One of the joys of living in Colorado is all the outdoor recreation right outside my door.  This past month has been so warm it felt like summer, leading me to engage in summertime behavior and wear my Chacos for a short hike a couple of weeks ago.  I’m living to regret that decision…

For those unfamiliar with Chacos, they are sport sandals that are very popular especially out west.  I first became familiar with them through some rafting guides I knew in Oregon.  They have a very unique design with one single strap that fastens at the top of the foot/ankle with one buckle that tightens the entire sandal.  The strap weaves back and forth either over your foot or through the sole of the shoe.  Because of this  you can adjust the strap to precisely fit your feet.  They quickly became popular for rafting guides because are made for the water with a grippy tread that works on river rocks, but the strap design means they stay on your feet even if you end up in the rapids.  They were considered a big improvement over Tevas, another river sandal.  They also make for a very interesting and cool-looking tan line pattern on your feet over the course of the summer.

Chacos are not just for river rafting though, as they are quite popular for just walking and even hiking.  I met a woman on the John Muir Trail in California who wore them for backpacking.  When I was working in Capitol Reef National Park, I used to love hiking them in during the hot days in Utah, as they feel much more cool and comfortable on the feet than bulky hiking boots.  But there are disadvantages, which I was acutely reminded of the other day during my hike in the Sanitas Valley in Boulder.

It was warm in the 70s and seemed like the perfect day to break out the Chacos for the first time this year.  Bryon and were walking along, talking on the Dakota Ridge trail, a fairly rocky, but not very steep trail on the east side of the valley.  All of the sudden, I tripped and smashed my pinky toe into a rock.  The pain was horrendous, as my toe seemed to bend to the left.  There was nothing to do but limp my way back to the car, get an ice pack and rest it.

Unfortunately, I am having a hard time resting it and not being my normal, active self.  I find I have very little motivation to do anything during the day, when I can’t run around on my feet.  I also realize that most of my pleasure comes from being active and being outside.  It’s like being a diabetic in a candy store, there’s all these trails and ski runs beckoning, yet I know to properly heal my foot, I need to be careful about trying to be too active too soon.  I’ve found letting my injury heal is harder than I anticipated, as I’m a doer rather than a rester.  Well, as they say, it’s just one day at a time…

promoblock