Simply Put, The Best Hike Ever (Part 2 of 2)

With Great Grandma T and Cathy in town, Em and I took advantage of a rare occasion to escape for a few days - off to Kalalau again. Very rare indeed considering Em has never been away from Maddie for more than 10 hours.  I guess that's the "price" we pay for living 5000 miles from family.  We departed Kalaheo at 4:30 to pick up Mike and Kaya in Lawai and then around the island to the north shore. Our arrival at Ke'e beach served as a stark contrast to our previous Na Pali Trek. Quite a few cars and a huge group of 20-somethings were all geared up and ready to hit the trail. A month ago, Tyler and I had the trail to ourselves for the first 6 miles.

In any case, we got a fairly efficient start in nice weather with good, dry trail ahead of us. We kept a decent pace and made it to Hanakoa Valley (just over halfway) in less than 4 hours. As we proceeded out of Hanakoa Valley, the skies began to darken and become threatening. At just about the same time Kaya's shoe exploded and she was forced to hike the rest of the way with busted footwear. Things weren't looking that good.

Though rain is always a consideration, we'd received a grand total of zero rain for the past 2 weeks so we figured we were safe (but we always hike prepared). Sure enough, just about the time we started descending the trail where it becomes very exposed and eroded, we started getting pelted with rain. Down, down, down the eroded and now wet switchbacks toward the nastiest part of the trail where it hugs the cliff and drops off several hundred feet on the ocean side. Em particularly enjoyed this section. We fought through the terrible conditions and eventually made it to Red Hill where the rain cleared a bit.

By this time, we just wanted to make camp and take a nap. We dropped down to the river and found our previous campsite uninhabited so we grabbed it again. Hastily, we erected the tent while the weather remained dry and managed to get inside, just about the time the rain started again. Semi-dry clothes, a dry tent and a good rest - we weren't complaining now...until the tent started leaking. Somehow in less than a month since I had used the backpacking tent, much of the seam tape had pulled from the fly seams. This was very odd since I'd never had a problem with the tent before. After a little quick thinking and rigging I had the groundcloth on top of the fly and secured to the guylines to create a waterproof haven.

The dreary weather remained the rest of the evening, but we were happy enough just to be there and be dry. We enjoyed the good company and a few drinks together before an early return to the dry tents and our sleeping bags.

Thankfully, the morning was reasonably clear, so we made a quick breakfast, some strong coffee and headed to Kalalau Beach. We basked in the sun along with a large monk seal for awhile until we decided to explore the sea cave on the west side of the beach. Kalalau Beach had changed drastically over a month. It was now about 40 yards wider from ocean to cliffs and where we once had to time the waves and skirt the rocks to attain the sea cave, now we needed only to saunter right over the sand. We relaxed around the sea cave and watched the beautiful waves roll into the shore. Later we spent some time walking the beach and then enjoyed the waterfall at the base of the cliffs. After lounging on the beach awhile, the clouds started to roll in again and we retreated toward camp where we could shelter ourselves from the rain.

Next we bathed in the river and got our dinner supplies ready to cook on the point above our campsite and watch the sunset. Though somewhat less exciting than the rest of our exploration, preparing dinner with the tropical breezes blowing, the evening light, views along the coast and spending time with our good friends was definitely a highlight of the trip.

Through persistence, Kaya managed a small fire at our moist campsite while we listened to some music on my portable speakers. As we sat, I reflected on the time we'd had with Mike and Kaya and was sad to see that time coming to an end, but relished the companionship at present. We retreated early, knowing we had a ten mile hike ahead of us in the morning.

The hike out was hot and sweaty, but I was thankful for all the food we'd consumed at camp - this meant a MUCH lighter pack. I had to carry out 4 fewer canned goods, 2 12 oz. cans of soda, a liter of liquor and several bags of dry food. In my estimation, I shaved off 15-20 pounds from what I carried in, which is a huge difference in backpacking terms. The others were less excited about the hike out. We made decent time until Hanakapiai where we met the hordes of tourists along the trail. As expected, it was highly unpleasant. With the promise of cold drinks a short drive from the trailhead, we did our best to get there ASAP. A short while later, we were showered and cruising on the highway with the AC on and refreshing beverages in hand. All in all, another thrilling experience on the Kalalau trail.