Please Register / Login to take part in discussions about the Virgin Islands.
Are most of the trails pretty clean? Was wondering if I need to pack some closed shoes for hiking, or if a good pair of all-terrain sandals like keens or tevas would be good enough for stomping around the park. Thanks. Just 2 week away now!
All terrain sandals should be fine. You do see a lot of people opt for the kind with a covered toe though. A lot of trails have rocks sticking up out of them that you can stub your toe on. Whatever you bring, I suggest it is light weight and water suitable. Even if you aren't hiking near the water, we get a lot of brief rain showers and it's good to have something that will dry out quickly. Have a great time!
Hmmm...an embarrassing sandal story...
+1 for covered toes -- the volcanic rock is hard and sharp. I've taken hiking boots twice and never worn them.
Our other criteria for sandals:
1. While I want traction, a deeply-siped or ornate tread pattern is a headache. Trails, like the Lind Point and Salomon Beach trails, get slick with mud in the rain.
2. Climbing in flip-flops is hard, so I want a heel strap of some sort. (Flip-flops are OK for the hills around Cruz Bay, just not hiking in the guts and clambering on the rocks.)
3. Easy to dump sand
4. Easy to put back on when my feet are wet after swimming
5. No through-the-sole strap systems (like my Chacos) that collect sand and stay wet.
OK, the embarrassing story: the Nov 2004(?) trip hit a full 1.5 weeks of heavy rain. Power was out (Estate Lindholm generators were so nice!), sun rarely shone -- it was the year of mud slides at the Westin and all over St. Thomas. We still had fun and snorkeled every day.
On the way back home, sitting in the airport at STT, I noticed this rotting smell. Oh, must be something nasty in the trash can...move to new seat. Rank smell follows. Check pits--OK. Don't think I soiled myself...nope, not sliding in my seat. Ask travel partner if they noticed anything ... nope. Smell just won't leave. Sniff around...it's my feet...no, my sandals. The strap that slides through the sole of the Chaco with their elaborate lacing system is rotten with mildew. Deer-in-the-headlights moment: I have to spend the entire trip home with stank sandal of the first order. I'm only a little self-conscious at this point. (Eventually got the stank out of the sandals with ConSan Triple Action 20, but never trusted them for another trip.)
As we acquire new gear, ability to dry in the tropics is one of the selection criteria. We have lighter dive skins now, and avoid clothing and fancy shoes that won't dry. Last year we learned our underwater camera case needs drying agent. It's a process.
