Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian Islands Log (2007-06-19 --> 2007-07-09)

Leaders: James Catts, Kelly McFarling

Students: Lindsay Stall, Jack Spencer, Bryce Allen, Virginia Best, Coley Collett, Hillary Marbury, Jessie Frederick, Alex Gajewski, Lily Miller, Farrell Murphy, James Hottensen, Beckett Lilien

June 19

After a long day of travel all have arrived safely and preperations are underway for Backpacking in to the Waimanu Valley.

June 23

Aloha from tropical paradise,

We have descended upon this island with a mad thirst for adventure, and open eyed wanderlust. Hawaii is amazing! Each morning we have been greeted with the soothing sounds of waves crashing to a multicolored horizon, and blue crystal waters. This place beckons our exploration into is lush secrets and we have answered full throttle!

After a long and grueling travel day we awoke at Spencer beach in awe of our surroundings. We prepared ourselves mentally and physically to tackle the Waimanu valley trail, by scouting its other side, the majestic Pololu valley cliffs. We spent our first full day together swimming in Spencer beach crystal waters, and day hiking to a secluded bay, where we lounged in the sun, slowly emerging into island time.

We completed the day with a sunset BBQ conducted by Alex and James, and enjoyed by all. We went to bed full and content, ready to tackle the trail. In the morning we packed our bags and drove to the magical Waimanu coast, gawking at the enormous cliffs we were about to summit! Lead by Moondance veterans Hillary and Beckett we navigated the steep slope to our trailhead and were rewarded with amazing views of a lush green valley, surrounded by huge cliffs, framed by a desolate black sand beach. After a lunch break on the beach, we began our ascent of the cliffs. No problem for this group. The ladies dominated the lead on this burley hike, and Lily, Jessie, Farrell and Coley were the first to arrive at our campsite.

After a delicious pasta, peppers and red sauce supper prepared by illustrious chefs Hillary, Jessie and James we all bedded down for some much needed R&R. The next morning we arose early and broke down camp to begin our descent of the mighty jungle trail. Surrounded by ancient Hawaiian trees we made incredible time on day two of our backpack, reaching the secluded beach for lunch in no time. Coley, Lily, Bryce and Lindsay rocked the waves in an epic bodysurfing session in the powerful pacific, while Alex and Jack hunted down fresh delicious coconuts for the entire group. We then feasted on hot tasty quesadillas prepared by Coley Lily and Jack. Our biggest challenge awaits us, the steep grueling ascent to the top of the trail.

After our long journey, we welcomed our new campsite at the black sand beaches of Punalu'u. The morning revealed to us one of the most amazing beaches I personally have ever seen. We were surrounded by lush green plants atop pitch black shining volcanic rock, all behind an electric blue ocean. Absolutely breathtaking. Breakfast was no exception as we dined on delicious French toast and sausages, prepared by Farrell, Alex and Lindsay. We then spent the day gazing at endangered sea turtles (this beach is a nesting site for them!) and lounging on the beautiful black sands. We even had a volleyball face off with a Hawaiian family where super stars Lily and Jessie dominated the net.

Lunch was a Mexican fiesta complete with homemade guacamole from Farrell and Lindsay, and Chicken Nachos whipped up by Alex. Then it was off to scout our next adventure, Volcanoes National Park where we will be spending the next two days! This place is unbelievable with molten lava flow seeping right into the ocean, and constant evidence of this shifting island. We are pumped, and ready to take on the volcanoes! But first, one more night at the beloved Punalu'u black sands beaches!

Until next time - We miss, and love you.

Mahalo!!

James and Kelly

June 28

Aloha again, friends and family,

We are all still down here in Hawaii, enjoying the sun, but also appreciating the shade a little more than we did our first few days, now that HottyTot is peeling off the third layer of skin from his shoulders. Fortunately, no one has gotten too burned, though some of you guys may mistake Alex, Jack, and James for island natives when they return wearing their authentic Hawaiian shirts, that they haven't taken off since purchasing at the marina mall in Kona four days ago.

Last time Kelly wrote an update we were getting ready to explore Volcanoes National Park. The original plan was to take two days to set up a base camp and do a couple of day hikes to check out some steam vents and other volcanic phenomena. Your children are ambitious however, and demanded that we hike straight to the top of the daunting 13667 foot summit of Mauna Loa, Hawaii's second tallest mountain. So, Kelly drove the van up to the Mauna Loa Weather Observatory at 11,000 feet, while I looked out for streams of lava oozing in our path. It was pretty exciting and we found out Mauna Loa has been dormant since '84.

To say that this landscape was barren, especially compared to the lush jungle we had just come from, would be an understatement. It looked like we were in the middle of the most massive parking lot demolition project ever, and without front loaders or any signs of man. The old lava rock was smooshed, but still looked wet in places like fresh road tar; there were long smooth horizontal trunks that rose above piles of porous jagged rocks, and their cracks made it feel like we were walking on the backs and necks of old dinosaurs; and there were parts where we walked through sand dunes for an hour. There were hundreds of different colors, but only shades of brown, red, and gray. There was no life. There was hardly any atmosphere. And we all felt a little funny and perhaps uneasy until we turned around after a few hours of hiking and stared silently at the sheet of puffy white clouds below us.

A little after nightfall we finally made it to the cabin at the southern rim of the enormous crater at the top of Mauna Loa. Beckett displayed one of the gutsiest hiking performances I've ever seen staying with everyone in the tailing group despite feeling ill. Once inside the warm, wind-blocking walls of the cabin, Kelly boiled some rainwater trapped from the roof and made our staple Ramen noodle supper. It wasn't until the morning though, when we discovered the seismograph out back and experienced the enormity of the crater that we were camped on, that we felt like extreme, national geographic-type scientists. Bryce certainly felt inspired to experiment and made everyone stand close to the edge as he threw rock after rock down into the crater and listen as they barely made any sound. It was Hillary's birthday and all she wanted to do was get down off the mountain, so we all packed up and headed out. She was still a little loopy from the altitude, so she wasn't too upset that she didn't get to party with her friends and family back home. And, we - her 13 new friends - were all happy to celebrate with her.

Once we made it back down to the shore we anchored up at Quinn's restaurant in Kona for the evening. Everyone had worked up an appetite, but apparently Jessie displayed her crater-like appetite downing the house special surf 'n turf dinner. Coley and Lindsay displayed the real reason they came to Hawaii as they happily sipped VIRGIN pina coladas, and then giddily ran out of the restaurant after dinner for a brief shopping spree.

The past two days here in Hawaii have been a little more relaxing than our volcanoes expedition, but just as adventurous. Yesterday, Farrel spent half the day in water swimming with the fish as we snorkeled off the shore of Magic Sands beach. Everyone else was busy relaxing on our Kamanu catamaran sailboat. And today after Virginia got her stitches out, she was finally able to get wet. As Lily lead the exploration of all the natural swimming pools at Rainbow Falls, Virginia was excited to be able to experience Hawaii from the water for the first time.

We love you guys,

Aloha

James

June 30

Aloha from Kauai! We have arrived here and cannot believe the tropical lushness and natural beauty of this place. I am floored by the scenery and the friendly people. This truly is heaven on earth!

After Island hopping from Hawaii, A.K.A the BIG Island, we have reached the most beautiful of all the islands, Kauai. Still sandy and sun-drenched from our kayaking expedition we are coming to you live from the land of Hanelei. We have spent two amazing days kayaking the beautiful blue waterways of this spectacular island. No one can believe how picturesque the green Jurassic park mountains are. This is paradise like we have never seen it.

After arriving at sunset to Anini beach, our amazing campsite complete with sandy beaches and stunning coral reefs, we awoke the next morning to ready ourselves for a kayak down the Wailua river (Hawaii's biggest) in search of the secret waterfall. At this point our kids have become as akin to this culture as the natives. Lily and Hillary have in fact transformed into headband wearing, children of the jungle. After a 2 mile Kayak down the river we reached the secret falls where we gawked at the 150 ft waterfall, and saw remnants of ancient hawaiian cultures throughout the forest.

This night we returned to our campsite to a delicious BBQ feast, prepared by Alex, Lindsay and Farrell, preparing for an early start to the Blue lagoon.

Today we rose with the sun at our campsite on the east side of the island, and made way to Hanelei, our day two kayaking destination. We jumped in our boats and headed for Hanelei bay, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, with incredibly clear blue waters surrounded by sharp green jagged mountains fringed with waterfalls. After a journey to sea with several sea turtle and dolphin sightings we arrived at Hideaway beach. Farrell, being the most avid snorkeler on the trip, took immediately to the water, snapping pictures of the colorful fish and coral. The waters were so calm and shallow fish were literally swimming right up to our faces!

All the ladies all dived immediately into the turquoise waters, Virginia leading the troop with enthusiasm at her first chance to swim since her stitches were taken out. Jessie displayed her latest flamboyantly colorful bikini, and blended right in with the fish. Jack and James showed off their burley climbing skills by ascending the black lava rocks to get a better view of the white sand and blue waters. Meanwhile Beckett was able to get some rest and relax on the the beach. Bryce showed us all a trick to get the fish to come to you while snorkeling, by taking small pieces of sand and sprinkling them in the water by your face. The fish thinking its food come right up to your hands!

After a delicious lunch of fresh pineapple and sandwiches we got back in our boats and said goodbye to our hideaway beach. On the way back, Coley and Lindsay discovered a quick, new method of boating inspired by the locals standing up on a surfboard and paddling. Some of them even put their dogs on the board while they paddle. Turns out it’s the fastest way to return to town. We are out exploring the local Market place as we speak.

Tomorrow we head out to explore this paradise on foot, and have learned of cave pools that illuminate from underneath from the sunlight called the Blue Rooms. We can't wait! Every day on this island blows us away! Until we meet again. . .

Love,

Kelly and James

July 6

Happy Birthday to Lily and James!!

We have concluded that these two are exactly 10 years apart in age, an invaluable juxtaposition of decades. They each spew forth knowledge and random facts from their designated generations and thus make our trip much more entertaining. Thanks for those responsible of the births of these two tremendous individuals, we would be lost without them! p.s, did you know that the word juxtaposition is one of Hottentot's (James Jr's) favorite words? I just had to use it in this update.

Anyhoo.....Aloha from Lihue! We have just returned from our first day surfing instruction. Who knew it was such a battle to get through the break?! Not a problem for this group. Minus a few rear sunburns (mine) we have dominated the surf at Poipu beach. But alas, I'm getting ahead of myself...when did we last speak...ah yes, Hanelei bay.

Well after our Kayaking adventure in Hanelei, we had a delightful evening at the best campsite on this island, Anini beach, and readied ourselves for the famous Kalalau trail. This is situated on the Na Pali coast, one of the most famously spectacular coastlines in the world. We could hardly wait to get there and see the famous cliffs adorned with white tailed tropical birds. Our morning drive to the trail head consisted of lush green Taro fields, and endless rainbows throughout the swooping vallys.

We didn't have to wait very long to get the famous Na Pali coast however. Five minutes after beginning the trail we were greeted with a sweeping vista of Na Pali, complete with a fresh morning rainbow! Unbelievable. We soon reached a secluded beach for a break and immediately noticed the huge blue waves beckoning us to play with them. James, Jack, Bryce and Beckett were the first to brave the looming surges. We all watched them get tossed through uncontrollable laughter, and knew that we had to join them. Soon we were all playing the surf, body surfing, and diving in and out of these huge blues. This is nothing like the Atlantic folks, and no matter how tumultuous we can always see the bottom!

We soon continued on our hike to find the waterfall where we were promised one of the most refreshing swims of our lives. This was a muddy jungle hike with bamboo shoots the width of our thighs. I definitely felt like I was in some crazy amazonian jungle with all of the different plants and sounds coming at me from all directions. Bryce fought off the steamy jungle heat by exploring every little swimming hole we found on the way up. The rest of us got nice and hot before arriving at the huge falls, and the cold waters beneath it. Coley, Lindsay and Lily were the first to take the plunge swimming all the way out to the rocks on the other side of the falls, feeling the intensity of the water falling from at least 200 feet above them. Getting under that falls felt like a train wreck of refreshment, a little intimidating, but oh so worth it. James, Jack and I spent a good amount of time just seeing how long we could stand having the falls pound on our heads and massage our backs.

The falls proved to be quite exhilarating, and we took some time there to refuel before beginning our journey back out. We realized on the way out that our trail was lined with pineapple trees, and Lindsay and Lily immediately climbed to the top of one to try and shake down a delicious treat. (Fresh pineapples have become quite a staple here for us, I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat a mainland store bought one again!)

Anyway, we finished the day watching the sun grow reddish on the Na Pali cliffs, and headed back to Anini beach, where we feasted on southwestern Mac and Cheese with Salsa and beans, and watched the clouds change shapes on our tropical horizon. Jessie was particularly observant when it comes to cloud shapes, and she also shared with us some different interpretations of how to pronounce the word "horizon." I'm sure if you ask her she'd love to fill you in:)

The next morning we ate quickly and got excited for a day in Kapa'a! Ah yes the beloved town day. The day where we ask ourselves, how much ice cream is it humanly possible to eat in one day? Kapa'a provided us with all the treats and shopping trips we could ever ask for. Pineapple pecan pie a la mode anyone? Yes this does exist, and yes it is uncomfortably rich and delicious. still recovering from that one.

Our next day we left our beloved Anini beach and the rainy side of the island for the dry, dramatic scenery of Waimea canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." It was insane to see our lush rainforest dissolve into dramatic desert-like canyons in just a few miles, but there we were, atop huge canyon walls with vibrant red dirt. Did you know they dye the t-shirts here with this dirt? Anyhoo, got the the Awaawanuhi trail head and started chugging. Virginia ( who took her last stitch out on her own!!) , Farrell, Coley and Jessie flew down the trail, reaching our lookout three miles away in record time. These girls seem to always dominate the trail!

When we reached the lookout, all we could do was sit down mouths agape. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this before in my life. These were the Na Pali cliffs from the other side of the island. These were the cliffs we saw in the catalog and doubted they could be real. These are the cliffs you see in the opening scenes of Jurassic park and swear to yourself that they are computer enhanced. But they aren't. They are right there, huge jagged fins of rock, covered in vegetation, swarming with white tailed tropical birds at staggering heights, lined with a turquoise sea that is so clear you can see the reefs beneath it. We watched as Helicopters flew by periodically to give tours of the magnificent view, and we felt lucky to be able to stand there on top of the world, while the heli-tours got to see where we were for only a fraction of the time. We never wanted to leave.

Eventually the sun started going down and we began our three mile (uphill this time) trek back to the van. Beckett, despite still feeling ill, charged through this hike, and kept me from thinking about the uphill climb with good conversation. I am truly inspired by his positive attitude and willingness to keep going, even though he has been sick during some of the most strenuous days. You would never know it by the way he pushes through, and his perseverance gives this group new life through tough moments.

Finally after what seemed like a much longer trip then ton the way in, we made it out of the canyon, and back to Lucy Wright Campsite....not our most glamorous, but one of our most interesting campsites. Upon arriving at Lucy Wright, Alex immediately began talking to one of the locals who had a lot of valuable information about the area. He took so well to Alex's questions and open personality that he delivered a bag of fresh papaya to us the next morning. Nice.

Bring on the Forth of July. We decided that since we had conquered Waimea Canyon the day before we would get a cultural dose of Hawaii by going to a music festival and fire works show in Lihue. After moving from Lucy Wright to Salt Pond park, we spent the morning exploring our new home for the next couple of days, and watched windsurfers and fisherman enjoy the holiday at our awesome new site. The forth is a day for families here, and everyone was out and about enjoying the incredible weather.

We rolled into Lihue ready to hear some of Hawaii's finest musicians at Concert in the sky, a yearly festival with great local food, entertainment, and an incredible fireworks show. We dined on Hawaiian BBQ while listening to authentic music, and watching the sun set over the bay. perfect. We were particularly taken with Brother Noland, the headliner, who got us dancing as the sun set. Hilary and Coley particularly took to the reggae and got everyone else up on their feet the awesome Hawaiian rhythms. Next the fireworks came on in full force. At least 15 minutes of incredible fireworks to beautiful music. Can't beat that on the forth of July!

Unless of course you take our trip and look at the fifth of july...today, a duel birthday celebration. What a great way to spend it on Poipu beach learning to surf! We are a bit tired from paddling, but have learned the fundamentals for tomorrow and can't wait to get on bigger waves. Hilary and Farrell (wild cat) seemed to be the first to ride the tubes confidently, and I can't wait to see them rock out tomorrow. Alex also had his fair share or radical moves, as did Lily( Rambo style) birthday girl. Little do they all know that James and I have saved up a special birthday BBQ feast complete with brownies, ice cream and s'mores! Tonight we will feast on the salt pond beaches and awaken to the surf again! Can't wait!

Much love, and see you soon!

Kelly