Summer walk on fire trails... Real drag!

[GPSGuided]

Per title, summer walk on a sandy fire trail is just a real drag. The only thing that's worse is an endless uphill sandy fire trail walk in mid summer! Seeing the number of large sandstone blocks on bull ant mounds, I can only conclude there's been a lot of frustrated walkers passing that way.

This came to mind whilst I dragged myself up one such this afternoon. What are your thoughts about these fire trails? Any coping strategies to share? Any lovers of these around?

[neilmny]

Walk somewhere else?

[MickyB]

Walk somewhere else?

Exactly my thoughts.

[perfectlydark]

Mist of my walks are linked by firetrails so its a necessary evil. How to cope? Shady hat and a busy mind

[davidf]

Alchohol, lsd and I reckon in a few years a light weight and functional cart which a cuben like golf brolley for shade will appear as normal.

[puredingo]

I agree, most of my walks begin and end on fire road and it is a downer. Especially a long trudge at the end of a walk because the constant, uniform walking patterns on the hard surfaces that usually go along with a FT always spell the downfall of my feet.

BUT sometimes after a particulary confusing off track walk the sight of a lonely FT is as welcome as a cold VB on hot summers day.

[GPSGuided]

Interesting ideas and coping strategies. As much as I care to avoid these FTs, there are times when they are just unavoidable. The flat sandy surface exacerbates the heat and often without shelter. A real test if stamina and will power at the end of a long walk. A challenge!

[metastable]

I tend to deliberately walk off the road on the rough edges for the same issues with my feet.

I find they also come up at the end of a long Rogaine when you're going back to the Hash House.

[GPSGuided]

I tend to deliberately walk off the road on the rough edges for the same issues with my feet.

Agree. Apart from the softer surface, often that's where a little bit of shade can be found from the low bush.

[Strider]

Alcohol, hash and LSD? Wow.

[puredingo]

Yep, I combine all those ingredients and chant the manta "leave your body Dingo" over and over. Last walk this psychedelic, trance like state worked perfectly, I was at the station and home in no time... which was inconvenient really as I drove to the head of the track.

[Allchin09]

The only plus that I find with firetrails besides the lack of thought navigation wise required, is that they give me an opportunity to pick up the pace on longer walks, and when my pack is light enough, they allow me to jog / run along them. They downhill sections are especially enjoyable to do this along! I know jogging the flats and downhill sections of Narrow Neck definitely make that final stretch of the K2K a quicker trip.

[perfectlydark]

That is true

[davidmorr]

Walk somewhere else?

Definitely. Many of the fire trails in Kosciusko NP are grassy and almost a pleasure to walk on.

Not so nice around home though - mostly conglomerate gravel. Flat is ok, but slopes......

[Clusterpod]

I just walked about 10kms of the Sanderson fire access track on Kangaroo Island. It was awesome!