Training Log Archive: Browner

Flat road run in the heat of the day. I am sad to see I cannot blame my slow pace on the cold, but possibly extreme temperatures!

Walk out of the Kalalau Trail, happily a little faster this time.

River SUP. A water skier freaked me out and I fell/jumped of the board into the river of high turbidity and unknown quality. I was pretty worried as we paddled further upstream to see cows grazing in the adjacent fields - which means e-coli in the water. I had no choice but to douse my stomach with beer.

C • Excellent use 2

Kalalau Trail - Overnighter

This was to be our big hike of the trip, 11 miles each way to a remote beach campsite down the rugged Na Pali Coastline. The locals may not like it, but the trail could easily be re-named the Jurassic Park Trail. This trail is really, jaw droopingly beautiful.

We wanted to be as quick as possible so we brought only our most essential and lightest gear, including a one man tent, instant starbucks, and other more emergency-type supplies and booted it down the trail....with trillions of tourists. After 2 miles, the tourists fell off (not the cliffs, just returned back in their flip flops) and then it was just the hardier backpackers making their way in or out of the out and back route. Oh, and the helicopters. You know a trail is going to be really nice when there is a steady stream of helicopters flying its length.

I used poles for the trip. and was glad for them since there were lots of loose boulders and piles of rocks to step up/step down - killer on my knees. It was good expedition training to become re-aquainted with pole efficiency! One very narrow and dodgy section is called The Ledge - see Storm working it (unfortunately the cliff like drop off to the ocean doesn't show through too well):



The trail gets more amazing the further down you get and it is true there is sort of a hippy community living in the hills behind and at the beach, which was disappointing because there was lots of trashy campsites and not enough bathrooms for the numbers. Fortunately for the boys, there was one totally naked young lady warming herself by the fire when we arrived and another doing downward dog at the edge of a cliff (clothed, however).



Here is me just arriving at the remote beach campsite...



The waves at the beach campsite were so loud it was like they were exploding as they crashed up on shore.

C • Great pics! 4

Kauai - Waimea Canyon, Kukui Trait. Today we trekked down the Waimea Canyon, which is over 2000ft in 2.5 miles. I love trotting down hard packed red sand, there were awesome sections of it on this mini Grand Canyon Trail.

Beach run, ya!

Taking the advice of the local bike shop, we tried the local trails to avoid wasting time driving. Unfortunately, the trails here are in transition from bandit/private riding to IMBA-certified public land. A local developer wiped out a huge network of trails and got convinced to put in 100k for new trails. We got to test out one new awesome trail that was mid-construction.

Otherwise the other trails were a bust for me....too much hike a bike and bombing down for my skill level and interest, but it was fun trying!

One more thing to do....big hike up the Olomana Trail to watch the sunset and scarf down some takeout. Sadly, I keep forgetting that the sun sets at 630 with no twilight and so we made it up the 1.5 mile and 1000ft climb (complete with several rope sections) up a crazy narrow ridge to the first peak. We were 10 ft from the finale rock climb but STORM wouldn't let me go up since it was getting dangerously dark for us to make it back down. So - no photo from us, the attached is from some other web site! This is the view of the other peaks from the top....crazy steep!!!



Storm was right to force us down as the sun did set quickly and we had to use his AYUP lights for the two of us - since I was not prepared. I am, however, learning good technique for how to trek with two people and one set of lights...lights in the back, front person has to walk with shoulders forward and back to minimize the shadow effect.

Today Storm and I rented some fancy bikes and drove up to the north shore to ride the Pupukea Trail. One day this will be a phenomenal place to ride once maps are provided, but for today we got to explore a massive tract of land with a mish-mash of fire roads and singletrack with little signage or directions. At one point we dropped way down a ridge into a rainforest and found this rarely marked junction:



After taking this picture we hiked up a black diamond trail called Hula Girl (zero marks for creativity) that was super slick on account of pine needles (4x normal length) and then finally found a bunch of fun, flowy singletrack. Sadly I then got a flat that took a while to repair and we had to head home before seeing it all....nice to leave something out there. We had been trying to find an allusive bunker from which one can see whales off shore.

Hawaii Vacation with Storm Day 1

Too tired to type much in the way of details - Storm has way too much energy to kill and requires no food or water. Whatever he said, I did, only slower. It's a good kind of knackered though, bring it on - tomorrow we bike!

C • Awesome! 2

SUP - cute sea turtle just floating by our boards on the way out to Flat Is.

Trek up Lanakai Pillbox Trail in Kailua, Oahu. So pretty, views of the islands offshore and of Jurassic park inland.