theres no way this is only two miles...

On one of our last days in Kaua'i we drove to the North shore for hiking and snorkeling.

I was the only one in the family who hadn't done this hike before. Mom and Dad had done it two different times before, when they had come without kids, and Ky and Ab hiked with dad when we came in high school. I was of course in the moody years of being a teenager so that year mom stayed back in the condo with me and we hung out . So... This was my year. HA!

The hike we do is the first [supposed] 2.2 miles [so 4.4 miles round trip, felt like 50] of the Kalalau Trail that starts at Ke'e beach . It winds along the NaPali coast, up and down, then up it's cliffs and valleys ending the Hanakapi'ai Valley where you cross a stream to get to the beach.

Mistake #1. Too light of breakfast
Mistake #2. Ate a cookie right before we started.

Mistake #3. Starting the hike around noon in the mid-day heat.

Mistake #4. Practically running up the first 1/4 of the way.

Mistake #5. Not wearing socks with my Speedo water shoes, they are not as comfy once wet.

Mistake #6. Filling my tummy with water, just water.

Mistake #7. Trusting my very fit fam when they said the hike would be easy.

Mistake #8. Being a wimp.

We started out great! I can run a mile in about eight minutes so I thought this 2.2 mile hike was going to be a piece of cake. What I didn't realize was that I would be hiking mostly uphill in humidity and heat on an unpaved muddy path... kinda gross huh? About a 1/4 of the way into it I was dripping sweat from every pour on my face and having that awful heatstroke sick feeling. I got to a point where I literally could not go another step. I sat down and told the others to go on without me because there was no way I was hiking anymore.

After about twenty minutes of cooling down and throwing up twice I realized how dumb I was being by giving up. There I was, on one of the most beautiful islands in the world, telling myself I couldn't do it. hellooooo! Jacob and Logan had come back my way because they had decided they were done as well but told me I should at least make it to the next cliff to see the view. Since I was feeling better from getting that cookie out of my system I decided I could make it another little bit. When I got there I couldn't believe how beautiful it was.

I decided I would prove to myself that I am not a wimp and finish the last 3/4 of the hike. Everyone was about twenty minutes ahead of my so I hiked alone and it was bliss. I put my ipod in my ears and had the time of my life. I stopped whenever I wasn't feeling well and didn't have to worry about holding anyone up.

I finally got to the beach where the public trail ends and where our families were and nobody could believe that I was there. Mom's face lit up when I walked down from the river because she said she felt awful leaving me there by myself even though I insisted she went.

I was so happy I bucked up and carried on. Jocelyn and Me
The whole fam made it!

We hiked though those cliffs behind us too.

I used a handy washed up tree stump for a tripod resulting in this picture.

I love self timers!

The Gauthier girls and me showing off our hiking muscles.

After playing, snacking and lounging on the shoreline for a little while everyone put their shoes on and started back to Ke'e. Again after about 1/4 of the way I started to feel sick. Dad stayed with me and patiently waited while I rested a few times and went at turtle speed with me. Although I loved going at it alone on the way there it was nice to have my papa with me for the opposite trip.

Once at Ke'e beach we threw on our snorkel gear and hit the surf to explore the reef. The waves were stronger than they normally are resulting in a short lived adventure in the deep water.

The whole week we had been watching shark week on TV and I freaked a little when the lifeguard said where we were snorkeling was a sleeping spot for a group of white tips.

We had dinner down the road at Bubba's burgers in Hanalei and let me tell you food had never tasted so good in my empty stomach.