It's sad to lose a friend, in this case a pair of leather hiking boots that served me
well from the early 1980s to 2005. These Raichle "Rotondos" were bought at REI in
Seattle and covered many a mile with my feet in them. They were scheduled to accompany
me on my date with destiny (the Goose Neck near Moab, Utah) in 2005, but fate intervened
during the descent of a cross-country hike at Tetzlaff Peak near Wendover, Utah. To my
horror, the right boot split open along the sole's seam, rendering these boots useless
for additional trips. (I figured that it was not worth the effort to repair them.) I
retired them upon getting home. New boots took their place in early 2006 and performed
with distinction in Utah that year. The Rotondos still sit in my garage.
.