Koko Head

Yesterday I sat down with my lunch to escape for a little while.  Turned on the DVR recording of Monday's, Hawaii Five-O.  Do you watch that show?  I love the music, and love that it takes place on Oahu.  My son goes to school there at Hawaii Pacific University and we have been fortunate enough to visit him every spring for the last three years (he graduates this year so we'll be visiting in May).  I love to watch the show because when they're bopping about the city of Honolulu, I can say "we've been there," "I know where that is," etc., etc.  As the show opened, I almost spit my food out of my mouth ... the opening scene is Steve McGarrett and one of the other lady detectives are at the base of Koko Head mountain -- she is looking up and saying something along the line of, we're running up there, really??  They banter back and forth and then she gets a head start by tripping him, and they start running up the mountain. 

Two years ago when we were visiting, my son told us that we should hike Koko Head.  We've been up Diamond Head, and so we decided it would be a great hike/adventure.  Neither my husband or I had done the hike before, but our son said it wasn't that bad.  We were meeting friends for breakfast in the morning and decided to go right after.  My son was in school, so it was just hubby, me and daughter.  As we caught sight of Koko Head, I saw a path that went STRAIGHT UP the mountain.  I said to my husband, well, there must be another trail around the other side that meanders up the mountain.  I was wrong ... the trail I saw from the road, was the main trail up.  It is straight up, I'm not joking!

I am not new to exercise, and I am not new to hiking ... why did I think I could eat a full breakfast with coffee, and then try to hike in basically summer weather?  I didn't have a fanny pack with me, and knew I was going to need to lighten my load ... so the third stupid thing I did that morning (the first was agreeing to go on the hike, and the second was eating a big breakfast) was leave my water in the car!  Our daughter took one look at the incline and said "forget it."  She stayed at the bottom.  My husband and I started the climb ... at first it wasn't that bad ... you can see the beginning is a little flatter ... at the midpoint you go over these railroad ties ... there is big open space below you ... yikes!  I'm not afraid of heights, but my husband was not happy about that part.

Yes, you have to walk across this whole thing!  Then past this part is when it starts getting super steep.  I would climb a few steps, and then sit for a minute.  Climb some more and sit.  It was downright embarrassing ... I told my husband I'm done, but he said no, no ... you can do it, come on ... the view will be amazing.  Okay ... first young people were running past me (no shame in that), then older people were passing me (my pride definitely bruised at this point), then a lady with A BABY ON HER BACK passed me (how much weight was she hauling and she could pass me) ... ouch!  Then her mother who looked a good 10 years older than me passed me ... okay, I was more than done!  But my husband wouldn't let up ... come on, come on ... I was light headed, ready to puke, pass out or whatever ... can you spell dehydration?  I can't believe how stupid I was.  Finally made it to the top and the lady with the baby on her back recognized that I was in a very bad way and offered me an extra bottle of water she had.  She was my angel!  I drank the water slowly, and immediately felt so much better.  I should have pushed my husband off the cliff at that point for making me climb it!  The view was beautiful, but I don't think it was worth it ... as soon as we got back down to the car ... now you see how steep it is up, imagine going back down?  It is a little better, but your legs are shot and now you have to slow yourself from falling ... then going over the railroad ties with weak legs ... anyway to finish my thought, when I got back to the car the first thing I did was call our son and ball him out for not telling us what kind of a hike that really was!  What was he thinking???  Can you believe he ran up that mountain with his friends that run cross country ... for fun?  Crazy dang kids!

On the way down!

In the show last night after about two minutes of running, the lady cop fell and hurt her ankle.  McGarrett examined her ankle and then carried her down the mountain.  Now why didn't I think of that ... next time I'm presented with a challenging mountain to climb ... I am twisting my ankle!  So easy ....