Quote Originally Posted by Eight Thumbs View Post
Anyone who has ever stepped on a wet, steep mud bank with felt soles can also testify that they don't do well in this medium either. Heels or no heels, studs or no studs your position is space is going to change rapidly. Going up the bank, you are in for a knees and sometimes full face landing that is very likely to snap a fly rod and anything else you have in your hand. Going down the bank, you may have the quickest trip to the water you have ever taken. The landing depends greatly on the steepness of the bank and the athletic ability of the skier. At worst your feet will stop in relatively shallow water and the rest of your body will fall forward into considerably deeper water. A firmly packed trail with no ground cover down to the river can be worse than snow and ice when it's wet. Don't ask how I know. 8T
Definitely learned these the hard way. I learned them while hunting, however. Wet leaves are like trying to cross a concrete floor covered in marbles... If you learn how to walk sideways, using only the edge of your shoe, in the least comfortable and most unnatural position, you can do it. But just barely.

Investing in a wading/walking staff has been a GREAT help, as the mud in montana can be tricky at times.