The Autumn Ride

Even though it's mid-October, I'm starting to get the feeling that it isn't going to cool down out here any time soon. It's still really hot, and I still haven't completely adjusted to it. I remember a time last spring when I was having a chat with my aunt Becky about my upcoming stint out in Hawaii. She asked if I was a cold weather or warm weather person, and I confidently said that I was definitely more suited for warmer weather. I had just returned from Spokane, where a cold winter front with temperatures in the teens had been seeping through the paper-thin wall of 803 Mission for two weeks straight. Warm weather was a no brainer at that point. But now, as I sit in my bedroom which always seems to be about 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the house, I would love to take a quick walk in the snow of Spokane. Still, this weather is nearly perfect and I think it'll start dropping a few degrees pretty soon, so then I'll have absolutely nothing to complain about.

Sadly, Fall Break is coming to an end. It was so nice to have almost nothing to worry about for an entire week. I think my mind and body really really needed it. Though I didn't accomplish a lot of the things I wanted to accomplish during the break, I really took care of myself and also had some great adventures around the island. The biggest one was a long bike ride I did on Wednesday.

After taking my new bike for a few spins, I quickly found out that the front tire had sprung a leak! I did a little work on it and patched it up on Tuesday night, hoping for the best. I made an executive decision: If the tire was still inflated the next morning, I would embark on an epic ride around the northwest corner of the island better known as Kaena Point. My alarm sounded at 7 a.m. and I strolled out to the storage shed to check the tire. It was perfectly full-my questionable patch job had worked- so the trip was on. I threw together a bag of stuff, strapped on my helmet, and headed west towards the point.

I hiked Kaena Point way back in late May when I was here before TFA Induction. There used to be a railroad track that connected the Waianae side of the island to the North Shore, but it is long gone. They never built a road to connect the two parts of the island, so Kaena Point became a state park and bird sanctuary. This is both bad and good: bad because if there was a road here connecting the west and north parts of the island, I could get down to the Waianae side in about 15 minutes. It's good because what remain there now are some incredible mountain biking trails with the ocean as a very dramatic backdrop.

"The Beast " overlooking the North Shore coast

My ultimate destination was Yokohama Beach, the beach that lies at the end of the Waianae coast. I didn't clock the mileage, but I think that the distance from Haleiwa to Yokohama Beach is about 10 miles. I wanted to beat the heat, so I was on the road by 7:30. Just getting out to Kaena Point was the longest part of the ride, but I got down Farrington Highway pretty quickly. I was to the park within about an hour and there were very few people there- only a few fishermen and some early morning 4x4 offroaders. Hiking the many different routes and trails of Kaena Point had been pretty easy going, but biking it was a little more nerve-wracking. There were a lot of sections that were pretty intense, but I quickly learned that my new bike is an absolute beast. I was a little skeptical about its quality at first, but after riding it on some pretty rough trails, I'm very happy with my purchase. It held its own and then some. It can handle pretty much anything you throw at it.

My favorite part of the ride was the last stretch, the remnants of the railroad tracks that wind along the northern tip of the Waianae coast all the way to Yokohama Beach. Mother Nature has taken her toll on this path, making for some pretty rough terrain. I ripped down the trail, stealing quick glances at the sea directly to my right. You couldn't make a better trail with a better setting.

The last stretch of the ride- the perfect trail

I spent a little bit of time at Yokohama Beach, but the weather wasn't exactly spectacular, so I headed back after not too long. The ride back was equally rivetting.

I did a lot of other cool stuff during the break, but this ride was the highlight. I hope to get back out there soon.

Sadly, it's back to work tomorrow. I have a couple resolutions for this upcoming quarter, including going to the gym on a regular basis. There's one on the base that I can access for free. I'm hoping that this break provides me with a new boost of energy, because I could definitely feel myself burning out a little bit towards the end of first quarter.