BIG ISLAND

TRAVEL DAY

Portland…..Honolulu……Kona

Smooth travel. Slept a lot, weird. Big gray clouds and ominous sky upon arrival. Drove through a small rain shower on way to cottage. Annette was waiting for us, just as she had promised. Our cottage was in a nicely kept neighborhood just four miles from Waimea. She showed us around, she’s thought of everything, really.

It smells familiar here. The doves are singing. I hope so badly to see turtles, whales, and spinner dolphins.

DAY 2

It was a leisurely morning of hanging out on the deck to absorb the sun and relax after a long day of travel the day before. Went to the grocery store, just like Food Front in Hillsdale. My spelt bread was $6.68…ouch.

Had lunch and headed out to explore. Destination was Place of Refuge, also called National Historic Park. Pulled into first National Historic Park, walked the 1.2 mile path to the beach, and came upon an area where sea turtles were feeding in the ponds created in the lava at high tide. One was beached, two in the pond. What a special experience to be so close, to watch, to take it all in.

We wandered across the lava, continued on the path, and ended up at a pretty beach (Honokohau Beach) where some people were snorkeling. Two more turtles were in a lava pond near the beach.

From there we drove to Kekaha Kai State Park. The road was unpaved, long, and very, very bumpy. It took many minutes to get there. We thought it might be a good kayak beach but the surf was too rough. The beach was gorgeous and not crowded while we were there.

Heading north we stopped at A Bay, a resort area, and found the beach there to be very pretty. The sun was setting so we stayed to take photos. After that we stopped into a store at the resort hoping to score some soy ice cream. It felt like Disneyland in there! No soy ice cream so I bought M&M’s…$5.50!

Drove back to the cottage after several hours of exploring and had dinner at home. At some point we discovered that the National Historic Park we went to was not the Place of Refuge. We didn’t go south far enough. I was fine with that, we saw turtles and that’s all that mattered.

DAY 3

Headed to Volcanoes National Park. Interesting drive, more vegetation, less traffic. Cloudy and raining at the park. Hiked the Kilauea Iki trail. Starts in forest, crosses the caldera, back up thru forest to get out. Very cool! Small steaming vents were warm as you got near them. Saw a pheasant and a small, red songbird native to Hawaii, the apapane. It has many songs and the forest was filled with bird song.

From there we went to the remote and very pretty Punaluu Black Sand Beach. The black sand was interesting. More turtles, one with an especially beautiful shell – wow! The drive home was very, very long. We essentially circled the entire island that day.

DAY 4

After yesterday’s adventures being so long we opted for a shorter day. We headed out for some snorkeling and beach time. Beach 69 (Wailea Bay) was the first stop. The snorkeling was not right for me so I didn’t go in the water. The sun and breeze felt perfect. Whales could be seen in the distance. They were frisky and playful. Many breaches – what a treat! I got sunburn which is not cool. I watched the whales too long before moving my chair to the shade.

We headed north to Hapuna Beach State Park. A wide white sand beach with shallow water. I got in an cooled off and had fun with the small waves rolling in.

Came home, took a shower, took a nap, dinner at a Thai restaurant in Waimea. I was in bed early, very wiped out.

DAY 5

Tropical Botanical Garden was the first on the agenda. The forecast was wrong and we had sunny and clear skies all day. That made it hard for photography with so much contrast. The orchid garden was especially good but the bright sun was a challenge. I was also being preyed upon by the sneaky mosquitoes. I didn’t feel them bite me but later I had many bites. We spent 3.5 hours enjoying the garden and taking photos. A highlight was the gecko, oh yes. It was strolling around on a large palm and posing for me.

Smoothies at “What’s Shakin’”, but before that we stopped into a funky art gallery. I bought a watercolor painting, Lin bought a CD. There isn’t much funky on this island so I was glad to find that gallery. Her watercolors are quite good.

Too full for dinner after that smoothie so a half sandwich did the trick.

DAY 6

Snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay (K Bay). Crowded but tolerable. Ocean a little rough. I went in and was having fun with my cameras but got tired without fins. I lacked the energy and the desire to go back in later using Lin’s fins. There were fish but not as many as at Poipu Beach on Kauai.

Lin took a nap on the beach in the warm sun. We stayed a few hours, good times.

Changed clothes in the car and drove just a few miles up the road to Kona. Wandered an outdoor market for a few minutes just before it was closing. I bought another watercolor and 100% Kona coffee for Mom and Dad. I felt good supporting locals. The market was like a small version of Portland’s Saturday Market.

We parked the car in a public lot and attempted to find the two places my neighbor Pat suggested for good seafood. An energetic and cheerful kiosk attendant personally delivered us to Kona Canoe Company. We got a table at the edge of the water and watched the sun go down while drinking a mai tai and enjoying teriyaki chicken for me and mahi mahi for Lin. We wandered the boardwalk for a bit and then the street, stopping periodically to enjoy music from a nearby bar patio.

Kona is eclectic and clean and low key. Drove home behind a drunk driver, yow.

DAY 7

Drove north to Pololu Vally lookout via Route 250 from Waimea. Interesting road with rolling hills, small “towns”, and good views of the ocean.

The view from the lookout was a good one and reminded me of the Napali Coast on Kauai. We did the short and steep hike down to the black sand beach. It was warm and humid. There was a path along the beach and in the trees. We took it. At a junction we headed up instead of down toward the beach. It was so humid I felt like I was in NC, for real! The path was forested and birds sang along the way. We saw another small bird I’ve never seen before. I looked it up at home ‘red-billed leiothrix’. We hiked almost to the next valley. We found a small shady spot under a tree and had some lunch. The hike up from the beach felt steeper, hotter, more humid. I was tired and took it slow. Worth it, totally worth it.

Drove to Hawi to check out the art galleries we heard about. Hawi was a disappointment and not as interesting as Kona. Heading back to our cottage via Route 270 we stopped at Kapa’a Beach Park since it was recommended by Pat. Two photographers were set up and noted that two hours prior there was a mother and baby just 60 ft from shore. Dang! Wish I’d been there for that! I read later that there’s a deep channel there and the whales get quite close. Mental note for next time! We did see several spouts but no other activity to speak of.

We headed home for dinner. I noted lots of spouts along the way. The vast views of the ocean on the Big Island seem endless. I enjoyed being able to see so much.

Dinner was at home. Annette stopped by and chatted with us for a very long time, too long. I packed my stuff and got organized for the trip home the next day.

HEADING HOME

Breakfast on the deck. A gecko offered another interesting photo. Alfie came by to hang out, per usual. At 10am Annette and Pally came by to say goodbye. We shot a few photos and headed to Hapuna Beach to kill some time. We weren’t there 30 seconds and I saw a large pod of spinner dolphins frolicking in the ocean ahead. We watched the show till it was time to peel away and leave paradise…till next time.

PAINT THE HOUSE

I finally started painting my house! My plan for hiking this weekend was thwarted by heavy rain so I decided to dive into the project of PAINT!

Getting started. Elmo is on standby.

Need me for anything?

All done! I really love it!

Off duty...

INDIAN HEAVEN BACKPACK

The Indian Heaven Wilderness is a great place for a fall hike. This year I wanted to do a backpack in there. I shared my idea with a few trusty backpacking friends and was pleased to have all of them along, wow!

WILL, MARY, LINDA, TOM, LIN, JUDE

The forecast was doubtful for part of the trip. It's hard to score a stellar forecast this time of year here but that's what I was hoping for. I wavered about whether to go. Instead, maybe just a day hike and dinner at a brew pub on the way home on the nicest day would be better. Yet, the forecast could go in a positive direction and I could miss out. Often the forecast is not correct this time of year. I decided to go despite all the work involved in getting my gear packed.

Hiking in on Saturday was indeed stellar. The fall colors against the blue sky was impressive. We found a suitable campsite and settled in for the evening. It was proving to be warmer than forecast as well. Happy hour and warm dinner...so far, so good. Oops, Will dropped he and Mary's dinner! Linda and Tom came to the rescue with their extra food.

I went to bed hoping the weather would turn positive for Sunday, meaning it would be opposite the forecast. At midnight an angry wind began blowing over the ridge and along the lake. The tent flapped constantly the rest of the night. I waited for rain, none yet. I waited for it to get really cold! It didn't. At 4am a small shower confirmed that rain was indeed part of the weather plan, dang! I slept restlessly most of the night with the wind and the flapping, rattling tent. At 7am another small shower. That's when I decided not to stay for the rain show and instead hike out and return to my warm and dry surroundings in Portland.

My friends were understanding. At 8am Lin and I were on the trail and thinking I should scurry back to the car in time to beat the rain coming. Instead I found myself immersed in a fog laden forest with golden, cranberry, and crimson hues, and so much quiet. The quiet was euphoric. I watched the low clouds swoop down into the valleys, roiling, roiling. I had hoped to spot a bear in the distance nibbling the many berries available. No luck. I did see lots of deer and possibly elk tracks on the trail. Coyote scat was abundant as well. I hiked slowly, very slowly.

The mental nourishment from the cold crisp air was dream like. There is a reason that "Heaven" is in the name of this wilderness. Though I felt bad about leaving my friends behind I also appreciated the opportunity to see the forest in two different weather situations and without the distractions of the many conversations I have with my friends. My brain was on retreat.

I got to the car and was chilled. The air was damp and heavy with moisture. I changed into warm and dry clothes and headed to Stevenson where a hot chocolate at a coffeehouse with character warmed my core. I thought of my friends all day and wondered how their day was going. I was warm and dry and I was also elevated to a place where only those who truly enjoy the wilderness can understand.

SCORE!

I learned about a custom setting for my camera that I can use when shooting action. I had a chance to practice with it this weekend at Ava's soccer game. I was pleased because I got many more shots in focus than ever before.

Here's a shot of Ava scoring the game winning goal! Sweet!

And another nice shot of Ava in the game. I have no idea why the font turned blue...???

Footwarmers ROCK!

It was the third year for the Green Lakes backpack trip. This year it was me, Jodi, Jane, Mary. Linda was in Yellowstone and not able to join us. We hiked to the same campsite, #11, but did a different day hike on day 2. The forecast called for cold nights, especially the first night. A friend suggested I take foot warmers. I grabbed two pair and tossed them in my pack.

Below is the view from campsite #11.

The forecast was accurate because it was COLD the first night, 38 degrees! The foot warmers made a huge difference and for awhile I was toasty all over. They had some heat left in the morning so I stuffed them inside my Crocs and my toes stayed comfy while I cooked my breakfast. The sun didn't ooze over the ridge at Broken Top to warm our campsite till 8 am. Without foot warmers I would have been miserable. Foot warmers ROCK!

We hiked to Park Meadow on day 2 and the views were grand. It was so nice to see Green Lakes from the other end. They are amazingly beautiful and it's no wonder the area is so popular. We hiked about 9 miles, had a great lunch spot with a view, and good conversation through the day. Jane took many photos with her new camera. Go Digital Jane!

The second night was cold but more tolerable at 46 degrees. I love those foot warmers. The stars packed the night sky and I took a moment to enjoy them when I got out of my tent for potty. Wow! A sliver of a moon completed the sky picture.

It was blue skies, grand views, few bugs, lots of laughter, and super cool friends! Below is a photo of me, Mary, Jane, Jodi.

WALLOWAS

The Wallowa National Forest is in eastern Oregon and nearly a six hour drive from Portland. Since it's not easy to get to I've not been there in several years. There's awesome backcountry there and good day hiking, too.

The plan was for five nights camping, three day hikes, and browsing the artsy town of Joseph. The day hike along Hurricane Creek was nice though the flowers were done. Without flowers there were no bugs either. Below is a shot of Slick Rock Gorge.

The day hike to Maxwell Lake was cancelled. The sprinkles that began as we headed out of the campground turned to a steady, cold rain at the trailhead. The sky was gray and the clouds were covering the tops of the trees, no chance for clearing anytime soon. We drove to Joseph and rented a room. We had found our camping experience at the state park campground to be less than comfortable and the cold rain sealed the deal to get a room and decide what to do the next day.

Dinner at a local pub and the best microbrew I've ever had (ESG for 'Extra Special Good' from a local brewery) and a few videos helped to ease the disappointment I had for not being able to do the hiking I had looked forward to for weeks. My severely leaky tent didn't help.

The next day the mountains were snow capped and the rain had stopped for awhile. The sky was partly cloudy and the air had a bit of a chill. I decided not to hike since there was snow up there and a bank of gray clouds in the distance led me to believe the weather wasn't done changing everyone's summer plans. I returned to Portland hoping to do some hiking on my additional days off. Yikes, rain in Portland, too. Where has summer gone??

WINDY RIDGE TO LOOWIT FALLS

I finally made it to the Windy Ridge area of Mt St Helens. I found a Forest Service campground that looked good, inquired with a reliable friend and he had no info, so I went for it to see if it's a good place to camp and explore that area of the mountain.

I arrived on Friday early afternoon and found that all but three of the 98 sites were already reserved. My internet research didn't indicate a reservation was needed, yikes. A nice site was chosen of the three and that was home for the weekend. The campground is heavily forested with a tall canopy that proved advantageous as we are having a short heat wave right now. The campsite stayed shaded the entire day, very nice!

On Saturday we hiked the Windy Ridge trail to Loowit Falls. There isn't a fragment of shade anywhere, not the parking area, not the trail, nowhere. It was warm and very sunny and yes, windy. In fact, it was quite windy. If not for the wind the total exposure all day to the hot sun may have made the day less enjoyable.

The views were expansive and vast. Mt St Helens was closer than ever. Everywhere I turned I saw earthtones and a harsh and barren landscape. But don't think that harsh and barren is bad, it's not. The landscape is gorgeous. The view of Spirit Lake is beyond description. Mt Rainier and Mt Adams follow you the entire route to Loowit Falls.

Neither Spirit Lake or Loowit Falls existed before the eruption 30 years ago. I'm intrigued by the beauty that nature creates so readily. This volcano is active and it's not far from my mind as I hike it's terrain and I smell the subtle sulfur in the wind. I know this mountain caused massive destruction when it erupted yet the changes in the landscape are remarkable. I feel privileged to be on this mountain and so close to all its mysteries.

After reaching Loowit Falls, having lunch, and more sunscreen we returned the way we came. There's something about out and back routes that allow you to see everything you saw from a completely different vantage point. The views are never tiring and the path is gradual though dusty with pumice the consistency of sand.

My cooler provided a cold drink and my feet were eager to hang out in my sandals. The drive back to camp was only 30 mins and dinner was soon after. A highlight was seeing the meteor shower at 3am from my beach chair in the road in the campground. Three swifts meteors delighted me before I returned to my slumber.