May 16, 2019

Well this was a fun day. This was to be a hike that Dawn and I were going to do together. She’s hiked it many times, today unfortunately Dawn suffers with a cold and can’t make it. No worries, I set off on my own – at 11:20 a.m. Easy enough I think it’s a loop with trail markers. Parking my car at the end of Pupukea Road near the Boy Scout Camp I then head out for the trail. I didn’t notice that it began and ended at the same point when I start off and with the idea I’m going to go in a clockwise loop. Supposed to be a 2 1/2 hr. hike when somewhere along the way the trail turns from a narrow dirt path into an abandoned blacktop road. Thinking I’m going clockwise when reaching the road I turn right. After 2 1/2 hours now I wonder why I’m not getting closer to the end but don’t dwell on it maybe I’m just on a slower pace. After another half-hour still walking the road (the ridge road is closed to traffic and appears abandoned) and still thinking I’m going in a clockwise direction I check my gps location. It looks like I’m near where I parked so I keep on. Another 1/2 hour I check gps again and now discover that I have been moving away instead of toward from my car. ( I didn’t realize it until after the hike that I mistakenly started in a counter-clockwise loop and where I should have turned left at the road I turned right). At this point I’ve gone up and over the mountain I expand Google maps and see that the road I’m on will eventually take me to the main road and not wanting to go back up and over I decide to continue with it. And with it. And with it. Now I’m into the back end of a “secure” area and an Army training site. Fortunately for me I get directions from a soldier who tells me “keep going down this road, the main road is up there”. “Up there” is another hour of walking. Googling this later I measure “up there” as 3 miles long. Now I reach the main road just east of the Turtle Bay Resort. I’m 9 miles from my car and I really need to find a place that sells water because I’ve run out and I’m thirsty. Walk, not the whole 9 miles, and walk and stick my thumb out. Walk and hitch. A mile later I catch a ride. The driver had passed me earlier and tells me later he thought maybe I didn’t look too scruffy or suspicious so he turns around and comes back to offer a lift. Nice guy, takes me the 5 miles to Foodland where I can buy water and satisfy my thirst before…heading uphill 3 more miles back to my car. The earlier conversation I had with Dawn before my hike and because I was going out alone she asked that I call her when I was back at my car, not hearing from me she calls me instead. At 4:30, concerned, I tell her about my adventure, this far. Dawn is a kind person and will keep me company on the phone for the next hour and 29 minutes while I walk back to my car when I’m safe and sound. My “hike” was 11 1/2 miles long , over 6 hours adding a 5 mile hitch hike ride in there somewhere. I appreciate that my old body went all the way without complaint. The next day I’m flying from Honolulu to Kona heading to the Big Island and Hawi (Havi) town!