I don't really
remember the last time we went on vacation with Michelle -- without any
of our friends, just the 3 of us... That must have been a long time
ago!
Well, we just did it last week -- spent 7 days together in Kauai, and it was fabulous.
I
still remember my trip with Rudi to the Big Island at the end of 2013.
It was exciting and full of drama. Kauai is indeed very different.
It's so lush and green, makes you wonder how on earth this little island
can fit so many trees... The most surprising part of the trip was the
fact that I went on to TWO long hikes with Michelle -- two strenuous and
treacherous long hikes!!!
The
first hike was on 3/16/15 along the Waimea Canyon (Picture1). It was
an 8-mile and 5.5 hours hike. When we started hiking in the morning,
the entire trail was covered with dancing clouds. So, we literally
hiked through clouds and mist with plants and flowers sending sweet
smiles to us along the way... Somehow in the middle of the Pihea Trail,
we missed the turn to the Alakai Swamp Trail, continued on the Pihea
Trail and did NOT reach the summit everyone was hiking for. It was a
disappointment, but my little Michelle told me "the journey is the
reward..." On our way back, the clouds were dancing around the mountain
peaks. We had to wait patiently for the clouds to open up so we could
see the coastlines very briefly (Picture2). Once again, Michelle taught
me how to be patient and focused.
The
second hike was on 3/18/15 along the Hanakapia Trail (northern part of
the island). It was 8 miles long and took us 7.5 hours to complete.
There were 2 sections of the hike. One was from the ocean level
climbing up to about 1000 ft and then coming down to the Hanakapia Beach
(Picture3). The 2nd section was from the beach climbing up and down to
eventually get to the Hanakapia Falls. We had to cross 10 bodies of
water (the river) one way. Let me tell you, keeping my balance and
jumping through the rocks to cross the river is NOT my strong point.
So, you can close your eyes and imagine the rest! Because the trails
were so difficult, you really needed to be very focused in order to be
safe, and that's what we did.
As
much wilderness as I have been through over the years, this was
literally the first time I did serious hiking -- on a trail counting
miles and hours!! I thoroughly enjoyed both hikes simply because it's
such a good way to train yourself to be fully engaged in the present, to
be focused and to be awake!!! Many thanks to my little Michelle who
pushed me to do this!
I
didn't have a chance to do much photography on this trip. I am okay
with it because life is so much bigger than photography!
Picture 1 = Waimea Canyon -- Day1 hike
Picture 2 = Napali Coast -- Day1 hike
Picture 3 = Hanakapia Beach -- Day2 hike
Picture 4 = Poipu Beach Sunrise (my photography work)
Kauai Island, Hawaii
March 14-20, 2015
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