Friday, June 04, 2010

Na Pali


This week I went on an epic excursion with my two housemates, Amanda and Kyle. We hiked and camped Kauai's Na Pali Coast along the Kalalau Trail. We covered a total of 28 miles in 3 days with heavy packs and few resources. It was a truly unbelievable experience, and I was able to record my thoughts and reflections along the way (when I had the energy). Enjoy!

Monday Evening: Lihue

I forgot how quick the flight is from Honolulu to Kauai. By the time we had finished the ascent we were already heading down. We hitched a cab to our little hotel, Kauai Palms. We were pretty hungry even though it was late, and I wanted to load up on food because I won't be eating a whole lot this week.

We hit the jackpot and found Rob's Bar and Grill, a local karaoke bar with some good food. We were going to weigh ourselves before and after to see who loses the most weight, but there wasn't a scale.

Tomorrow we're gonna take the bus as far as it goes and then thumb it to the trailhead. I hope it goes well. Off to bed now. Miles of road to travel and 11 miles to hike tomorrow.

Tuesday Morning: Kauai BusI picked up my pack and put it on. It weighs so much! Brings back memories of the days when we used to lug bottles of wine in our heavy packs up and down the steep trails of CinqueTerre. We caught the bus and now are on our way to Hanalei. From there we have to hitchhike. Then it's an 11 mile shot to the end to camp.

Given the length and difficulty of the hike and the weight of my bag, this will be one of my greatest physical accomplishments if I can pull it off. I'm a little nervous but pretty amped. Kauai is beautiful.

Tuesday Evening: Kalalau Beach
Done. Eleven miles in the bag. No scratch that- 13 miles because we had to walk an extra two to get to the trailhead. Five fun facts for you about the Kalalau Trail:

1. Beginners and even intermediate hikers need not attempt. This was a tough trail!
2. It's important to pack as light as possible. Trust me.
3. It gets even more breathtaking as you go.
4. You shouldn't be scared of all the hippies that live out here, because they're really friendly.
5. You need to get to the end of this trail. It's amazing!

This place is not paradise. It's past that. It's a heavenly, majestic, otherworldly land. I think a lot of the people here, be it the backpackers like us or the friendly hippie colonists, have come here searching for something. I'm not sure if everyone's found it here, but I know they've found something. I sure have.

After we soaked ourselves in the fresh waterfall at the end of the beach, we quckly set up our tent and headed down to the sand to watch the sunset. In front was a mile and a half of glistening shorebreak and endless white, warm sand. Behind were the Pali, the green, jagged cliffs that looked like Kauai's sharp, ancient teeth. Unreal, I thought. Absolutely Unreal.My shoulders are still aching from the pack, but I feel a lot better now that I'm clean and fed. There were some tough, scary sections of the trail. By the last few miles, we were all pretty drained. Tomorrow we'll only hike half and camp.

When the sun rises, I will wake up in heaven. But don't worry, I'll return soon.

Wednesday Evening: Hanakapi'ai Beach
Miraculously, we covered nine miles today in good time. The original plan was to camp at Hanakoa, which was halfway in, but we made it there by noon so we stopped there, ate a great lunch (salame and bread will never get old, I swear), and bathed in the cool stream. It felt so good on my feet.

We took the last stretch nice and slow because we had all afternoon to get there. I only felt really tired a few times. It was definitely easier than yesterday. When we made it to our final destination of Hanakapi'ai Beach, it was only about 4:30 or 5. We headed down the beach and jumped in because the waves were down. Then we passed out in the sand.

Setting up the tent today was a challenge because it was so windy and it was tough to find a big enough spot. But we pulled it off and settled in. Another great meal of bread and salame, and another spectacular sunset. It was one of the best I've seen in a while, and that's saying something.

There's a little rain coming down now so it's time to cash in. Tomorrow I hope to zip up to the waterfall and then make our way off the trail to the road. It'll be an adventure getting to Kapa'a to our hotel tomorrow.

Thursday Evening: Kapa'a, Kauai Sands Hotel
Kapa'a. Poolside. An afternoon never felt this good. Kyle booked us a hotel between Hanalei and the airport for the last night and we stumbled across a gem. The Kauai Sands Hotel must've been the place to be back in the 60's and 70's. It's a little rustic nowadays, but I'm still all about poolside and beachside relaxing. What a great way to cap off such a monumental adventure!

Frahm got pretty sick last night and laid low this morning, allowing me and Kyle to leave our bags at camp and do the four mile hike to Hanakapi'ai Falls without all that weight. Boy, you can really fly down the trail when your pack's not holding you down. We jumped rock to rock and hauled upstream through the jungle all the way to the majestic waterfall. It was so early that it was all ours and we swam through the cold pool and under the cascading water. Not a bad way to start your day.

On the way back, we stopped in the middle of the creek to get a picture of us with the falls in the background. At that moment, with the waterfall in the distance, palm trees surrounding us, and the sun beaming down, I felt like I was trapped in a postcard.
We finished the rest of the trail pretty quickly and started hitchhiking. The moment I stuck my thumb out, a van pulled over and took us all the way back to Hanalei. They were a super friendly and funny couple from Oklahoma. In Hanalei, we gorged ourselves with burgers, fries, and milkshakes. We rushed to finish them and then scrambled to catch the bus down to Kapa'a.

So here were are, last evening in Kauai. Not a bad way to cap off this incredible adventure. I'm going to go eat a lot of food, and maybe drink a beer or two in the process. It's been a while.

Friday Evening: Home
Home sweet home. What an enriching experience. The things we saw, the people we met, the places we went-all lifelong memories. As we zig-zagged in and out of valleys and up along steep cliffs overlooking the bluest sea, I think the trail wasn't the only thing we conquered. I feel like this trip was so good for my spirit. I can't put into words what it's done for me.

Push yourself hard, and throw yourself into a place where you're so saturated with God's beauty that every atom of your existence feels it. Your soul will thank you.