Hey John. Well, I must admit that many things have converged to bring me to this point. It was never really something I sought out initially. My outdoor background, my love for nature, my photography background and now by way of a past project 6 years ago, I started making videos. It's really only recently that I've jumped in a little deeper. It's part of the creative process that I enjoy, so I'm scratching that itch. Let' see 🤔. You should subscribe and see where this goes 😆

@@ecttreker9816 can’t complain living so close to the Rockies. It’s pretty beautiful out there!

@@latinogar1 completely appreciate your comments. There’s so many things I love about this shoe and I’ve had no issues, but I understand that there is not a single shoe on this planet that works for everyone. As I always say, the only way to really know if any piece of gear works for you is to go out and try it. at the end of the day, the proof will be in your own testing. Thanks for the comment! And I’m curious, what shoe have you found that suits you?

I've looked a these before but not tried them. A little bit more stack height than I generally like. I like to be closer to the ground. Also, I usually opt for 5mm lug depth...seems to be the magic number for me. If you try it, I'd be interested in your opinion. Thanks!

Glad you are loving them! But yeah, there's never one shoe for everybody, is there? Hope you get that heel sorted out. Cheers from Central YYC.

Another great brand (Nnormal...that is right, two n) originated from famous mountaineer Kilian Jornet seems like a bit of a bulked up version of the Norda with more of a solid heel, plus they have some some great high top hikers for snow... these will be my next shoes I order from their site.

@@tedcormier1736agreed. They look compelling. Same Vibram mega grip / litebase outsole with 5mm lugs, different lug pattern. Maybe slightly narrower toe box than the Norda but hard to tell. On the test list for sure. Have you had a look at the Norda 002? Regular heel on this shoe.

@@masoninthemountains Hello. I looked at them but I thought the stack height was just too low…I am 6 ft 195 lbs and I need at least 25 mm under my heels, preferably closer to 30.

@@tedcormier1736 ah! I get it. You’ve got me by 10 pounds but we’re the same height. More shoe fun coming from both of us!

@@ilikeclothes73 for me, no. I had zero issues with breaking this shoe and I’ve never used a lace lock to secure and pull back the heel. It’s been really fantastic for me.

In that type of environment, I would likely lean to the G+. Given that it has the graphene membrane and rated at 10,000mm hydrostatic head, and will be a little warmer, it seems like a better choice. Where will you be in Japan? I lived on the island of Shikoku for a year and a half.

I agree! Us hikers are always excited to get out there, especially in June. But, the snow lingers often into mid-July at the higher elevations. Depending on our winter snowpack of course. You'll knock it off in 2025!

Well, I have never tried the Topos you mention but I'm very familiar with their membrane eVent. Ok, here's a long answer so you can see where I'm coming from. I know the PNW can get a lot of rain. For me, anything with a waterproof membrane presents a couple of issues. 1. The membrane itself will inherently make the shoe warmer, this will start to create a humid environment inside of the shoe. Your foot is now getting wet from the inside due to sweat. Especially in the summer. 2. If it's raining hard enough and for long enough, eventually the water will begin to penetrate the upper of the shoe and it will move its way inside. Your foot is now getting wet from the outside. Gaitors will help keep water from getting inside the top of the shoe but not the shoe wetting out. I’m sure you’ve experienced this before? For this reason, I tend to steer clear of waterproof footwear, especially in the summer. To be fair, waterproof shoes, especially when the DWR is fresh will buy you time before the shoe wets out. You'll need to reapply the DWR though as it wears out over time. However, where I feel like waterproof footwear, whether it be Gore-tex or something similar has some benefit is in the winter. It will add additional warmth that I appreciate, especially here in the Canadian Rockies. My feet don't sweat as much in the winter. 

You might want to check out the Norda 001 G+. This shoe has a graphene membrane and a 10,000mm hydrostatic head rating. It will run warmer and give you additional protection from water if the PNW warrants it. I have not tested this shoe out but I might pick up a pair myself to test through the winter. I probably wouldn’t go with this in the summer though. Could be too warm. Bottom line: the dyneema upper is a hell of a durable upper, it definitely resists moisture, though it can’t technically be called waterproof. I can say it exceeded my expectations.

@ Brilliant, super useful summary! Thanks for the long explanation. Def agree with the wetting out. I'll check out the other Norda's you mentioned!

@ you are welcome! Thanks for your comment. Good luck!

Hello! Thanks for the comment and great catch on the sizing. Yes, I did forget this and I also sized up a ½ size and they were perfect for me. My wife also sized up a ½ size and they were great. Sounds like you went a full size up. Have a great time in Hawaii!

@@masoninthemountains FYI, I just got a pair of Topo Athletic MTN Racer 3 last week from their Cdn website, so far really pleased. Wide toebox and low drop shoes similar to Altra (which I have owned many) but better built and more durable soles and uppers than the Altras.

@@tedcormier1736 thanks Ted! Appreciate the comment on the Topos. Especially the better built and more durable outsole piece. That was always a problem for me with the Altra's. 👍

They have way over-delivered. I'm beyond impressed!

$285 Canadian. Not sure what that is in Brazilian dollars? It's not cheap though.

It's a beauty for sure! I'd go back again.

It is pretty busy and the trail has seen better days for sure.

Thank you. It’s always so inspiring out there. Thanks for the comment.

@@masoninthemountains It definitely is! I love to hike in that area myself 🙏🏻

@@birenderjeetsingh7088 lots of great hikes in that area.

Thank you 🙏. We are pretty spoiled here in the Canadian Rockies.

Thanks very much! It was a beautiful overnight trip. I appreciate the sub!

Thank you! I wish it would last longer.

@@ecttreker9816 it’s a beautiful place. The larches are still out right now!

The views always blow me away!

It surprises me every time I go back. A must do for sure!

It sure is! Absolutely stunning. Thanks for comment, appreciate that 🙏. Gotta go and edit another video 😀

It was a beauty! So many layers to that onion 🙂

Thank you, I appreciate that 🙏. More to come.

Awesome! You will love it. So beautiful. Glad to see you're putting your foot down!

Thank you! I appreciate that. It's a fantastic trail and I hope to find myself there again. Maybe next year. 🤔

Thank you! There's a reason people flock to this area 🏕🙌

The locals are as beautiful as the scenery. It was one of my biggest takeaways from our time on the trail. We'll be back.

It was my pleasure. A beautiful trail indeed!

Thanks very much. It's a beautiful trail!

The idea is to keep rodents and in particular porcupines and marmots from chewing on things you don't want them chewing on. They seem to like rubber and there's been instances of them chewing on things like brake lines or coolant hoses.

My pleasure! It's a beautiful spot for sure. The first time I went in there was a ton of deadfall and the trail wasn't so great. The second time, they had done a lot more work so there was less route finding. Assuming they keep up the maintenance, the trail up to the meadow is pretty clear. Once you hit the meadow, there is a bit more routefinding but nothing that I would call overly challenging. And sorry, didn't see any signs of Trout.

Thanks Josh! It's a brilliant place. Hope you get a a chance to put boots on trail soon!

So our first attempt was in June and there was still plenty of snow. We made it within about 1km and had to turn back. Our second attempt was in August so now problem then. I've found that there is generally still plenty of snow in June...depending on elevation of course.

Thank you. Great trip, you should definitely put it on the list.

It's absolutely beautiful. I've been there a couple of times now and I would go a third. The trek in is more straight forward now than it was the first time I went in. They did a bunch of trail work a couple of years back wich helps a lot. You still have to ford the river basically right from the car park so choosing the right time of year to go is key. Also, once you arrive up in the meadow you have a choice to make. Head up to the pass and tackle the climb up to the small summit and then back down the other side....or, take on the bushwhacking around the nub and navigate your way through the trees.The first time in I came back through the trees and it was a mess and required some route finding. You'll avoid the elevation if you go through the trees but may find yourself struggling with lots of blowdown etc. I don't have a .gpx for this. I used an old school map and my years of experience in the mountains for navigation.

@@masoninthemountains Thank you for the info. The nub vs summit is the spot I was curious about. I've heard about ppl get turned around and lost. Also heard all about the blow downs to navigate. I will use an old map I have then and when I go hopefully it will be okay. And I'll go late season when water levels are low. :)

@@cherbeareverywhere you'll be ok. Have a great time...totally worth it!

That's too bad! The river crossing is likely the biggest crux aside from distance and elevation. You likely want to wait until late summer when the water is lower to get across. Though I have been across in early July. It's a stunning place! Thanks for following.

Thank you Gord! It’s a beautiful place indeed.

Thank you Kalvin! Hard to spend enough time out in the mountains. Hope you're getting out.

Road is great. Or at least was when we were there. 2wd no problem. Very nice hike with a good payoff at the end. Thanks for checking out the content ❤️

Thanks Pierre. Just got back from Fording River Pass. Testing the Achilles out. Not bad but not 100%. Moving in the right direction though.

Thanks very much! So glad that summer is finally approaching.

No question, one of my absolute favourite places that I've been. It's a stunner!