And the link to the full album:

My first real test with them would be climbing Mt Katahdin and then Mt Mansfield in one weekend.  I realized this was an ambitious test, so I went running in them for the two weeks I owned the VFFs leading up to the hikes.  I was still nervous on day one so I packed my trail runners.  Looking back, it was miserable having the extra weight and bulk in my bag, but at that point I was still unsure about climbing a mountain in such minimal footwear.

Needless to say, it went well, and I did not pack the trail runners for day 2.  I should note that I did get some injinji socks for these hikes.  I prefer hiking without the socks, but after a few miles I seem to get blisters on the backs of my feet without them.  The socks also proved to be very useful on the frigid and windy Mansfield summit.  They were very comfortable, and I don’t think I was any more sore than I would have been in any other shoes.  It was definitely strange to have so many people stare at my feet as I’m hiking though.

I’ve done a few other minor hikes, and runs with the VFFs, but I had another major test lined up for them.  I decided I was going to Hawai’i and would only bring the VFFs and some flip flops.

The flip flops were adequate for most activities in Hawai’i, but the VFFs were great for the many hikes I decided to do.  They held up well and protected me from the old broken-up sharp lava-rock.

And also made it easier to get a little extra height to take a picture of a waterfall.  :-)

But the more major test was climbing Mauna Kea.  It’s a 5 mile hike from the visitors center to the summit, with about a 4,600 climb in elevation.  I survived the hike with only some minor pain in the arches of my feet from stepping on some sharp rocks.  I do have to be more careful with my footing in these shoes, but it’s not like it’s a bad idea to watch where I step anyway.

The next major adventure in the VFFs was hiking out to where the lava is flowing into the ocean.  Depending on where the lava is currently flowing it can be a short hike or a few miles.  It ended up being about 2.5 miles when I went, over sharp, and crumbling lava-rock late at night.  I ended up standing about 20 to 30 feet away from actively flowing lava.  The lava was between me and the ocean, which means, that below my feet the lava was actually flowing through the lava tubes.  The ground got EXTREMELY hot after standing there for about an hour, and at that point I couldn’t really take it anymore.  Everyone else in the tour was also complaining that their feet were getting hot, so I’m not sure how much worse it may have been for me.  But this was probably the only time I really wished I had had a bit more material between my feet and the ground.

One of the days I went kayaking and snorkeling.  Since I was also doing some hiking I decided to only wear the VFFs.  Once again, I loved wearing them, although they developed the dreaded VFF stink after being soaked in water for so long.  Thankfully it was nothing a little drying out and Febreze couldn’t fix.  :-)

I have only had my Vibrams for a few months now, but they have exceeded all expectations.  They are extremely comfortable, and if they didn’t look so bizarre I’d love to wear them for every day use.  I only really have two minor complaints so far.  First is the blisters I get on the back of my feet, this seems to be a problem with the KSOs (keep stuff out).   I’m not sure what could be done, but they usually get a little uncomfortable there after abour 4 or 5 miles.  My second complaint is that the Vibram rubber started separating slightly from the fabric in a few spots after the initial hiking weekend.  It hasn’t really gotten worse since, and it’s not major, but still concerning.  Otherwise, I love them!

My goal is to summit the highest point in all 50 states, and with the exception of McKinley I think I’ll be able to climb the rest in my Vibram FiveFingers.  They’ve been great so far, and I’d love to get some of the other pairs to wear for less arduous activities.

07/02/2011 Update:
I thought I should update this post after using my VFFs for about a year.  I have done more hikes, climbs, runs, etc in them, and they have finally shown some serious wear.

Last weekend I ran in the Warrior Dash New England, which is a 3 mile mud run/obstacle course.  It took less than half a mile before the fabric on the inside of my big toe ripped, and my toe kept popping out for most of the race.

I stitched up the toe, and then covered the fabric and stitches with Shoe Goo.  It seems like it’s going to hold up fairly well, but the fabric between all the toes seems to be getting thin.  I will probably have to buy a new pair soon.  :-(

It was definitely the most amazing one yet, I was in Hawaii visiting my sister so I took the opportunity to climb Mauna Kea. At 13,796 it was by far the highest, and it was also the first mountain I climbed alone. I woke up at about 4 AM so I could drive to the visitor’s information center to view the sunrise above the clouds.

The hike to the summit is about 5 miles, and also starts from the visitor’s center, which is where it’s recommended to spend at least a half hour before summiting to become acclimated to the oxygen at those elevations. It worked out well that I could watch the sunrise while acclimating, and then begin my hike by 6:45. The hike gets steep at times, but it is just a hike, not really any scrambling required.

I summited by 11:45; not a bad time considering how often I stopped to admire the views, catch my breath, and just relieve the pain in my knee that’s become standard for long hikes. The temperatures at the summit were in the low 40s, and the wind was at least 14 mph. I never could have imagined standing in Hawaii and being as bundled up as I was.

Since my knee was hurting I decided to walk down the road so I could hitch if my knee got too bad. I got about 3 miles down (the road is 8 miles) before someone stopped and volunteered a drive tot he visitor’s center, at that point I was more than happy to take it.

I can honestly say Mauna Kea is one of the most amazing places on earth, I drove back the next day to view the sunset from the summit and then to view the stars. At night they setup telescopes at the visitor’s center, and give a guided tour of the stars. It’s above the clouds and clear 340 days out of the year. Everything about the mountain is awe inspiring, second only possibly to hiking up to the lava flowing into the ocean.

Mauna Kea Album

Full Hawai’i Album

Peakbagger.com Ascent Log

In standard fashion we chose the steepest trail for the ascent.  We took the Hell Brook trail (which was 1.3 miles straight down according to the sign).  It was an amazing trail, it was very steep and slick, but getting to hike up the mountain through the woods was a nice contrast to Katahdin from the day before.

My love of the trail definitely subsided as we neared the top.  We were in the clouds so there was no visibility, and with the windchill it felt well below freezing.  We chatted briefly with the other group that decided to brave the summit on that day and then made our way down the Long Trail.  The total hike, including the road hike between the Long Trail and Hell Brook parking lots, was probably about 5 1/2 miles.

Once again it’s a mountain I’d love to go back to, but only if the views are further than 10 feet this time.  :)

Yay! for climbing my 4th and 5th state high point in one weekend!

Mansfield and Katahdin photo album here!