Alaska, are hiking boots necessary ?

[cruise kitty]

Hi all :)

 

Our cruise last May was British Isles/Iceland...  we did a fair amount of day hiking, hiking up to waterfalls, ponds, bogs, etc....  I'm pretty confident that my same wardrobe will suffice in Alaska, however, I'm on the shelf about shoes.   I wore my old trusty leather boots & just my nike fly knit running shoes most days...   the leather boots have been treated for many years with mink oil, so they are extremely waterproof,  however they're not perfect on loose rocky inclines.   The running shoes I just sprayed down with a water repellent & they did ok as well.   

 

Trying to decide if I need to hit up REI for some goretex type low boots (which was what everyone on our last cruise seemed to be wearing)   

 

This will be our first cruise to Alaska....   we have two whale watching excursions booked (one in Juneau, & one in Icy Strait Point,  also flight seeing in Ketchikan,  white pass train in Skagway, then self guide through the town.   In Juneau we'll take Mt. Roberts tram up after our morning whale watching...

 

Pre trip we have 5 full days in Vancouver, on one of them I'll be doing the Grouse Grind,  but I'll definitely wear my running shoes for that...

 

Just trying to look for opinions on hiking shoes or not

 

thanks in advance

 

[crystalspin]

Kitty, I don't honestly think, with your agenda, that you need the boots. Think about a second pair of shoes (sneakers be fine), though. On our first trip to Alaska, the sole came off my Merrell low-top hiking boot in pieces IN THE AIRPORT! I did have a second pair of shoes -- they were Merrell woven-jute "mocs" so not exactly hiking boot replacements! I wore them every day through 7-day cruise and 14-day self-drive, the latter encompassing whale-watching, hiking around Exit Glacier in Seward, visiting muskox farm in Palmer, air-boat ride on the Knik River, and nature walks in Denali.

 

I always have a second pair of shoes since the time I didn't (just the Timberland shoe-booties on my feet) in Ecuador, when the heel fell off one of them! Fortunately we had a "free" afternoon at the hotel in Quito and there was a little mall down the street!

[waterbug123]

Your agenda shows no need for hiking books, in my opinion. 

[Hoyaheel]

Even on an Alaska trip where we visited family on land and did some hiking, I was fine with goretex hiking shoes. So that's what I've brought for each of my AK cruises as well. (I don't have good luck with "sneakers" in general - shoes marketing as "walking shoes" - esp German ;-) - or "hiking shoes" fit my feet better, so that's what I buy and use when I'm doing a lot of walking - be it trails in Alaska or wintry cobblestones in Europe.) 

 

I agree your current itinerary doesn't look like it warrants anything super ankle-supportive but you never know what might change (we did a lot of walking through wooded trails just when we walked off a cruise ship, so....) 

[zauberflote]

We had a trail hike in 2009 in, must have been Skagway, as we returned via the train. I wasn't ready to walk the whole way to the glacier, but my kids who did had sneakers on. They were also 20-something. I believe I wore my Dunham (?) hiking boots from the early 80's, which were part of my problem!
I recently bought a pair of Keen Targhee's, which I love so much that they will go traveling anywhere with me from now on. But as you're not specifically hiking, you'll likely be fine without special shoes.


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[cruise kitty]

thanks for all the replies,  we hike at home regularly, & I don't wear hiking boots here...  I"m thinking I"ll bring my old leather boots as usual, & just bring two pairs of running shoes, sprayed down with kiwi, that way if one pair get soaked, the other pair can be worn.   Oh, & of course my birks for on the ship.

 

We're considering doing the Mendenhall hike to the falls as well (we have a super long day in Juneau)  but it looks to be more of a walk than a hike...

 

 

[Hoyaheel]

I'm sure whatever you use at home will be perfectly fine for what you want to do in Alaska - and helpfully, nicely broken in so you won't get hot spots/blisters!

[frantic36]

4 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

We're considering doing the Mendenhall hike to the falls as well (we have a super long day in Juneau)  but it looks to be more of a walk than a hike...

 

 

I did this in July, 2017 and this was more a long walk than a hike. I did have low rise hiking boots but only because we had other hikes planned post cruise in Banff and Seattle. If you hike at home regularly I agree with Hoyaheel to wear what you normally wear.

 

The only caution I would mention is that even in July we had rainy periods so I was glad I had waterproof shoes to hike in. I know weather is unpredictable though.

 

Julie

[cruise kitty]

3 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

I did this in July, 2017 and this was more a long walk than a hike. I did have low rise hiking boots but only because we had other hikes planned post cruise in Banff and Seattle. If you hike at home regularly I agree with Hoyaheel to wear what you normally wear.

 

The only caution I would mention is that even in July we had rainy periods so I was glad I had waterproof shoes to hike in. I know weather is unpredictable though.

 

Julie

 

thanks Julie,   I think I'm going to just stick with what I have.   I truly could have used the hiking boots last year in Iceland & Scotland, but we were doing long hikes over steep inclines with loose rock.   I'd rather invest in another new pair of running shoes for what I do at home.  

[cruise kitty]

5 hours ago, Hoyaheel said:

I'm sure whatever you use at home will be perfectly fine for what you want to do in Alaska - and helpfully, nicely broken in so you won't get hot spots/blisters!

 

that's a real concern, I hate to invest in something that won't have the flexibility that I'm used to...  think I'll buy another pair of running shoes & call it a day :)

[frantic36]

1 hour ago, cruise kitty said:

 

that's a real concern, I hate to invest in something that won't have the flexibility that I'm used to...  think I'll buy another pair of running shoes & call it a day 🙂

 

Very sensible to have well broken in shoes and I just reread your original post saying your shoes were weatherproof so you sound all set.

 

I am sure you will have a great time as the scenery is amazing. We did some whale watching and saw both humpback and orcas though only a couple of each. We also did a scenic flight from Ketchikan in a sea plane and it was amazing. It is a long way to travel from West Australia but it was well worth it.

 

Julie

[cruise kitty]

1 minute ago, frantic36 said:

 

Very sensible to have well broken in shoes and I just reread your original post saying your shoes were weatherproof so you sound all set.

 

I am sure you will have a great time as the scenery is amazing. We did some whale watching and saw both humpback and orcas though only a couple of each. We also did a scenic flight from Ketchikan in a sea plane and it was amazing. It is a long way to travel from West Australia but it was well worth it.

 

Julie

 

thank you Julie, we're very excited, especially as we usually have 15+ hour flights to get to our cruises, this one's just a little over two hours there for us, & less on the way back :)

 

I hope you're safely away from the fires that your country is experiencing, we have them here every year, but of course no where on the scale that Australia is being hit with. 

[frantic36]

5 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

I hope you're safely away from the fires that your country is experiencing, we have them here every year, but of course no where on the scale that Australia is being hit with. 

 

Thank you for your concern but luckily we haven't had any bad fires here in Perth this Summer season. I always worry about it as I have a sister and her family on a small rural property just outside of Perth where she breeds dogs and keeps horses.

 

I do have a friend in Eden which has been badly impacted by the fires. She has stayed and still has her home but the photos she sent was quite surreal with the red twilight.

 

I worry about your fires also. I have other friends who live in St Helena near Sonoma. They mainly were affected by the smoke with your last two bad fires. We are looking forward to seeing them in May.

 

Cruising is amazing, both the above friendships came about from cruising 🙂.

 

Julie

[CrabbyQ]

As long as you have something waterproof you will be fine. We did a lot of walking in the rain.

[Hoyaheel]

Well, waterproof AND with a good sole. Want something as grippy as possible when it's wet, right? (well, I do. Others are free to disagree 😉

[cruise kitty]

15 hours ago, Hoyaheel said:

Well, waterproof AND with a good sole. Want something as grippy as possible when it's wet, right? (well, I do. Others are free to disagree 😉

 

that's my thing too,  a super grippy sole,  I can go up big hills no problem,  but coming back down... I feel like my feet are about to slide out from under me when it's slippery or loose rocks & gravel.  I'm seriously considering bringing a telescoping walking stick with me when I travel. :)

[Hoyaheel]

My mom's husband has a monopod trekking pole they travel with - she uses it for help walking, then he can use it when he's photographing. Works great for them! I've definitely thought about it for some of our trips.

[Lois R]

Hi girls, I have been to Alaska 3 times over the years and never wore boots....I don't

own any and didn't buy a pair for these cruises.  Now, I am not a big hiker/trekker but I did bring

walking shoes and wore them almost daily (for daytime).

[cruise kitty]

On 1/24/2020 at 2:37 PM, Lois R said:

Hi girls, I have been to Alaska 3 times over the years and never wore boots....I don't

own any and didn't buy a pair for these cruises.  Now, I am not a big hiker/trekker but I did bring

walking shoes and wore them almost daily (for daytime).

 

Hi Lois, & thanks!   I need to remember to set up notifications  for threads....  hope your treatment is going smoothly.  

[Lois R]

8 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

 

Hi Lois, & thanks!   I need to remember to set up notifications  for threads....  hope your treatment is going smoothly.  

LOL.....I don't have them set up either......I just click on "my activity stream"

Day 3 treatment today......so far, I am good.  Thanks!

[cruise kitty]

7 hours ago, Lois R said:

LOL.....I don't have them set up either......I just click on "my activity stream"

Day 3 treatment today......so far, I am good.  Thanks!

 

I forgot about the activity stream, thanks!   & hope the so far so good continues for you :)