Kauai 2012, Day 4

Six years ago, one of the highlights of our Kauai trip was a hike that went to vista points on the Na Pali coastline.  The hike was long.  The hike was hard.  The views were awesome.  So much that I wanted to take Jonathan and Nolan on that hike.  It's an 11.5 mile long hike.  You have to make up a 2,000 foot elevation change in the last 3 miles of the hike.  It's rugged; the trail is eroded in places.  Signs warning of potential death dot the trail.  There are no facilities other than 1 picnic table.  The is no water.  But it's awesome.  Today was big hike day.

We had to deal with a couple of problems... #1- yesterday I sunburned the back of my knees (feeling sorry for me?) and everything I brought pants-wise rubbed my sunburn painfully.  We stopped at Walmart so I could buy something that was comfortable.  #2- Miles is with us and he hasn't been too thrilled with the backpack lately and the trail is too dangerous in some sections to let him be free.  It also is a long hike and if he became obstinate, there would be much we could do about it other than endure.  I have to say that Miles was awesome!  He liked looking "way, way down" and seeing the ocean and "sandcastles".  He did get to get out and walk at times; he probably covered 1.25 miles.

We had one unanticipated problem.  I was carrying 2 camelback bladders which were leaking.  I was soaked from my bum to the back of my knees and around to the front.  We couldn't dump the water because there wasn't any way to replace it.  I was not enjoying being wet.  It made my pants heavy enough that they were falling off.  Also, it looked like I peed myself.  Finally, after we'd tried a couple of troubleshoots, I hit the "that's it" point and took a final look at the problem before I did something drastic/stupid.  Well, I fixed the problem.  Evidently, the part on the bladder where the tubing threads on wasn't completely tightened on either bladder.  A quick twist and the problem was solved!  However, I was so wet, and Kauai is so humid, that 7 hours later, my clothes were still damp.

So, the hike... it was awesome and spectacular again.  The views are indescribable.  Hiking, we look down on soaring birds and on the helicopters giving the Na Pali tours.  The plant life is incredible and so variable depending on which side of the canyon you are hiking.  Turn by turn the plants changed from tropical vines to pine trees to cactus.  Amazing.  The boys thought the hike was great as well.  I learned that with a 40 pound load strapped to Dan's back, I can almost keep up with him hiking uphill.

 Miles found ways to amuse himself while hiking.  He recited his favorite books to us.  He learned about "big names". He knows his immediate family members' big names.  We also learned that Santa's big name is "Santa Belnap" and that Mickey Mouses' big name is "Mickey Mouse Belnap".  He also amused himself with a game that got really old (and really hard fast).  Miles loved the book, The King, The Mice, and the Cheese.  The book says that "The king has everything he liked.  He liked cheese best of all."  Miles likes to change what the king likes best of all.  During the hike, he kept asking us, "What king likes?"  We'd suggest all sorts of foods and he'd insert it into "The king liked ___________ best of all."  Unfortunately, that was all he would say about the book.  The game turned into a cycle of "What king likes?" and then inserting the item into the next phrase.  After about 1,000 cycles of his game, Dan and I were out of suggestions for what the King likes best of all.  Unfortunately, Miles wanted more suggestions.  Luckily he got distracted and starting point out to us all of the trees that has fallen over.

Long day.  Hot day.  Tiring day.  Good day.