TO HIKE OR NOT TO HIKE

We're Baaaaaack!

Aren't you excited!?!

Over the next few weeks I will fill you in via blogspot about our amazing trip to Kauai.

"Amazing" is an understatement

Don't know if there is a word strong or deep enough to describe it.

This trip was kinda a last minute spontaneous decision.

We planned on going, but not until August/September/October

The middle of April we got talking and decided...

LET'S JUST GO NOW!

We got on the Internet that night and booked our tickets.

We would leave in a week and a half

It was a good time for both of us to take off of work and we had found decent ticket prices

So...

KAUAI HERE WE COME!

Here is where the "To Hike or Not to Hike" part comes in.

We L-O-V-E the Na Pali Coast

 

*pictures "borrowed"
from Google Images

So Beautiful

Hiking it has been on our bucket list for some time now so when Clayton mentioned hiking it I was all game and got us a premit to hike/camp at the end of the trail at Kalalau Beach.

  I knew nothing about this trail or what to expect.  The only thing that I knew was that it was 11 miles and beautiful.  That was the only thing I knew UNTIL...I read some reviews on the trail so I would know what I was getting myself into.

Here are two reviews that I read on TripAdvisor.com

HIKER #1:

This hike is STRENUOUS! You should be ready to carry a backpack over tough terrain for about 8-9 hours. It was one of the toughest day hikes I have ever done, and I have done both the Everest Base Camp trek and the Inca Trail. (ME: Everest Base Camp...wow)

Miles 7-8 - There is a very scary portion of the trail at this point. It consisted of a 400-500 foot section of 6-8 inch ledge made up of gravel that sloughed away as we put our foot on it. I cried on the ledge both ways, especially as my boyfriend nearly slid off while holding my hand. It was much harder than I thought it would be. I think it's important to hike with a partner and to take this portion slow. I am sure a few people turn back at this section, but most people brave it.

HIKER #2The truth of the trail, which I feel is largely downplayed on this site however, is that the Kalalau trail is incredibly difficult, and in some portions, dangerous. The "cliffy" section between miles 6-8 had my boyfriend and I both terrified for our lives. You are literally on a trail that ranges from 1 ft to 6 inches wide, with a 100 ft drop off into the roaring ocean (which pounds the bottom of the cliff wall threateningly, as you inch your way above). On the other side is a rock wall that is crumbly in places. You have to hold on to the rock wall with one hand, and your hiking stick with the other. Luckily we didn't have to pass any hikers coming in the opposite direction, because I have NO IDEA how you would do that. There were very few spots along the cliff section where I would feel safe trying to pass other people. That is how narrow the trail is in this section. To add to the excitement, sometimes goats kick rocks down on you from above as you inch your way across. We found that it would have been IMPOSSIBLE to complete this trail without the aid of a hiking stick (which we got from the trailhead). I had read about this cliffy section and thought that it was a short stretch (maybe 50 ft or so). It is not short. It took us at least 30 minutes to cross through the "cliffy" section, and every second of that half hour I was afraid for my life. I kept thinking "Why am i putting myself in danger like this? This is a REAL RISK." Yes, it had been raining, and so conditions were not optimal for our hike. Many parts were muddy and slippery, but by the time we got to the cliffy part, it had dried out, and we were told the conditions were actually quite good for crossing that portion. Even with "good" conditions, I didn't feel safe at all. I think the only reason why we didn't turn around and hike back to the 6 mile camp, is because my boyfriend and I are both the stubborn type and we don't like to give up. To give you a bit of background about us, I'm 29 and my boyfriend is 33.

THE SIERRA CLUB say's...

11 mile trail begins at Ke`e Beach and traverses along high cliffs above ocean, ending at Kalalau Valley. Narrow path passes in and out of coastal valleys with steep inclines and declines. Trail conditions may range from muddy puddles to dry, crumbly rock. Eroding cliffs and big surf sometimes take out small sections of trail.

Rated a '9' out of '10' in degrees of difficulty by the Sierra Club. Extreme inclines and declines throughout entire 11 miles. Narrow footpaths on high cliffs. Loose rocks underfoot and from eroding cliffs above. Trail is slippery when muddy. Strong sun. Heavy backpacks can cause overexertion. Filter all water. Strong currents and flash flooding can occur at river crossings. Dangerous shorebreak and riptides at Hanakapi`ai and Kalalau.
(read more HERE)

BACKPACKER MAGAZINE...

ranked it as one of America's 10 Most Dangerous Hikes 

The Hike Pictures of the dramatic and lush Na Pali Coast stir hikers' wanderlust, but the Kalalau Trail hugging this dramatic coastline also triggers something far less romantic: terror. "People have a hard time with some of the dropoffs," says Kathy Valier, a Kauai resident who's written guidebooks on hiking the island. "The trail bed is narrow and crumbly, and I've talked with many people who have either fallen off the trail or seen it happen." The footing is twice as treacherous after the island's abundant rainfall turns the track into a greasy slip 'n slide–not amusing when you're edging along a 300-foot cliff that spills straight into a rocky surf. But despite such dangers, tons of locals and visitors continue to make the 11-mile (one way) pilgrimage to Kalalau, one of the world's most paradisical beaches.

ps two hikes in UT were also listed in the 10 dangerous hikes category

(read more HERE)

So can you see why I was a little overwhelmed?

So did we block out the fear of the unknown and hike this beautiful beast or not?

Stay tuned...