So it's 9pm here on Wednesday in Hawaii and that would make it 3am on Thursday back home on the East Coast. We have prepared for a hike tomorrow on the famous Na Pali coast of Kauai's north shore. Since we will probably be getting up early and heading out, I will not take time to write so I'm going to tell you of what we think and hope our adventures will be tomorrow:
They say The Na Pali Coast is the ultimate hike and the most famous in all of the Hawaiian islands. The "Pali," or cliffs, provide a rugged beauty of deep, narrow valleys ending abruptly at the sea. Waterfalls, streams and rivers cut through the valleys while the ocean carves cliffs at their openings.
The Kalalau trail is the name of the 11 mile trail that runs the Na Pali coast. We have been wanting to hike along these cliffs for years and this is the biggest reason that challenged us here this year. But preparedness doesn't even begin to explain what is needed to tackle this, so we are being smart and tomorrow, we will only be attempting 2 of the 11 mile stretch. The warnings are extensive and even the ultimate prepared hiker can become surprised at any moment. So as not to scare our loved ones, let's just say that WE WILL BE SAFE!!! So to be safe, we will only go the first 2 mile and suggest other hikers heed the warnings as well. We are tempted to go on a 2mile switchback up to Hanakapi'ai Falls, but from what we read and have discussed with locals, that is difficult as well without proper food and water rations, so maybe we will plan that 4mile hike for another time.
Ok, now that we have talked "safety-first" about the possible dangers... let's talk about how cool this will be tomorrow!! We will be hiking the early stretch from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapai'ai Beach. We have chosen to hike this tomorrow because the weather should be amazing tonight (not making the trail soggy or slippery in the morning) and amazing weather tomorrow for a great trek. I hope all that time at the gym pays off because they say even the most experienced hiker will trek a pace of only about 1.5-2hrs per mile. Even though we are ambitious hikers, we are planning on enjoying this experience and hitting our 2 mile goal point in less than 5hrs. Bring it Mother Nature! We're packed and ready for the challenge!! Let you know how it goes with pictures tomorrow, but until then here's a tasty picture of our evening dinner
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| Our new favorite appetizer: Poke! |
