The rain that soaked my sleeping bag and woke me up Tuesday morning also rewarded me with this stunning rainbow when I got out of my tent.
It makes me wonder if the rain actually woke me up to say, “Hey, look what I can do?”.
After a favor to hang my damp sleeping bag at an adjacent campsite's clothesline,
I hurried out to the beach to spend a few minutes to enjoy the fantastic sight.
I really try to make a conscious effort to pay attention to moments like this.
The rainbow started to fade and I went back to the campsite to deal with the business of getting breakfast and packing up.
The bus was scheduled to pick us up at 7am to bring us to the Kalalau trail head.
After gulping down my breakfast, I tried to pack in the on-again, off-again rain – not the most pleasant activity.
Allen had the great idea of packing in the bathroom and so I lugged all my stuff and followed his example.
The bus arrived just as I was done stuffing my pack but still had to deal with the rain-soaked tent.
I found Jennie trying to deal with it but Clayton thankfully helped and we all hurried to get on the bus.
PS I was not last.
While at the bathroom, another backpacker asked to hitch a ride in our bus.
A decision was made to accommodate him but I was seriously dubious and kept a very watchful eye.
(Nothing personal and I'm normally accommodating but my priority was safeguarding the group and our packs.)
He became my friend once we got to Kalalau.
One more stop at the Princeville Shopping Center for really last minute items.
I had more than enough stuff so I stayed on the bus. Thea came back with a cup of coffee for me - yay!
After the bus dropped us off at the trail head, the usual hustle bustle of backpackers preparing to hit the trail ensued.
This would be composed of bathroom trips, sun block application, unfurling of hiking poles, donning on gloves, hats, sunglasses,
knee braces, sweat bands, reconfiguring and final loading of backpacks, etc etc.
Here's me and Jill, all packed and ready to go at the end of that process --
A group picture before we hit the trail --
And we're off --
There is a restless energy and a low-level anxiety that accompanies the preparation for backpack trips.
This drives me to exercise and deal with the logistics of preparing for the trip but all of that energy and anxiety gets released the minute I hit the trail.
Something trips in my brain and a strong feeling of liberation ensues. From this point forward, I can survive in this world with just myself,
my friends and the 45 lbs of stuff on my back (for a few days at least ... )
Jill, Allen, Edo, Jennie and myself were the last to hit the trail. Edo, Jennie and I stayed together for the most part,
with Jill and Allen alternating between being ahead of us or behind us. Edo would pull ahead of us on occasion.
We wouldn't see the rest of the group until we got to Kalalau.
We slowly pull away from the trailhead revealing a view of Kee Beach.
As always, I notice bugs and creatures on the trail. I wonder what they think of us as they go about their business.
I wonder if they call what they do a JOB :)
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Other activities that day include kayaking which allows you to experience Kalalau from the water.
10:15 am
We hit Hanakapiai about an hour and a half after we pull away from the trailhead.
The stream was not heavy and it would normally be a breeze to hop across the rocks but not with a heavy pack and hiking poles.
Hikers usually hate wet feet and I try to keep mine as dry as possible but when the rock hopping
cannot be easily accomplished, I will choose to have wet feet over broken limbs or skull.
The goal that day was to make it to the 8 mile marker. Trail markers reveal the
work ahead of us.
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12:00 pm
Noon finds us at the "Gate / Space Rock" where we stop for lunch.
Space Rock feels very "StarGate".
Here's the view of the trail towards Kalalau from the "Gate / Space Rock" --
1:20 pm
Looking back at Space Rock --
A view back from where we came (you can see Space Rock on the top right corner) and a view forward to where we still need to go
(Kalalau is not yet visible at this point).
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2 pm
We come upon Jill sitting on a rock feasting on avocadoes and mountain apples. We look up and to our delight find clumps of mountain apples on the trees.
We excitedly shake the trees until they fall, and happily munch on one mountain apple after another mountain apple. Yum - O!
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2:20pm
During a water mission, Jill, Allen and Jennie demonstrate how much your life can be made easier if you switch from a manual water filter to an electronic SteriPEN.
This is Jill and Allen struggling with the manual water filter. As you can see, it takes two people to handle the contraption.
The effort required also contorts your face into unphotogenic facial expressions as you pump.
This is Jennie happily sterilizing water using the SteriPEN. I failed to turn on the video but, during this stint, she was also doing a little jig.
You sterilize and exercise at the same time!
PS Yes I know that you need both. I was trying to write one of those infamous commercials. Jill and I have big plans to make a video and sell it off to SteriPEN to make big bucks.
It honestly felt like it took forever to get to Hanakoa. Jennie and Edo were mostly in conversation.
I was mostly in conversation with myself. Frankly because conversations with myself don't use up energy and
I barely had enough to carry my pack and keep my legs moving forward.
The backpack that was my focal point of excitement weeks before the trip became my source of agony on the trail.
I kept wishing I was evolved enough to have the ability to teleport it from one spot to another.
I alternate conversations with myself with flora and flora photography --
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3:30 pm
Finally we see the first shelter and the outhouse beside it. There were hunters using the shelter and we asked if they saw the rest of our group.
They remembered seeing 'Slow Bob' and so I knew that they saw our group. I used the outhouse. The hunters said I was brave for going into the outhouse.
I found it funny that the hunters were pickier than I was.
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We go a little bit beyond the first shelter and then cross the stream to find another shelter where we decide to set up camp.
The 8 mile marker goal was weighed against the opportunity to see Hanakoa Falls and navigating the upcoming sketchy trail in the dark
and we decided it's best to stay the night at Hanakoa. We were soon busy sweeping the kukui nuts off the floor,
setting up camp and getting dinner ready.
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Entertainment that night was provided by this talented bug tracing the etched whirl on the shelter table, spotlighted by Jill's glow stick.
The whole scene really looks more "Cirque Du Soleil" without the camera flash.
(By the way, I may have blinded the bug with the flash when I took this picture. I don't think it performed too well after it.)
Another lady backpacker asked to camp in our campsite that night. I thought she was very brave for backpacking by herself.
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