Weekly Blog #14 - Sponge climbs (barely) in Colorado...
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posted: Saturday, August 1st, 2026
Sponge ends summer in one of the 'hiker happiest' places in the US
For nearly two weeks, Sponge got a chance to vacation in Breckenridge, Colorado. He was excited about the chance to possibly hike parts of the Colorado Trail and Continental Divide Trail - which actually overlap just north of Breck.
But as detailed in last week's blog, an ankle injury made a long hike and overnight camping less of a certainty. Still, Sponge diligently brought his full pack (albeit much lighter with only 1-2 days of food and snacks). In true Sponge spirit, he managed to forget his hiking shoes. But he bought a serviceable $35 pair at Walmart. Definitely not his Addidas Soulstrides, but they would do in a pinch.
For a good week, Sponge did what non-hikers do on vacation: see the sights, shop the shops, gobble good food and crush craft beers. His ankle, still swollen and purple, gave him pause to try anything drastic early on. He was moving well in regular tennis shoes, but it felt tight and a bit painful. The bigger fear would be what would happen if he rolled it again on a mountain pass.
So Sponge bided his time, eventually trying series of smaller trails totaling about 4 miles about midway through his trip. It was a chance to see how the ankle would respond...and if the Walmart shoes would hold up. Both did, although the swelling seemed to increase a bit that night.
Still - it was good to finally be on trails again. And Sponge pretty quickly noticed a few interesting things about the trail network of Colorado.
Beware of Bikes
If you're the type of hiker that loves to put in air pods and zone out to music while you trek - pick a trail wisely in Colorado. Or you may just end up with mountain bike ramming you in the ass. Many of the trails are shared with bikers - who love the challenges and views just as much as you. Shops that rent skis in the winter serve up bikes in the summer - especially those equipped to handle steep elevations. Some trails even are one-way only to accommodate primarily bikers.
Sponge never took bike tread to his butt, but he did meet plenty of bikers - most of whom he saw coming. A few politely, verbally announced when he didn't. Once he even met a caravan of a dozen youngsters taking part in a mountain biking class. Sponge was going down the hill as they struggled to start up it. Looking back, he was glad roles weren't reversed - as it was clear some were still learning their gears and Sponge could easily envisioned being flattened by a runaway bad braker.
Trails are pretty clearly marked with who is allowed on them - so it's possible to avoid trails that permit bikers. But many connecting trails allow both travelers, so it's something to keep in mind. Shared trails also tend to be a bit wider, flatter and firmer.
Want Water? Well...
While Sponge can't speak for ALL of Colorado, his time in Breckenridge was a bit challenging when it came to water. The town is a champion of the environment (which is fantastic) - but Sponge was ill-prepared for one of Breck's regulations when considering a longer hike.
Breckenridge specifically has banned single-use plastics, including grocery bags (you bring your own or pay 25 cents for paper bags) and WATER BOTTLES. It was the latter that definitely threw Sponge into a panic. He had recycled all his Smartwater bottles at the conclusion of his Superior Hiking Trail trip. He never had trouble finding these, well anywhere, so he was confident they would be available in Colorado.
Not so fast, says Breck.
So Sponge tried to see what he could do. The largest bottles available were Powerade or Gatorade 28 oz varieties. Durable, but dense and a bit heavy. They would do ok for local hikes, but brining these on a 15-20 mile overnight adventure would be cumbersome. They also would not have the right thread on the bottle's neck to allow for easy Sawyer Squeeze filtration. Still, Sponge bought some - knowing it was his best shot.
Moment of truth time!
So, several more days creep by and Sponge is approaching the final set of days he can try his longer trail trip. The plan was to take a free bus to nearby Copper Mountain and then hike 14 miles to Frisco, stopping overnight to camp at Miner's Creek. The first four miles would be pretty much climbing - bringing him to an elevation of 12,500 feet as he passed three Breckenridge Resorts three skiing peaks. Water would be a genuine concern - Colorado was in a crazy drought, so much so that the local grocery store refused to sell matches or lighters.
Sponge's ankle had improved, but the swelling was still there and it continued to be tight. Maybe he could wrap it with an elastic brace he brought and hope for the best. Maybe the Walmart shoes would be ok. Maybe the 6 Gatorade bottles of water wouldn't pull on his pack like bricks. Then the weather report - maybe it won't thunderstorm overnight, as predicted.
Too many maybes. With a heavy heart, Sponge resigned to let his 'big" Colorado hike pass him by. That night it rained harder than the previous 10 nights combined. It barely softened his disappointment.
But that's the hardest part of some hikes - knowing WHEN it's smart to not push on. Making yourself stay smart enough to make future hikes and adventures happen. And while it ended an opportunity for Sponge, who knows how many future opportunities may have evaporated if he was badly hurt.
Colorado is not going anywhere, Sponge knows. Making the responsible (albeit hard) choices will get him back.