During the pandemic and the following winter when there was a lot of ice on the ground, I did a lot more daily walking than I have in the winter months since then. That was thanks to the slow, still-incomplete healing of a leg I broke badly enough to be off it or not use it much for most of a year with other things slowing me down and getting in the way too, like CMT or whatever my mystery NMD is.

As climate change gives us warmer, wetter winters with a lot of melt and refreezing, the old days of powder snow that can be swept away with a broom or leaf blower seem to be gone in Edmonton. This makes walking much more hazardous, especially on highly arched feet that don’t touch the ground much, messed up ankles and knees, and generally limited muscle-nerve function in my calves on down.

Treacherous sidewalks, which the City of Edmonton and its residents are not known for clearing promptly, add to the existing challenges of urban streets not designed for pedestrians let alone mobility-challenged ones. For me that means Kahtoolas (spikes) and Yaktrax are essential for winter walking. Unfortunately, they tend not to last long for me, given that much of my weight comes down on my heels and the parts of my left foot that do connect with the ground, get calloused up, and bear an extra load thanks to the deformities caused by neuromuscular dysfunction.

I’ve had these broken Kahtoola links on my desk since the winter of 2019-20.

It did not take long to grind down the links. In one spot the steel is paper thin.

These were on a nearly new pair of MicroSpikes that lasted only a few months on my CMT-feet. The company was kind enough to send me new ones for free. This next winter I should break them out. I’ve been walking less and relying more on hiking boots and shoes the last few years. It’s not enough. The spikes are great protection from slipping and falling, but they do not last.

I think that’s why I keep them in sight, as a reminder.