so this post is more than a blog of this is what i did and here are some pictures, this is why i came to this place- today i found "my shangri-La" - there are certain events that happen in a persons life that they would consider momentous. this may happen 4-5 times in a lifetime. whether it be a personal achievement, a person you meet that changes your life or see something that rocks your soul so deep there are just no words to describe it. today for me, was one of those days in more ways then one. i decided last night that i would do the "nualolo/awaawapuhi adventure hike" 10.5 miles of the na pali coast. to be honest i was very apprehensive
before this trip- the things that crossed my mind were the rain in a place that receives 435" a year, not to mention the fact that it was 10 miles- i don't know if i have ever done anything that was physically demanding for 5 hours except that 250 lb hooker I got my 1st night here(I keed, that was 6 hrs). this is all i could think about on the hr ride to the trail and it left a very uneasy feeling in my stomach. after driving back to the other side of the island by waimea canyon i reach the trail head, across the street from where the canyon hike i had taken a few days before. the sun was shining yet rain was off in the horizon. i start the
hike and about 2 minutes in, i hit the 1st barrier- the trail just kind of ended(I think this is the point I lost my 3rd pair of sun glasses of the year)- this was the 1st sign of trailblazers gone wrong. after seeing the correct trail i am back on my way. after about a mile i come to a fork in the road. i could go either right or strait- being the park has great trail signage(there were no signs @ all) i go towards the coast. two miles had passed and i thought i had taken the scenic route and missed the correct trail until i see a sign that says i am going correct- the glazed surface was a nice ride down taking it step by step to not end up on my ass. after 2 miles i come to the point
where the next trail is to be taken (it was a combination of 3 trails to make the 10 mile loop). being i was worried to run out of daylight i decided to skip the end of the 1st trail and move on to the second. after hiking a 1/2 mile on the 2nd trail something told me i needed to turn around- i had missed something and if i was going to put myself through 5 hrs of grueling switchbacks and an uphill battle i need to get the full benefit of the hike. i make a u turn and head back- i jump back on the nualolo and head toward the end. and this is when i realized "this is the place" after another 1/5 mile i break past the bushes and these sea oat-esq plants to
the open coast- my 1st glimpse of the na pali coast. i was speechless and had a smile from ear to ear. i did not know what to do- this was the moment i was waiting for, the moment that left me breathless with no words to describe my feelings. i had chills that ran deep in my bones, through my soul and i felt i was meant to be here. as i hike the ridge trail to the end, the views were more exceptional with every step i took. as i approach the end i see the coast in all of its glory. the 4000' foot lush, green cliffs that end @ the sea, waterfalls and the years of ash that had a different color for each stage of eruption. there was a rainbow and i defiantly
found the pot of gold. the sign @ the end said, in national park brown and yellow "end of nualolo trail" so wandered around for a few minutes and see a some of this and some of that. the winds were gusting @ 40 mph and not a cloud in the sky over me but a mile or so over it was raining. i take a few pictures and before i leave i see some etching on the sign. i look and i see "sam" on the bottom left corner, which was weathered and there for a while. could the return to this trail have been a simple twist of fate? i sit down for a while to soak up the view, do some thinking and move on. i return to the nualolo cliff trail i hike a few switchbacks along the coast. there were many trails to follow. again trailblazers decided to cut their own trails in the sea oats(not sure what they were but they were a pain in the ass towering 7' you could not see around them) i got to the second cliff and made it to the woods, back into the sea oats i get more views of the coast as i make my way back to the woods i start to notice a very familiar foot print, my own. i look @ my GPS and low and behold i just did a 1/2 mile circle on this ridge. after getting my bearing on where i am, i find the correct trail by seeing the picnic area ahead that was marked on the map. i make it to the picnic table and take a break- back on the trail i hear a waterfall ahead- this makes my stomach churn, or maybe it was the cliff bars- i seem to always find the jackass way across these and get boots full of water- this time it is just a trickle of water that needs to be crossed- all is well on the cliff trail. next comes a sign "trail narrows and washed out proceed @ own risk- so i did- i did not hike 5 miles so far to turn back- i was 1/2 way home @ this point and the sun was falling fast. After traversing 3-4 landslides and washed out parts of the trail i dip back into the woods- back on a decline i get a break from the elevation gain. i hear more water off in the distance, this time it sounds larger then before- i pass a guy(1st of the day) that had just come where I was going- i get to the stream and see fresh foot prints that go to the middle- so i follow suite- so here i am now standing in the middle of the river (this trip let me know how tall I was for sure) with no trail in sight. so i push forward and find myself in the middle of this tropical river valley - among to which are thorns about and inch long. after battling these for 10 minutes i make my way back to the side of the stream. i was 6.5 miles in and i was starting to feel fatigued. the 1st thing that crossed my mind were how the marines do something called the crucible @ the end of boot camp- i think that alone kept me level headed and kept going. I have seen video of this and it is 3 days of hell- i battled all of the negative thoughts and bitching to find the trail and i am back on my way- this is when the fun starts- all uphill from here. little did i know i started @ the low end of the trail @ 3400' and the peak of the trail was a little over 4000'. @ the end of the cliff trail i come to the next trail along with lots of day hikers- they are on a nice leisurely 2.5 mile hike to the other vista- it is only 3/10 of a mile to the vista from where I am so i head that way- by this time i have had a lot of time to think, think about how i must push on, how dr scholls needs to go back to school b/c his inner soles suck and how i want to be done- i stop for a minute to take a break and enjoy the less them impressive views of before- when i saw this i was glad that i took the harder trail b/c the reward was so much greater. i head back to the trail and have about 2.5 miles left then a mile back to the car on the road. i start the 2.5 miles back up the coast to 4000'. i took small steps and paced myself. after a mile i was starting to hurt allover. my feet, back and legs were screaming to stop but i kept on going. i must hike really fast b/c i had passed people hat left 20 minutes before me- i tried to slow down but it made it worse- i guess it is my long legs? step after step i was fanaticizing about a cold beer and a place i could stretch my back. i would pass people on their way to the vista and they would ask how long and i would give a look of "how the hell do i know" snot was running down my face, my shirt drenched from mist and sweat and i was in pain. i knew the good parts were over i just needed to get back to the car. i finally make it to the road and the rain starts coming down- on my walk i try and hitch a ride to which was unsuccessful- although a few of them almost hit me. hiking boots on the road suck- the soles do not flex much and all i wanted were a nice chacos on my feet- the boots were hot, the tape on my feet was starting to bunch and it just sucked. as i round the final corner i get another one of the breathless moments- i see the car off in the distance- when i get back i lay on the hood and just had to reflect for a second- i put on my chacos and pour myself into the drivers seat, lick my wounds and go about my way- i que up some tractor beam and head home- with the wiamea on my left and winding roads i push the malibu to the edge- I drove that rental car like need for speed, the brakes were hot the tires were screeching and it was some of the most fun i have had driving- ever- the best way to end a hike like this- some 150 bpm music and one hell of a view to the left- with my head bobbing like it has never before, air guitar in full force, knee on the wheel, i was one happy fool. i asked myself why i did this- was it to prove anything to anyone? No- I live my life how I want- so why impress? not even to prove anything to myself- it was for the love of nature, the love of walking, the love of solitude, for the love of the game- to clear my head and be one with nature in one of the most stunning places on earth. In the end after all the pain, this was a day that I will remember, for the views the agony and who I wished was with me. I have had other monumental days in my life but everything involved I think this may be @ the top
so this post is more than a blog of this is what i did and here are some pictures, this is why i came to this place- today i found "my shangri-La" - there are certain events that happen in a persons life that they would consider momentous. this may happen 4-5 times in a lifetime. whether it be a personal achievement, a person you meet that changes your life or see something that rocks your soul so deep there are just no words to describe it. today for me, was one of those days in more ways then one. i decided last night that i would do the "nualolo/awaawapuhi adventure hike" 10.5 miles of the na pali coast. to be honest i was very apprehensive 
before this trip- the things that crossed my mind were the rain in a place that receives 435" a year, not to mention the fact that it was 10 miles- i don't know if i have ever done anything that was physically demanding for 5 hours except that 250 lb hooker I got my 1st night here(I keed, that was 6 hrs). this is all i could think about on the hr ride to the trail and it left a very uneasy feeling in my stomach. after driving back to the other side of the island by waimea canyon i reach the trail head, across the street from where the canyon hike i had taken a few days before. the sun was shining yet rain was off in the horizon. i start the 
hike and about 2 minutes in, i hit the 1st barrier- the trail just kind of ended(I think this is the point I lost my 3rd pair of sun glasses of the year)- this was the 1st sign of trailblazers gone wrong. after seeing the correct trail i am back on my way. after about a mile i come to a fork in the road. i could go either right or strait- being the park has great trail signage(there were no signs @ all) i go towards the coast. two miles had passed and i thought i had taken the scenic route and missed the correct trail until i see a sign that says i am going correct- the glazed surface was a nice ride down taking it step by step to not end up on my ass. after 2 miles i come to the point 
where the next trail is to be taken (it was a combination of 3 trails to make the 10 mile loop). being i was worried to run out of daylight i decided to skip the end of the 1st trail and move on to the second. after hiking a 1/2 mile on the 2nd trail something told me i needed to turn around- i had missed something and if i was going to put myself through 5 hrs of grueling switchbacks and an uphill battle i need to get the full benefit of the hike. i make a u turn and head back- i jump back on the nualolo and head toward the end. and this is when i realized "this is the place" after another 1/5 mile i break past the bushes and these sea oat-esq plants to 
the open coast- my 1st glimpse of the na pali coast. i was speechless and had a smile from ear to ear. i did not know what to do- this was the moment i was waiting for, the moment that left me breathless with no words to describe my feelings. i had chills that ran deep in my bones, through my soul and i felt i was meant to be here. as i hike the ridge trail to the end, the views were more exceptional with every step i took. as i approach the end i see the coast in all of its glory. the 4000' foot lush, green cliffs that end @ the sea, waterfalls and the years of ash that had a different color for each stage of eruption. there was a rainbow and i defiantly 
found the pot of gold. the sign @ the end said, in national park brown and yellow "end of nualolo trail" so wandered around for a few minutes and see a some of this and some of that. the winds were gusting @ 40 mph and not a cloud in the sky over me but a mile or so over it was raining. i take a few pictures and before i leave i see some etching on the sign. i look and i see "sam" on the bottom left corner, which was weathered and there for a while. could the return to this trail have been a simple twist of fate? i sit down for a while to soak up the view, do some thinking and move on. i return to the nualolo cliff trail i hike a few switchbacks along the coast. there were many trails to follow. again trailblazers decided to cut their own trails in the sea oats(not sure what they were but they were a pain in the ass towering 7' you could not see around them) i got to the second cliff and made it to the woods, back into the sea oats i get more views of the coast as i make my way back to the woods i start to notice a very familiar foot print, my own. i look @ my GPS and low and behold i just did a 1/2 mile circle on this ridge. after getting my bearing on where i am, i find the correct trail by seeing the picnic area ahead that was marked on the map. i make it to the picnic table and take a break- back on the trail i hear a waterfall ahead- this makes my stomach churn, or maybe it was the cliff bars- i seem to always find the jackass way across these and get boots full of water- this time it is just a trickle of water that needs to be crossed- all is well on the cliff trail. next comes a sign "trail narrows and washed out proceed @ own risk- so i did- i did not hike 5 miles so far to turn back- i was 1/2 way home @ this point and the sun was falling fast. After traversing 3-4 landslides and washed out parts of the trail i dip back into the woods- back on a decline i get a break from the elevation gain. i hear more water off in the distance, this time it sounds larger then before- i pass a guy(1st of the day) that had just come where I was going- i get to the stream and see fresh foot prints that go to the middle- so i follow suite- so here i am now standing in the middle of the river (this trip let me know how tall I was for sure) with no trail in sight. so i push forward and find myself in the middle of this tropical river valley - among to which are thorns about and inch long. after battling these for 10 minutes i make my way back to the side of the stream. i was 6.5 miles in and i was starting to feel fatigued. the 1st thing that crossed my mind were how the marines do something called the crucible @ the end of boot camp- i think that alone kept me level headed and kept going. I have seen video of this and it is 3 days of hell- i battled all of the negative thoughts and bitching to find the trail and i am back on my way- this is when the fun starts- all uphill from here. little did i know i started @ the low end of the trail @ 3400' and the peak of the trail was a little over 4000'. @ the end of the cliff trail i come to the next trail along with lots of day hikers- they are on a nice leisurely 2.5 mile hike to the other vista- it is only 3/10 of a mile to the vista from where I am so i head that way- by this time i have had a lot of time to think, think about how i must push on, how dr scholls needs to go back to school b/c his inner soles suck and how i want to be done- i stop for a minute to take a break and enjoy the less them impressive views of before- when i saw this i was glad that i took the harder trail b/c the reward was so much greater. i head back to the trail and have about 2.5 miles left then a mile back to the car on the road. i start the 2.5 miles back up the coast to 4000'. i took small steps and paced myself. after a mile i was starting to hurt allover. my feet, back and legs were screaming to stop but i kept on going. i must hike really fast b/c i had passed people hat left 20 minutes before me- i tried to slow down but it made it worse- i guess it is my long legs? step after step i was fanaticizing about a cold beer and a place i could stretch my back. i would pass people on their way to the vista and they would ask how long and i would give a look of "how the hell do i know" snot was running down my face, my shirt drenched from mist and sweat and i was in pain. i knew the good parts were over i just needed to get back to the car. i finally make it to the road and the rain starts coming down- on my walk i try and hitch a ride to which was unsuccessful- although a few of them almost hit me. hiking boots on the road suck- the soles do not flex much and all i wanted were a nice chacos on my feet- the boots were hot, the tape on my feet was starting to bunch and it just sucked. as i round the final corner i get another one of the breathless moments- i see the car off in the distance- when i get back i lay on the hood and just had to reflect for a second- i put on my chacos and pour myself into the drivers seat, lick my wounds and go about my way- i que up some tractor beam and head home- with the wiamea on my left and winding roads i push the malibu to the edge- I drove that rental car like need for speed, the brakes were hot the tires were screeching and it was some of the most fun i have had driving- ever- the best way to end a hike like this- some 150 bpm music and one hell of a view to the left- with my head bobbing like it has never before, air guitar in full force, knee on the wheel, i was one happy fool. i asked myself why i did this- was it to prove anything to anyone? No- I live my life how I want- so why impress? not even to prove anything to myself- it was for the love of nature, the love of walking, the love of solitude, for the love of the game- to clear my head and be one with nature in one of the most stunning places on earth. In the end after all the pain, this was a day that I will remember, for the views the agony and who I wished was with me. I have had other monumental days in my life but everything involved I think this may be @ the top
3 comments:
This sounds like the most awsome part of your trip. FANTASTIC PICTURES!!! Love the rainbows
Ane I bet you wished I was with you
Your commentary helps me picture the whole adventure! Picts are great! (I'm still jealous.)
You forgot to end it with "...and then I decided to hit a McDonalds."
And you really were up late...
WOW!!!!!
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