My Favorite Hike
There was a time I was getting bored with my life in Hawai’i. I found myself sucked into a routine of work, school, errands, and the same two fun things to do on my days off. Weeks felt the same when I would reflect back on them, and I was feeling the drag of it all. So one day I woke up early got dressed, packed a few snacks and water, and took off. I had no idea really which hike I was going to do but I needed to get out of town and see something new.
My parents had been out visiting a month earlier and I recalled seeing a waterfall on the other side of the island that looked like it had some hikers heading out towards it. I headed in the general direction of the waterfall I had in mind, and decided I would just see where the day lead me.
About an hour later I found myself in what looked like a makeshift parking lot by a fire station, and double checking that I hadn’t left anything in my car. If you haven’t hiked before in Hawai’i, a good thing to know is to not leave anything in your vehicle, nit even the trunk- cars get broken into constantly especially at trailheads. Once I locked up my car I headed down a dirt trail that went between some residences and under a canopy of trees.
As I hiked along, I followed some official and some handmade trail markers. I found the trail sloping quite a lot, and not in the direction I thought the waterfall was at. It wasn’t until I reached a pill box (WWII bunker), that I noticed I was on a complelty different trail than what I intended to be on. I figured I might as well see where this trail went to and if it went anywhere to sketchy I would just turn back.
Parts of the trail I had to use surrounding trees and rock to hold onto as I maneuavered over thick roots and downed trees. It was fun exploring the area and taking in all of the surrounding views. One of my favorite parts of hiking in Hawai’i is how much climbing can be required on trails. It adds a lot of change to the trail and a challenge.
Starting off my hike I was wearing my Nana’s “Life is Good” hat. She was a major influence in my Hawai’i move, and Take More Adventure Days. At some point though along the trail my hat blew off my head and off the trail. I could not see where it landed and thought it was gone for good. It was on my way back that I found it laying perfectly in the middle of the trail, almost like she left it there for me.
I came up to a large viewpoint and decided to stop for lunch. Looking along the horizon was nothing but varying hues of blue. Just udderly endless blue. To some the sensation of feeling small may be overwhelming when looking out at the ocean. But to me, it’s comforting and I don’t quite know if there are words to describe why that is.
After lunch I continued upwards to the top ridge of the mountainside I was on. I found myself overlooking Kualoa Ranch. It was a pleasant surprise because I wasn’t even sure where I was heading, and although the trail continued I figured there was a good place to turn around. I had been hiking already for around 3 hours and needed to be back at my car before sunset.
Once I could see the residences again that the trail hugged I noticed another trail sign that I had missed earlier. I had some spare time since my descent was a lot faster than my ascent, and decided to follow it for a bit. The trail started to follow alongside a creek that had some deeper pools in it. As I walked further, I started to care less about reaching the waterfall and started noticing how damp with sweat everything I was wearing was. I could feel a layer of salt on my face and decided to just go ahead and swim for my last adventure of the day.
I found a deep enough pound that looked clean and kicked off my boots. I lowered myself in, resisting the urge to jump in not knowing exactly how deep the water was. I don’t think I’ve had a moment that I would consider as refreshing as those first moments in that water. I dunked my head in and then floated on the surface for a few breaths. Then I leaned against a little waterfall and let the water flow over my hair and shoulders. Around me the green canopy above was turning a different darker shade of green and I could see the yellows of sunset starting to stretch across the sky. I didn’t want to leave that moment but knew if I didn’t that I’d be hiking back in the dark. I threw my boots back on and headed back to my car still dripping wet from the swim.
My drive home I watched the sunset take over the sky and turn the blue hues of the ocean into a palette of yellow, orange, and eventually a dark twinkling black. I still think that was one of the most peaceful drives that I had while living in Hawai’i. I am so happy that I woke up that Monday and just left. That is the type of Adventure Day I need to take more often.