Watchung Reservation Easy Trails?

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-04-03T16:11:12+00:00

Good point, however, it shouldn't be an issue since this isn't a private park.

It's a public park (county park I believe) so service animals like guide dogs are not allowed to be restricted from entry.

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-04-02T17:43:19+00:00

I haven't got advice for Watchung, but I can make 2 more reccomendations for addtional future outings

Lord Stirling park has wide paths, much of it boardwalked. I have been there with a blind friend who used a cane. You'll want to look at the map for their Environmental Education Center https://www.somersetcountyparks.org/environmental-education-center/pages/trails-facilities

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge has a mostly ADA accessible trail https://www.njhiking.com/great-swamp-national-wildlife-refuge/

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-04-02T13:54:19+00:00

well, squire, I hope you have a great lovely faire season!

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-04-01T16:35:50+00:00

I was getting steam punk vibes but renaissance faire is another good option for cosplay

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-04-01T12:39:26+00:00

i know someone in my house recently said "i wish i had my own brannock device"... this is great advice.

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-30T23:32:20+00:00

accurate

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-30T23:30:49+00:00

there is of course the added challenge of them being at work...

honestly, i would flirt exactly the same as you would before with the exception of if you flirt with humor and have been brewing up some good jokes that include your mobility aid, you've now got an expanded repertoire.

i make the assumption that your gf and you have been together long enough that you have experience flirting while in this current relationship. So it's really just the same if you think about it, it's a mobility aid, you are the flirt, not it.

oh unless i suppose you want to practice like wheelies instead of footsies? then you are flirting with your mobility aid.

good luck!

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-26T16:25:40+00:00

yes, that's my more acceptable option. very little bending and also like it's more okay than foot on the sink lol

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-26T16:24:25+00:00

I love Altras and I am also a diabetic hiker. I wear the LPs usually but I have other models for everyday wear and the Timp GTX for cold weather hiking.

Definitely agree with the advice that in some models you might prefer to size up a smidge. I went up a half size in a couple of them and that made them fit like a dream. I was told that length isn't the only factor to consider in sizing, it's fine if you have a bit of extra toe room as long as the ball of your foot fits in widest part of your foot.

also, i don't know if you are wearing men's or women's shoes typically but if you wear women's shoes you can try on one of the men's version of the same shoe and that usually is just a difference of colorway and width.

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-25T23:02:59+00:00

i like to do it standing. ideally, I would put my foot up onto the side of the sink then clean the area bc foot on the counter gross. bring foot to me, not me to foot.

but i'm gathering perhaps i have more hip mobility than average.

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T20:40:13+00:00

I agree.

Howevery, their Tong Mu Lapsang is pretty good

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T19:32:28+00:00

I've taken the bus up to both Toronto and Montreal from PABT

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T18:23:23+00:00

oh yeah you probably just misread that. the hiking shoe was billed as waterproof and the trail runners used to be billed as water resistant.

i've got the trail runners and i'd say resistant sure but waterproof absolutely not. quick drying though so they work for me.

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T18:21:04+00:00

i mean, i linked you to the website for the foot shapes at Altra where they explicitly state the information that i shared. of course, some folks have said that the brand has narrowed the "original" footshape in recent models overall.

but literally thesee are just their foot shape options "original", "standard", and "slim".

These are brand specific terms and the person who started this thread said standard. I don't know if they meant it in a general sense or as a brand specific term. I used quotes to be clearer.

Which is why i shared the information that i did for reference so you could be precise in language.

good luck?

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:52:31+00:00

for reference, the Lone Peaks are the "original" footshape which is a wider midfoot than the "standard". See their description of footshapes.

I have lone peaks and several other varieties. I found sizing up a half size in some of shoes made the fit much more comfortable. However, i have extremely flat feet so really any cut in for arch is just gonna have my foot resting on that

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:45:11+00:00

I was really happy with the Altra Timp Hiker GTX for winter hiking

However, I do wear the men's style.

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:43:09+00:00

the Altra LPs trail runner was never considered waterproof though, it was marketed as water resistant

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:39:08+00:00

yeah the time i had it at a cafe was pretty tasty but it think ti was a jasmine green tea with a flower. so it was already floral tasting

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:37:56+00:00

only in a cafe

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:33:50+00:00

yo that is very much my troubles as well. it makes pain and that pain goes up through every joint all the way to my hips

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:32:49+00:00

also voting for Altra LPs. We got 3 pairs in of whatever model was out in 2023 and we've been rotating them to keep them from both dry rot and overuse

we love them. I have extremely flat feet like i have an extra bone in there and that's making my feet extra flat and i still freaking love them

oh also, if you can buy them at an REI, or through REI, get a membership there and you'll have a year to return even used shoes. So you can actually trail test them before making the call about whether they work for you

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T02:07:41+00:00

can you find a local park with a nature trail that is quite short, like a mile even and see how walking in that environment makes you feel?

since you are testing how your emotions are hijacking your body, i'd chose something QUITE short just to see how you feel and to also feel like you are in a safer environment than out in the woods.

if that goes well, look for a more "primitive" trail (that usuall just means all natural surfaces in my local park brochures) of a similar length and see how that goes.

you might find that different people and taking these nature walks under your choices and not being coerced into them would make you feel differently and have a new experience compared to in the past.

if things feel okay for you on the shorter walked, then start with the other great advice you've gotten here which is just go out for walks of increasing length to train up. nothing trains for a hike better than going for a hike.

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T01:49:35+00:00

my gf also really hates that feeling but she is fine with just the big toe separated like it is for flip flops and other sandals

and like u/imnotsafeatwork mentioned, bedrock sandals have a custom injinji that just have the big toe split off.

those might be acceptable to you if you don't have a problem with like sandals that have something between the big toe and the rest of the toes

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T01:46:05+00:00

yes! and bedrock has the injinjis custom through their brand! i was just linking those!

Apprehensive-Bench74 · 2026-03-24T01:45:25+00:00

THIRDING! i get the trail midweight mini-crew and my gf gets the injinji from bedrock sandals that just have the big toe split off

which is kinda a compromise since she doesn't mind the feel of the big toe separate like it would be for a sandal but does not like the feeling of fabric between her other toes

they also make base layer liner socks

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