Hike of a Lifetime

This last weekend was a great adventure. Five other guys and myself hiked 11 miles (22 miles round trip) along the Napali Coast in search of the Kauai legend of the Kulalau valley. We hiked in constant anticipation to discover if the valley's rumors were true of finding- exotic fruit trees, caves, waterfalls, and especially the supposed vagabond clan of free-spirited, unclothed hippies.

The trail is known to be one of the best hikes in the world. After walking through four rivers and toeing miles along the edge of a cliff I would have to agree. The mountinous landforms at the end of the hike were as if sugar cones were stacked together and covered in moss. Add a waterfall and a secluded white-sandy beach and you have one of the most exquisite landscapes on the planet. The trail itself offers tropical foliage, fresh guavas, exotic flowers, mountain goats, and plenty of red mud. God was so gracious to us to not allow it to rain- especially considering we were hiking in one of the wettest places on earth. We were so tired and hurting by the end. Our bodies could barely handle the workout, but luckily the way back was a lot easier after eating most of our cans of chili and drinking most of our water. We went to celebrate George's up-and-coming marriage and we had great fun together. After the eleven miles back the next day we were so glad to have tackled this two-day challenge. I was very blessed.

I really wanted to hike this hike since coming to Hawaii and I was so fortunate to have a spot on the trip. I thank God for experiences like this that allow me to see God's wonderful creation and have an opportunity to grow closer to my brothers. It was truly a wonderful time. We only saw one naked hippie while we were there. We were too tired to search for many of fruit trees and the tides were a bit high to sleep in the caves. all in all...Good times.