, JustJack, after you've sampled them. Thanks in advance.
  10. John Crawford Howell

    A shout out to el pimiento de Padrón

    This may be helpful, Wicked. https://www.seriouseats.com/spanish-style-blistered-padron-pepper-recipe Shishitos may be substituted. This is the cooking method I use.
  11. John Crawford Howell

    A shout out to el pimiento de Padrón

    My introduction to them was in Santiago after the camino at Cafe Bar Stella. My word, where I have I been! I consumed plates of them everyday after that for the 5 days I was there. I like the mystery element to them, as well. They are supposed to be mild but every now and then one of them...
  12. John Crawford Howell

    Descent into Roncesvalles

    Proof that poetry does not have to rhyme!
  13. John Crawford Howell

    Descent into Roncesvalles

    To quote an elderly gentleman who arrived in Roncevalles: "I'm in a lot of pain." That sounds like it was . . . me!
  14. John Crawford Howell

    OK guys, what underwear?

    Silk. Silk. Silk. Not as expensive as one might think and with all the positive characteristics associated with this natural fiber. On my Camino in 2017, I endeavored as much as possible to have everything I wore or slept in made of silk. REI was my source. My sock liners, too, were made of...
  15. John Crawford Howell

    My first Camino (2017)

    I hiked the Camino in April/May/June of 2017. Thank you for the memories, MadisV.
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