Superferry Cancelation and Various Other News

If you didn't follow the Superferry link in the last post, then you probably don't know that voyages have been suspended due to hippies on surfboards and in kayaks blocking the passage to Nawiliwili harbor. Voyages are canceled indefinitely for now. Thankfully, I checked the website before booking flights and a condo on Oahu. Good news though - Superferry will be honoring our canceled itinerary up to a year from now, including the $5 fares. Everyone on the island feels strongly about the Superferry one way or another. I can see both sides, but overall, I don't think it will change life here on Kauai once it gets up and running. You can view all kinds of ultra-liberal rants at http://www.kauaiworld.com/. Superferry may be required to obtain an "environmental impact study" before future voyages. Sounds reasonable, except that not a single other mode of transportation between the island has been required to do this including cruise ships, airlines or commercial shippers. All in all, if Superferry changes life on Kauai for the worse, I'll eat my words and be quite upset. Until that time, I'm looking forward to taking the car and all our outdoor gear to Oahu for an outdoor adventure on a different island.

Speaking of adventures, a lot of "stuff" has been going on here since we came: the aforementioned Superferry issue, hurricanes, tsunami warning and 2 nights ago, we watched through binoculars as part of the mountainside burned. I found out today that it was from a careless camper who bolted from the scene on arrival of the fire dept. Emily and I watched as a helicopter made multiple trips from a water source to dump on the fire. Interesting to watch, but sad to see forest burning.

I went on a mountain bike ride/hike yesterday. Two regrets - I didn't bring the camera and I didn't apply sunscreen. Thankfully, the views are burned into my memory and depsite my lack of sunscreen, I didn't get burnt, but I cut the hike a little short to avoid it. I've gotten a decent tan over the past 4 weeks, picture below.

First, a little background. Mountain biking here basically consists of trespassing. So I hopped on my bike after tossing it over a gate and rode uphill for about 3.5 mi, pretty tough climb on golfball-sized lava gravel. Soon the road turned to slippery, rutted, red clay, so I ditched the bike behind some sugar cane and started hiking. Wild orchids lined the road and the views to the ocean were stupendous. Shortly thereafter, I climbed on the road above the trees and found myself in an amazing valley with Kahili mountain ahead and Wai'ale'ale (rainiest place on earth)to the left, swamp below. The clouds moving between the mountains were awesome. I hiked on a climbers trail to just below the summit of Kahili, near a communication station. I called Em and she looked with the binoculars out our front window, but couldn't quite see me. Had I applied sunscreen and brought some food on what was supposed to be a 2 hour trek, I would have continued to the summit. The trail ahead looked pretty dicey, so I decided it would be in Gary's best interest for me to return home.

The hike/bike back was pretty unremarkable aside from the wretched mud and the amazing things I already mentioned. Upon arrival at my car, a little mist had started coming down the mountain, but it was definitely worth dealing with to see the full arch double rainbow from mountain to sea. A fitting end to a spectacular journey. Not bad for a work day.

Working OT today, right now actually. It's a rough life.