Kalalau 2017

 Six months ago, we secured our permits to hike Kalalau.  We tried unsuccessfully to get a few other couples to join us, but most of our active friends went with a group in June.  We did not join that group because 24+ miles of backpacking on a barely recovered knee sounded like a bad idea.

Brady earned a bonus for hitting the 10 year mark with Layton and spent a chunk getting us geared up appropriately.  Our backpacking and camping supplies were old and sad (and in the case of our camel-pack, chewed on by rats).  Packing up our brand new bags with our brand new hammocks and brand new water filtration systems and tying up our brand new hiking shoes made us wish we had brand new clothes.  As Nic pointed out, we wore the same clothes to Kalalau exactly 4 years ago on this weekend.

We nearly bailed out.  I'm six years in on a plantar fasciitis issue that won't quit, compounded with a Morton's neuroma that started on our last outing to Kalalau when I broke my toes on the Big Pools natural waterslide.  Usually, I can keep my pain level down around a 3 but lately it's been a 6.  Not only that, but the right foot is now developing plantar so my anxiety level escalated and two days before the trip, we basically called it off.  However, this year and a half has been filled with physical limitations and saying "I can't" to one more thing seemed like it would cause more harm than good.  We decided to hike only to the 6 mile mark and camp if my foot was unable to cope.  I'm not going to mention my foot more but I will say that I was plenty capable of making it the entire way, although every single step hurt.  I've seen several podiatrists now and know from research and physician opinions that this is not something easily addressed, as I've known for the past six years trying to treat it.  Every doctor mentions that I have "major mechanical issues" courtesy scoliosis and I get the impression that this is something that I will work with by trial and error for more years to come, although simultaneously I'm harboring a hope that it feels better tomorrow.

We picked a beautiful weekend!  All week, it rained at home, but the drive to the north shore and all three days were clear and sunny.

We tried to convince Zachary to join us this year.  He is a competent hiker, but he is currently battling a strong fear of falling off cliffs.  Maybe in a couple more years he will be ready.

 After months of intense schedules and playing tag with our various responsibilities, it's impossible to express how lovely it was to have three days alone with no ability to answer phones or research the house.

We made it to Hanakoa Falls and found it completely dried up.  Time for our island's rainy season!  I'm curious what the helicopters were showing passengers overhead, as usually this is a highlight of the tour.

 Next up, "Crawler's Cliff," "The Sketchy Part," or as Brady dubbed it this trip, "Trechor."  This is the mile that you dread the first six miles only to remember that it is not nearly as bad as you built it up to be in your mind.  We have only video of the rocky, narrow terrain cascading down to the ocean.  While I believe it is relatively safe, I still felt trepidation thinking of bringing my kids with me or doing this segment on a bad weather day.  We made it unscathed and confident, although the next day learned of a group with a member who had to be rescued with a sprained ankle from that section.

Red dirt hill: so much easier going into Kalalau Valley than climbing out!

The infamous sign.  The first time hiking in, we did not realize how much further we had past the sign.  This time, it felt like the last mile flew by, and generally we were surprised how our legs were not exhausted.  We loved having efficient water filters at the river that took 20 minutes to stock up as opposed to an hour.

Brady set up camp while I pumped.  Yep, I was supposed to ween before this trip but I did not.  The last baby thing is killing me, and I am only beginning the process now.  We swam in big waves, showered, ate Pad Thai (hands down the best backpacking food we've ever had but also the smelliest garbage), and laid a sleeping bag in the sand to enjoy the night sky.

The sunset on the first night was followed by a sky full of brilliance without a moon.  The Milky Way was bold, the shooting stars flew across the sky and the solitary feel of Kalalau hugged us tight.

Someone took a time lapse series of photos.  We talked to him that night, learned he was from Austria and hitchhiked here the day before.  We looked him up later and found out he was a crazy adventure blogger.

The next morning, Brady followed a herd of 15 goats around the campsites.  When I finally woke up, I realized it was to a hundred bug bites and determined they came from sleeping in the hammocks.  We went to the river to fill up on water and saw these cats hanging around the campsite.  Brady took a picture to send to Nic, laughing because one Kalalau cat was in Nic's tent back in June and would not leave him alone all night long.  The laughing stopped when we realized the cats had climbed into the trees, into Brady's bag, and stolen his bagels.  Brady's first comment was, "Hey!  Did you leave your lunch out?  Shoot!  They got your bagels!"  Ha!  Not my bagels!!  Luckily, I fear starving and being thirsty on backpacking trips so I overpacked food and we had plenty.

We went exploring, hoping to swim over to Hanapu Beach.  The surf was way too high, so that was nixed in a hurry, but we enjoyed walking the long beach, exploring caves, and swimming.

This pictures shows how inaccessible the other beach would be--we would have to start swimming where Brady is standing, all the way past that small rock in the distance and into shore--with major currents.  Nope.

Brady played with the Go Pro in the waves.

Next up, exploring in the valley.  We started out boulder hopping until I tearfully told Brady my foot couldn't take it (and I ended up face planting in the river off my unsteady foot).

After several hours of hiking, we came back to shower in the waterfall.  I looked down and almost said, "Look!  Someone took of their wedding ring to shower and left it here!"  Brady looked at the ring, looked at his hand, and said, "It's mine!"  It must have slipped off his hand the day before and fallen in the stream.  Lucky!  This would have been lost ring #4!

The wind whipped the sand all around our legs and also created beautiful designs.

Brady laughed and laughed about me wearing a jacket in the warm temps.  

Another night watching stars, talking and reveling in the relaxing pace where it is pitch dark at 7pm, and when you go to bed and think it must be midnight, your watch says 9:30pm.

Despite wearing repellant on our faces, we woke up with hundreds more bites, and they itched like crazy.  I counted 68 on just my left arm and my eyes were nearly swollen shut.  It turns out with no mirrors, I only noticed the itchiness and had no idea how awful it looked until I got to the car.  We loved the hike out, with weather as perfect as what we had coming in.

We got some footage of a molting lizard for Zachary and Kate.

It is no exaggeration that I ate 16 guavas on the way back.

We were offered or asked for pot 3 times, we saw very few hippies but still plenty of nakey nakey people, we never ran out of things to talk about, and we came home excited to see the kids and almost ready for real life again.  Kalalau, until next time!  We heart you.