From Hawaiian BU
Chinese BU and I sometimes decide to go hiking on our own. This was one of those times. In fact, it probably stands as THE hallmark hike of our adventures together. After this one, we were pretty certain we could make it through almost anything. Looking back at this post, I must say that it's truly amazing that we got through this, and that we still have the passion like we do. Well, here's what happened to us, back on Sunday, June 21: (previously posted on Facebook, Monday, June 22)
So for those of you who are confused, Kai stands for Kaipapau, a waterfall that showed me what time it was. A nearly 5 mile one way hike that really messed with me and Ryan on Sunday. We started at 10 AM and there was no rain to speak of. It's a gulch hike that follows a stream bed towards a beautiful waterfall. You need to cross the stream MANY times. We get to the first crossing, no water, bone dry. It continues like that for the first 8 or 9 crossings. NO WATER AT All! So we finally start seeing some water flowing after the 12th or 13th crossing, but nothing of substance. At about crossing #20 I slipped and my ankle got tweaked on the left side, but nothing I couldn't handle. At about this point, I start talking out loud to no one in particular that this waterfall better be beautiful, and she better be running good. Then I made the big mistake later on of calling her a "bI__". By the way, the guy who wrote the internet piece lied. He said only 24 crossings. There was more like 35. At about 1:30, we had still not reached the falls and my ankle wasn't in the best shape. I told Ryan he had 10 minutes to go farther and see what was ahead. Within 4 minutes he had found her. She was beautiful! A 90-foot tall waterfall dropping into a deep pool. Good flow from her!.. So we decide to take a dip. Ryan went first but didn't want to go by the falling water. So I went in and swam right under the falls. The pressure was amazing! The force kept pushing me back as I swam against it. Suddenly Ryan is yelling at me. I really can't hear him so I come out towards him and he's screaming at me to come out. I'm like what's wrong. He points to the waterfall, and I swear to you all, it was like she decided to punish me for every bad word I said. The best way to describe it would be to say she just let her ma'i out all over me. About 6 times the water power was falling from the top than when I entered the water I kid you not. Branches, mud, rocks and a lot more water was flying off the top. Ryan's wigging out "we gotta go Keahi". So I'm struggling to get my shoes on, and the water is rising, FAST. With in 15 minutes, the water in the pool rose at least six inches, maybe more. And the stream was now a raging river. How bad you ask? What once was at the most ankle deep crossing had just become chest high level, while the thing is raging downstream. Ryan wants to call emergency, and at that moment I thought that we might be staying over night. Remember now, we are in a gulch, so there was no phone reception to speak of, even emergency. (Ryan tried at least 20 times on the way back. We got reception with only 2 crossings left, so it basically didn't matter). So I calmed Ryan down, and told him that the only thing we could do was go slowly through each of those stupid 35 crossings and go as far as we could before dark, and see how far we got. Also remember that I had a bum left ankle, going through raging water. A blessing came to us after the second crossing back; I found a long, sturdy, and straight guava branch that basically saved our lives. You want to talk about teambuilding? Me and Ryan practiced that with each crossing, especially since it was different than the way up (the increased water basically changed the whole stream path). After the fourth crossing back, I fell on my left side (the bum ankle) six feet down into the river. Luckily it was a river and not a stream, or my face would have eaten rocks that day. So we had to do the rest of the crossings with me hobbling, and Ryan worried sick. Of course the next problem was racing the daylight. Because each crossing took so long to do safely, we were running out of time. I'm pretty sure neither of us wanted to spend time in the gulch. Our original plan was to go as far as it took to get a phone signal, then call emergency. Just to finish up, we got out of there at 7:15 PM! Ryan's car never looked so good. My whole left side is still aching. I'm so happy the rest of you didn't come on this. I praise God Ryan was there with me through this. Honestly I was a little scared, but I knew that we could survive if we stuck together through the whole thing. I learned one very valuable lesson: Don't ever call a waterfall a "bi___". She is going to come back and get you and make you regret it. I love you all! K
Chinese BU and I sometimes decide to go hiking on our own. This was one of those times. In fact, it probably stands as THE hallmark hike of our adventures together. After this one, we were pretty certain we could make it through almost anything. Looking back at this post, I must say that it's truly amazing that we got through this, and that we still have the passion like we do. Well, here's what happened to us, back on Sunday, June 21: (previously posted on Facebook, Monday, June 22)
So for those of you who are confused, Kai stands for Kaipapau, a waterfall that showed me what time it was. A nearly 5 mile one way hike that really messed with me and Ryan on Sunday. We started at 10 AM and there was no rain to speak of. It's a gulch hike that follows a stream bed towards a beautiful waterfall. You need to cross the stream MANY times. We get to the first crossing, no water, bone dry. It continues like that for the first 8 or 9 crossings. NO WATER AT All! So we finally start seeing some water flowing after the 12th or 13th crossing, but nothing of substance. At about crossing #20 I slipped and my ankle got tweaked on the left side, but nothing I couldn't handle. At about this point, I start talking out loud to no one in particular that this waterfall better be beautiful, and she better be running good. Then I made the big mistake later on of calling her a "bI__". By the way, the guy who wrote the internet piece lied. He said only 24 crossings. There was more like 35. At about 1:30, we had still not reached the falls and my ankle wasn't in the best shape. I told Ryan he had 10 minutes to go farther and see what was ahead. Within 4 minutes he had found her. She was beautiful! A 90-foot tall waterfall dropping into a deep pool. Good flow from her!.. So we decide to take a dip. Ryan went first but didn't want to go by the falling water. So I went in and swam right under the falls. The pressure was amazing! The force kept pushing me back as I swam against it. Suddenly Ryan is yelling at me. I really can't hear him so I come out towards him and he's screaming at me to come out. I'm like what's wrong. He points to the waterfall, and I swear to you all, it was like she decided to punish me for every bad word I said. The best way to describe it would be to say she just let her ma'i out all over me. About 6 times the water power was falling from the top than when I entered the water I kid you not. Branches, mud, rocks and a lot more water was flying off the top. Ryan's wigging out "we gotta go Keahi". So I'm struggling to get my shoes on, and the water is rising, FAST. With in 15 minutes, the water in the pool rose at least six inches, maybe more. And the stream was now a raging river. How bad you ask? What once was at the most ankle deep crossing had just become chest high level, while the thing is raging downstream. Ryan wants to call emergency, and at that moment I thought that we might be staying over night. Remember now, we are in a gulch, so there was no phone reception to speak of, even emergency. (Ryan tried at least 20 times on the way back. We got reception with only 2 crossings left, so it basically didn't matter). So I calmed Ryan down, and told him that the only thing we could do was go slowly through each of those stupid 35 crossings and go as far as we could before dark, and see how far we got. Also remember that I had a bum left ankle, going through raging water. A blessing came to us after the second crossing back; I found a long, sturdy, and straight guava branch that basically saved our lives. You want to talk about teambuilding? Me and Ryan practiced that with each crossing, especially since it was different than the way up (the increased water basically changed the whole stream path). After the fourth crossing back, I fell on my left side (the bum ankle) six feet down into the river. Luckily it was a river and not a stream, or my face would have eaten rocks that day. So we had to do the rest of the crossings with me hobbling, and Ryan worried sick. Of course the next problem was racing the daylight. Because each crossing took so long to do safely, we were running out of time. I'm pretty sure neither of us wanted to spend time in the gulch. Our original plan was to go as far as it took to get a phone signal, then call emergency. Just to finish up, we got out of there at 7:15 PM! Ryan's car never looked so good. My whole left side is still aching. I'm so happy the rest of you didn't come on this. I praise God Ryan was there with me through this. Honestly I was a little scared, but I knew that we could survive if we stuck together through the whole thing. I learned one very valuable lesson: Don't ever call a waterfall a "bi___". She is going to come back and get you and make you regret it. I love you all! K
Beginning of the trail
Look at this stream. Bone dry. Wasn't that way when we left.
Chinese BU going in before the drenching
Guard your tongue (and your mana'o) in the face of the forest--Only God above and His son deserve more respect than the spirits of the forest. luv u, son
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