Northern California Blues Festival Fundraiser for Through the Mind

Forming Non-Profit Looks to Blues Festival to Bring Help to Veterans

Through the Mind, a program of the Make A Difference Project Promises to Be a free Alternative for those with PTSD

Sacramento, CA – Recent reports say it all. The war in Iraq is producing one of the worst epidemics of mental disorders among the American military. Suicides are up. Cases of reported PTSD are up. And reports of veterans programs failing to help are up.

Unfortunately for these returning American heroes, the stigma of mental health issues, most notably Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is about as strong as the trouble they are having in their day to day lives, so many do not report it or simply try to deal with it without any direct help from outsiders.

Through the Mind, a forming non-profit program of the Make a Difference project, is passionately approaching this problem by providing free and completely confidential alternative mental health care to returning veterans.

According to Matson Breakey, co-founder of the program, alternative care consists of "any number of options that help the individual to deal with the incident that is at the root of the PTSD. That can be as simple as having a friend to talk to in a non-threatening environment like a coffee shop, or over a good cigar."

Care can range from the simple to the more complex including referral to a professional therapist who is volunteering his or her time to help the veterans.

"It is our intention to offer a number of options that helps the individual become less effected by horrors experienced over there," adds Matson. "This can include meditation, recreational activities, therapeutic exercises, nutrition, and straight forward communication based therapy. And it is all completely confidential."

In fact, other than keeping the clients names and contact information, no other records are kept by the organization. "Any documentation we create is put in a folder and given to the client to keep and bring with next time, if he or she wishes," says Matson.

"The goal is to provide the veteran with a confidential program that matches his/her personal desires, and not just push him into some system that treats every individual the same, no matter background, personal habits or the roots of the incident itself," he adds.

Through the Mind is focusing on PTSD because of its rising appearance among veterans and, according to Matson, "because it is the only mental disorder specifically tied to an incident... to a specific moment when something happened that created a burning engram, a specific trace of that memory, that the individual is now being effected by."

The main barrier to starting any non-profit organization is funding. "It was our intention to be off and running last year," says Matson, "but we did not have the funding. This year, we are hoping that the Northern California Blues Festival will raise enough to effectively launch the program."

Information about the Northern California Blues Festival coming June 21 & 22 to Fair Oaks Park and featuring Elvin Bishop and Maria Muldaur can be found at NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com.

 

----------------------

Matson "Matsonian" Breakey

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)

The Northern California Blues Festival brings together some of the hottest music ever played under the shade of old oak trees in beautiful Fair Oaks Park including music by Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Mighty Mike Schermer, Mick Martin and more great talent. Proceeds benefit Through the Mind, a non-profit providing alternative mental health care to America's returning war veterans.

Re: The Trip

Dad,

Well, I would be lying if I didn't say how disappointed I am. It is an
incredible thing to plan for a trip of this nature only to have to cancel it
at the 11th hour.

But, it is better to proactively cancel it now, then to have something
happen on the trail itself. Since I have already set aside the month of
July, let me know if you can do something lighter? We can go out for a week
or so. Only hiking a few hours a day?

If not, I understand. It is more important for you to heal your foot so that
we can definitely do it in July 2009!

Matson

----------------------

Matson "Matsonian" Breakey

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)

The Northern California Blues Festival brings together some of the hottest music ever played under the shade of old oak trees in beautiful Fair Oaks Park including music by Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Mighty Mike Schermer, Mick Martin and more great talent. Proceeds benefit Through the Mind, a non-profit providing alternative mental health care to America's returning war veterans.

Sacramento County Republican Party... and Me

Okay, a little horn blowing here.
I WON! I WON! I WON!
Won what? you ask? I came in second place out of eight candidates for Sacramento County Republican Central Committee, District 1.
Next Question: WHAT is a Central Committee? I know, I know. Most people do not know that their political party has the right to have a central committee in each county. A committee of individuals who are chosen to represent the members of the party to the party central and, therefore to the state party as a whole. I live in California, and while other states may be, and usually are, different, in California, on the Republican side, the system is quite simple. Each county is broken into Supervisorial districts... i.e. I live in Supervisorial District 1, so I ran for the Republican Party as a member of that district.
Republicans in the primary voted for representatives to the party based on their Supervisorial district.
NOTE: Democrats do it slightly different.., I believe it is done by Assembly District.
Here are the results of the election for my race...Sacramento County Republican Central Committee Dist 1
Vote For  4
(WITH 232 OF 232 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
DIANA PETERS BRACE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     2,099   15.90
MATSON J. BREAKEY.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     2,032   15.40
ERIK R. HARTSTROM.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,966   14.90
JANET GARDNER .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,953   14.80
TERRY MAST .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,763   13.36
RICHARD M. LA FONTAINE .  .  .  .  .  .     1,720   13.03
CRAIG DELUZ.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,640   12.43
WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        25     .19
Not a bad showing! Of course, two of my friends, Terry Mast and Craig DeLuz did not make it, which is generally a matter of position on the ballot or designation.Now, admittedly, this was a VERY low turnout race, and, had it been higher, the results may have definitely been different. When I won the first time in 1996 (I also won in 1998) I had over 10,000 votes.Part of the purpose of running for this
 position, was to help get the Republican Party back on track. See SupportThePlatform.com. The local party has become a tool for doing nothing more than registering voters and helping with GOTV (getting out the vote) come election time. Which is fine, if you are a currently elected official who does not want to be challenged. But, I believe, the Party is more than that. In California we Republicans are losing to Democrats. Why? Is it because their message is better? Is it because people want a socialistic big government solution in their lives? NO & NO.Why is it?I point to one strategic decision made by the Democratic Party in California in the early 90's.... The decision to make their state party chairmanship a 4 year, paid position, rather than a 2 year voluntary position.That simple act created a stronger, longer visioned party operation that could spend its time promoting party values (or propaganda) and promote candidates that could not only win,
but would continue carrying the torch of the party.The Republicans, on the other hand, have stayed with the 2 year, volunteer chairmanship, leaving the
 party without long term vision, and a sense that every two years, the incoming chairman will change something just to make his mark.The result? A Party that continues to lose its way in our great state.As a member of the Central Committee, my position is only as strong as those who are like-minded. We will have monthly meetings, of which I will post my thoughts here, and we will struggle with the vision many of us share of a party that is once again the party of Lincoln and Reagan, and not the party where a John McCain gets nominated for President.Okay... I've said it. Here is the RANT... we, as Republicans, have had our greatest success when we show our pride in our conservative (social and fiscal) values. Reagan, the Revolution of 2004... these were truly genuine Conservative movements.How can we possibly be proud of a man who does not seem to even like the Republican party? While McCain is a true war hero, he is no conservative. He is a member of
Congress and a Senator who survives in an environment where even your greatest enemy is your closest friend. Where you always smile and always make deals and where principals are left at the door.
And Republicans want this man as President? Why?!?!?
----------------------
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)
The Northern California Blues Festival brings together some of the hottest music ever played under the shade of old oak trees in beautiful Fair Oaks Park including music by Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Mighty Mike Schermer, Mick Martin and more great talent. Proceeds benefit Through the Mind, a non-profit providing alternative mental health care to America's returning war veterans.

The Trip

Son

As you know I have been having a problem with my right foot. Very sore when
I walk. It is on the ball of my foot. I have been seeing my foot doctor for
4 month and he sent me to therapy and still no luck in fixing the foot
problem. I needed to know how my foot would feel on a hike with my full
pack. Last Friday I picked a trail about 8 miles round trip. My pack weighed
in at 49 lbs. I was able to walk about 11/2 miles before I was forced to
turn back due to pain in my foot.
I saw my doctor yesterday and he feels there is a tear in a ligament on the
bottom of my foot. If this is so then it is a 3-5 month fix. He feels that
if I did any hiking without letting the foot heal would cause more damage
that would never heal.
The bottom line is this. We cannot do the trip this year. I am so sorry
about not doing the trip this year. If all goes well we could do a trip in
September or October. I still want to do the trip but not this year. We have
worked real hard to get ready. With all the research and planning done it
should not be too hard to get ready for next year. We could even make the
trip a little longer.
The Gregory Palisade Backpack was real comfortable. Once I got it adjusted
right it felt great. I highly recommend the pack. I also recommend the use
of trekking poles. Going uphill or down they made it much easier and safer.
Going down hill I adjusted the poles longer for the added support. They were
able to give me two more legs that stabilized the downhill trek. Going
uphill the additional legs gave me the ability to relax my legs. Even
walking on level ground helped me as the poles took some weight off the
legs. You do use different muscles in your arms so a person should walk with
the poles before a long hike. I spent a good month with the poles when I
took my three dogs on their daily hike in the woods.

Dad

How to Be A Leader...

Alright, this post is really not about leadership... it is about my recent termination from The Community College Foundation as director of sales and marketing for TechEd, the Technology in Education International Conference & Exposition.

I think the leadership part comes from the central reason I was terminated... the new President of the Foundation, Rick Fowler, felt he could not control me, therefore I was not an effective member of his team.

Now, to be fair... I agree. If an employer says X, but I know the correct action to be Y... I am not going to do X. That's is simply stupid.

Many employers would disagree. I know. I've been one. Of course, in my case, I surrounded myself with people whose skill level was such that I would defer to their thoughts and expertise unless I was absolutely sure of my desired direction - based on my years of experience with the subject.

Mr. Fowler, on the other hand, has ZERO experience in the event, conference & entertainment industry. He comes from a background of military discipline having retired from the Air Force as a Colonel in charge of logistics and air cargo. After retiring he joined the organization where many retired military that have no immediate civilian skills end up... USAA.

From there he was recruited to lead a failing Community College Foundation... a little background here... The Community College Foundation was a thriving organization in December 2005 when I joined. Through 2006 things were going well, until the right hand of the original president, David Springett, left to follow her husband to DC. Then various factions in the Foundation decided to organize a coup to dethrone Dr Springett. The coup failed but not without long-term damage to the Foundation. The leader of the coup left, David was asked by the board to focus on an incredible project called ePassport (electronic vital record-keeping for foster youth), and an COO was brought in to run day-to-day operations... Dr. Lloyd Messersmith. As a contractor Lloyd was getting paid an enormous amount of money to keep the Foundation going strong.

But, under his "leadership" the Foundation lost a multi-million dollar contract with the County of Los Angeles... essentially crippling the Foundation. Why was the contract lost? Because Dr Messersmith didn't know a damned thing about the proper way to conduct a group or to develop proposals... he left it in the hands of someone in charge of that contract and she had her eyes set on joining a new group... the one that won the contract. The bottom line... her proposal sucked and Dr. Messersmith let it go through.

Through 2007 the only mission of the Foundation was to stay alive. Dr Springett resigned, the Board of Directors sold the building David Springett worked so hard to acquire, they closed the ePassport program, the only one of its kind with huge upsides to it, blamed David for mismanagement... and the list goes on and on. All Lloyd did during his tenure was take a paycheck and keep saying "I am truly working the hardest I ever have to keep the Foundation alive".

In the meantime, TechEd, a division of the Foundation, was thriving, having increased attendance each year and increased revenue from both attendance and exhibit hall sales. Both of which I managed.

We had only a skeletal team... my boss, William Neece, director of operations Maureen Julian, an incredible sales associate Jill Noordzij and me - later Adrian Rutherford joined us in the sales dept.

My average day? No less that 10 hours. Even if I came in as late as 8:30, I would easily be there until 6:30. As we got through 2007 William resigned in a beautifully orchestrated move right after a quarterly Board meeting. Lloyd made Maureen the department head because he disliked William and I reminded him too much of William.

Of course, Maureen, while a great individual and a good administrator is not a Conference Director... though she is getting better.

Okay, this long and drawn out blog was supposed to be about Rick Fowler.

Rick has a reputation in Sacramento Circles as a bit of a hot-head and a political wannabe. He once told me that while his values align more with Tom McClintock, he is supporting Doug Ose because he thinks he can win (4th Congressional district race to replace the retiring John Doolittle)

In that one statement he told me everything I needed to know about him and his LACK of values.

But why did I get fired? We held TechEd 2008, our 13th Annual in Ontario, So Cal, on April 13 - 16. During that time, Rick's first, no less than three times did Rick counter a decision I made and do so publicly. Not just coming over to me and saying... "hey, I know you want to do X, but I really would like to do Y".

No, he yelled across a room in one case... embarrassing members of our planning committee who had agreed with the decision... in another, he derided me in front of a sponsor... embarrassing the sponsor to the point that the sponsor apologized to me.

What were these decisions? Life threatening choices? Make or break moments? NO. In the latter case, Mr. Fowler wanted to have a meeting at 6:45 instead of 7:30 as scheduled on our master plan. Walking by me he said... it looks like things are ending early lets do our debrief now... my response? Not Yet. To which he stopped, came back and insisted that we do it now. After telling him I had other things to do before the meeting, he told me to follow him NOW! (this was in front of the sponsor).

Needless to say, I did not follow him. I continued with my duties and we had the normal meeting at 7:30 that evening.

Of course, the consequence was that Rick with the help of a highly ineffective HR director Tara Martinez, built a case to fire me... and I was terminated on May 5, upon my return from two weeks of Navy Reserve Annual Training. Maureen, my direct boss, was strangely absent from my termination meeting.

So, is this how you lead? Probably not. Am I a model employee? Definitely not. In my meeting with Rick he cited his inability to control me as part of the reason... I replied with "yes, if you want to control me and micromanage, then NO I am not going to be an effective member of your team."

Of course... as one final note... I am the ONLY member of the Foundation that kept graphs of EVERY product I produced since day one - graphs that they would not return to me. I am therefore the ONLY member of the Foundation that can prove consistently that I increased my product each year directly and facilitating my team of exhibit sales to bring in the rest of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from TechEd.

I wish everyone at the Foundation the best and hope TechEd continues to provide incredible opportunities for educators everywhere to learn the latest in Technology in Education.

OKAY... I've ranted enough on this one.... whew!

Using QuickPlanner to Plan our Trip...

Okay, I admit that I should have done this earlier... but I am going to plan the next thirty days before my one month hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (matsonianpct.blogspot.com) using QuickPlanner Plus (http://www.quickplannerplus.com)

While this trip with my father has been over two years in the planning, this last month is the most critical.

QuickPlanner Plus came out of simplified strategic planning for my various business activities and my need for comprehensive marketing plans for my day job with The Community College Foundation (not there anymore... see matsonian.blogspot.com for my rant on that one).

I've used it successfully in planning the West Coast Brew Fest, the Northern California Blues Festival, Suds on the Green and the Fair Oaks'toberfest. I've used it to develop business plans, software launch plans, teaching plans, even weekend fun plans.

But now, with only a month before my father and I start on our trip at Mt McKinley and hike 300 miles to Echo Lake, I am going to maximize my planning process by using QPP to develop the step by step guide I need to get it all done - while also planning the Northern California Blues Festival June 21 & 22 (northerncaliforniabluesfest.com)

This afternoon, I am going for a nice bike ride and some tennis playing with my girlfriend, then I will come back and do the plan.

I will post the plan in the user's forum at QuickPlannerPlus.com, which for a limited time is free to all... take a look at let me know what you think.

Matson

Personal Beacon Locater

Dad,
One other piece of equipment I am considering is the SPOT Personal Locater, read about it here...
http://www.findmespot.com/Home.aspx
Since I am adamant about not bringing technology on this trip... meaning no cell phones or computers, I think this will provide the assurance our families need that there are no problems.
It has several functions including a 911 beacon, SPOT Tracker in real time, and check in function which allows us to send a pre determined communication letting them know where we are on Google Maps.
It will be about $140 for the unit, plus $99 for the one year subscription, and $7.95 for the rescue insurance... ;-)
Let me know your thoughts...
Matson

Choosing Clothes and Weather...

Dad,
As I am looking over my gear, I am considering my clothing options.
I am currently opting for the lighter weight direction, with something like:
2 Moisture Wicking T-Shirts - Short Sleeve (Mountain Gear or Columbia)
1 Moisture Wicking T-Shirt - Long Sleeve
1 Eddie Bauer Windbreaker Jacket (has removable fleece liner that I will not bring)
2 Cotton/Polyester Blend Conversion Short/Pants
1 Black Webbed Belt (military issue)
4 Pair Polyester Performance Underwear
4 Pair Injinji Toe Socks
2 Pair Merino Wool Light Hiker Socks
1 Pair Vasque Breeze Hiking Boots
1 Pair Rockport Sandles
What I am not sure about is the following:
How cold can it possibly be during July? Weather in California is consistently becoming more and more schizophrenic. Are you bringing long underwear just in case? I have seen recommendations for bringing a warm vest to keep the core warm, what are your thoughts? 
Also, in case of rain, are you bringing rain gear or just a lightweight parka?
I was looking at the Frogg Toggs and a basic set of the performace gear can go for as little as $49.95. Their gear claims to be wind proof and water proof which would eliminate my need to bring the Eddie Bauer jacket. But I would need a vest of some form.
As is always the case with me, I am concerned about the monetary side of things. I am going to buy the short and long sleeve shirts because I figure that is most consistent piece of clothing I will be wearing for the month, I already have the pants and the Eddie Bauer Jacket, and I am trying different underwears to see what I can get that will not chafe.
I am completely sold on the Toe Socks and will use those instead of liners and I will bring Tea Tree Oil to fight my athletes' foot.
With our mutually balding heads, what sort of hat were you planning on bringing. That one I used from Eddie Bauer on our Twin Bridges Hike was nice, but it was too hot and I sweated a lot. I need something similar but breathable. I may actually try getting a military issue desert covert.
Looking forward to your thoughts...
Matson

Tents and other stuff

Son

I do hope your boots work, as you need. Let me know. My boots are doing
good on my left foot, but my right foots is not comfortable. I have been
going to a therapist to correct or fix the pain on the bottom of the foot.
Not helping much. I will be doing a 8 hour hike next week with full pack to
see how my foot does. At this point it would be a real problem on the trail.
I will let you know.
As far as the bear canister I bought it at www.moontrail.com. It was the
cheapest price I could find. The canister is a Garcia Machine Backpackers
Cache for $55.00.
The sleeping bag sounds good. The nights might get down to 25 or 30 degrees
at the elevation we would be at. Make sure it will keep you warm. I would
talk to the staff over at REI. I bought a Big Agnes Encampment +15 Long Bag
for $109.99 at REI's big sale. I will be sleeping in it next week in my back
yard.
I have read about using tarps as covers. It would work if we had trees and
bushes to attach the tarp to. I do not know the trail and so do not know how
wooded the area and trail are. The way I look at it is this way. If the
night is nice and there is no chance of rain I will sleep under the stars
with my tents rain cover over me and my sleeping bag. That will keep any
dew-drops off of me and my sleeping bag. The tent will come in handy when
the weather looks bad or when there are snakes in the area HA! HA!

Talk to you later,

Dad

Tent

Dad,

Just to let you and to document the purchase, I did get the REI tent you recommended, the REI Half Dome 2 HC # 728-308. Though, more and more, I am seeing other options by some more experienced hikers that are doing lightweight tarps and other covers. Of course they are through-hiking so there is a different issue in packing and going ultra-light.

Matson

More On Equipment...

Dad,

Doing some research and wanted to pass along this tip... and interesting way to make a measuring cup using our standard utensils.

http://www.purebound.com/gear/homemade_measuring_cup.htm

This site, purebound.com, is very interesting. Targeted mainly for through-hikers and other enthusiasts, it definitely has some other great tips.

On another note, I will be hiking this weekend back up to Twin Bridges to determine if my new boots (see previous entry) are up to snuff. I will load my backpack with about 40 pounds or so.

I need a new sleeping bag, one that is not as warm as my current Coleman bag. I was looking at the REI Travel Sack... http://www.rei.com/product/731835 - What do you think?

I figure I should also get a travel liner / bag liner to add warmth when needed and keep the bag clean... http://www.rei.com/product/690012

QUESTION: What is the Bear Canister you purchased? Where did you get it?

I will be heading into REI early next week to go over backpacks and such... taking my Everest in and have them fit me for it and determine its suitability. Good to have REI around...

Love,
Your Son

Termination & Personal Belongings

Rick,

I wish to formally request the following:

1. Please mail me a letter of termination detailing the reasons as laid out in this morning's meeting. You can mail it to the address on file.

2. A cursory look at my belongings proved that much is missing. I therefore request an escort to my former workstation (after hours if that works best for the foundation) so that I may secure the rest of my personal belongings. Please have the two crates from my office at TechEd that were paletized in the warehouse also in that space so that I may retrieve personal items from there as well.

Thank you,

Matson Breakey

The Ongoing Adventure of the Boot...

Dad,

It was a great idea for us to hike Twin Bridges. It was a wonderful opportunity to test my new Asolo boots. And boy am I glad I did!

As my last entry about the boots indicated, I absolutely loved the fit and the feel of the Asolo.

But, as we discovered, the soles were dissappointing, mainly while hiking from snow to granite.... and the resultant lack of grip.

There are many things I am willing to forgive on a boot, but loosing grip on a 30 degree angle is not one of them.

Anyway, I returned the boot yesterday to REI during their busiest weekend of the year and purchased a pair of Vasque Breeze GTX XCR. They are rated as hiking and not backpacking but the experts at REI thought that they should be fine for the 55 lbs we will be carrying. I like the mesh breathability and the Vibram soles which are noted for their no slip qualities.

Interesting enough, the Asolos I bought were size 13, these new boots are size 14 (the 13's allowed my toes to hit front).

I will be trying these over the next few weeks and see how they hold up.

Love,
Your Son

Tent

Son

A quick note. REI is having a large sale and they have a 2 person tent for
$109.99. It is the REI Half Dome 2 HC # 728-308.

Talk to you later

Dad

Food for the trail

Son

I tried the BakePacker Ultra-Light last night to make some corn meal. It
turned our great. I cooked it on medium heat which will keep the BakePacker
at a medium Boil for 15 minutes and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will be a
great treat for us to add to our evening meals. I will be trying a cake mix
in the next few days. You can go to www.bakepacker.com to view this great
little oven. I used Marie Callender's corn bread mix. The serving size will
give each of us 450 calories. Which is 75% carbs, 18% fat, 8% protein.
I figure we can have oatmeal every morning with a variety of nuts, raisens
added to give us about 800 calories to start our day. Of course I will have
coffee. We can use the Folgers bags. Also good ole hot chocalet
I want to experiment with adding rice and powdered beans and dehydrated
veggies to the corn bread mix to give added flavor and good eats.

I will talk to later and hope you are having a good time.

Dad

Food for thought on the trail

Son

For the next month or so I will be writing about the process I will
be using to create the menu for our 30 day hike. I will first cover the
nutritional reasons for the food that we will be packing and eating.
Our body is fueled by CARBOHYDRATES and FAT. Frequent snacking is needed to
maintain energy levels for the long trail. Eating about 20-30 grams of carbs
per hour will help your body keep your body from hitting the WALL. Eating 7
pieces of dehydrated apples will give you about 28 grams of carbs. A 1oz
granola bar will give about 19 grams of carbs. You see it is not hard to
plan your snacks to help your body.
With us carrying about 55 lbs we need about 3500 to 4500 calories per day. A
50-35-15 diet is what our target will be. That is 50% calories from carbs;
35% calories from fat; 15% calories from protein. 3500 calories will weigh
about 1.6 lbs on a 50-35-15 diet.
Proper training is a must as it trains your body to be more efficient fat
burners. Trained muscles burn a richer fuel mixture, high fat, conserving
carb stores.
For more on this subject go to www.thru-hiker.com/packlighteatright.
Do you think Michael would drive use to the trail head. He could even spend
the first night and climb Mt Whitney with us? Let me know and I will contact
him.
More about our food tomorrow with some interesting menu items and ways to
cook/bake them.
Have a nice day son,
Dad

Boots

Son

Glad you found yourself a pair of boots. If someone carried 45 lbs with the
boots I do not feel it would be a problem. The biggest question is do you
feel comfortable with them? I bought a pair of Montrail Torre GTX wide from
REI. The wide is so comfortable. I can move my toes around and my heals are
snug. When I get into town next week I need to visit REI as I need to get
some trail running shoes.
The nice thing about REI is you can take them back at any time to get a
refund or exchange.
Make sure you break them in as much as possible before we do our Pt. Reyes
walk. I have put about 40 hours on my already.

Dad

Bought some boots... Finally!

Dad,

Well, here it is. Tonight Louisa and I stopped by REI (they're having one of their sales) and checked out their boots. They didn't have the Vasque Sundowner, but they did have another version - the Vasque Summit GTX. All leather and a great old boot. One that would probably last me many decades... but, at the urging of the REI employees, I tried another boot that was much more breathable... the Asolo Fugitive. After trying both, I was much more impressed with the support supplied by the Asolo. The REI associate helped me find a good size... 13! ... and I decided to go ahead and get them - not to mention they were on sale! I decided it was better to buy them now and then return home and do research to see if they really are as good as the staff at REI claim.

Now, I just finished doing the research, and while almost every review raved about the boots and how happy they were with the choice -- including a very impressive review on BackpackGearTest.com -- I am concerned about one thing...

REI had these boots identified in their Backpacking category, but the Asolo website has them listed as hikers. In fact, they are light hikers and while many of the reviewers used them for backpacking, none carried more than 45 lbs.

My question is this... if we are going to be carrying upwards of 60 lbs, will these boots work or do I need to go back to the Vasque Summit or Zephyr?

Your son...
Matson

Another Boot To Consider

Dad,

I've also considered the Vasque Zephyr II. Seems to be lighter than the Sundowner, and has better breathability, but still the ankle support I need.

Your Thoughts?

Matson

Backpacking Boots

Dad,

I am excited to see you next week. After we finish working on TechEd (TechEdEvents.org), I think it is going to be a nice relaxing day hiking Point Reyes.

I need to get my boots soon so I can test them and ensure that their are no hot spots. I am considering a couple different styles of Vasque boots. Many reviewers have raved about Vasque with the only drawback being that they are now made in China.

Specifically, I am considering the Vasque 7152 Sundowner Summit GTX Backpacking Boots. These are a great all-around boot, it has the ankle support I need, is made of leather, fully waterproof and a quality boot.

Question is, in July is this the best boot? It is not going to breath well, but it is going to last. What do you think?

Your son,
Matson