The Dirt on Skirts

Ah! And one more thing I learned during my four days in Sequoia (see "Lessons Learned," below): Skirts are not just for dress-up. They are fantastic for hiking in, surprisingly enough ~ and stores like A16 and REI have a lot of them these days, so, clearly, I'm not the only one who thinks so. Look for stretch, light weight, quick-dry, and good-size pockets (the one I got had a pocket at about mid-thigh, which was perfect for my phone/camera, and another at the flared hem, just below the knee). They keep you cooler than pants (maybe not than shorts) for obvious reasons, but their true advantage makes itself clear when it's time for a pit stop on the trail (well, not on the trail, while you're on the trail ~ you know what I mean).