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Waimanu Valley to Honokaa

I woke up to rain. Not much sleep. It is 7am and getting light out. I get up and look around. I have not seen the valley yet since I got here in the dark. It is beautiful! There are waterfalls in the back of the valley and the ocean is amazing!

It is still cloudy but has stopped raining. I am still nervous about getting back because of all the rain last night. I start to pack. It starts to rain! Hard! I frantically start putting my stuff away. I don’t want it to get it wet! The rain reinforces my need to leave.

Waimanu Valley
Waimanu Valley
Waimanu Valley
Waimanu Valley

I take some photos and video and get out of there! I have to cross the river again! Do I take my shoes off? Screw it. I walk through with my shoes on. My feet are now wet. I have to climb 1000ft abruptly. I have no lack of motivation. I scale that cliff face quickly. When I come to the first creek crossing, there is not much water. I am relieved. Creek after creek, not much water. Whew!

The rain stops and I take off my rain jacket and rearrange my pack. I grabbed a nice walking stick that was at the camp and it is nice to have for added stability. I meander in and out of the valleys that I walked through the previous day. There are a lot of spider webs in the trail that I keep walking into. That is super annoying.I try to stay attentive so that I can avoid them!

It felt like I was making great time going back. There is a metal roofed shelter that I stopped at to eat breakfast. Mmm… More peanut butter, honey and bagels. Yum! Eventually, I make it back to the top of the Waipao valley and reflect on how far I have come and the beautiful view! I left camp at 8am and it is now almost noon.

Waipao Valley
Waipao Valley

I take a few more photos and descend the “Z” trail. I make it to the bottom and look up. Wow! That is quite the climb. I walk the beach, cross another river and walk to where I stashed my bike. Whew! It is still there. I load up and start peddling back. It is great to be on the bike again. But! The challenging hills are not done.

Remember the 20-25 degree road that I descended. Yeah. Well. Now… I get to climb it. I get close, go into granny gear (the lowest gear) and increase my cadence. Yes! I’m ascending! I am out of the saddle giving it all that I have. I make it up the first section but then there is a car behind me and I need to dismount. Dang! I was doing great!

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The road is super narrow, only one car wide. I try to get on again and start riding. It is super hard to start. I get going again. There were certain sections that I ended up walking. I’d guess that I biked up 3/4 of it. Solid!

A car passes and the driver says, “stallion.” I look over and barely manage to say, “thanks.” There are many tourists walking down and watching as I try and bike up. Finally, I make it to the top. Whew! Alright, now only 10 miles till Honokaa for some water and food! The 10 miles are manageable and easier then the hike.

I cruise into town and return to Hotel Honokaa Club to retrieve my things. I need food! I go to a local eatery called, “simply natural.” I order two Toro pancakes, eggs, iced coffee and two smoothies. Mmm!!! So good! This is the life!

I return to the hotel/hostel and evaluate the next plan. Originally, I intended to bike to Hilo (50 miles) but it was 2:20pm and would be dark in 4 hours. I was crushed from the last two days. I decide to stay In Honokaa and enjoy the evening. I go to the local library to blog and the went to a local pizzeria to get pizza… Duh!

I met some local kids that I talked to for a while. We had a good conversation about local life and good places to surf. Now I’m back at the hostel writing away. Plan is to sleep soon and get an early start. At least I have a roof over my head and do not have to worry about getting washed away. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Simply Natural
Simply Natural
Pizza
Pizza

Nathan Vandermost

Nathan currently lives abroad as an American expat and is based in Hanoi, Vietnam. He enjoys learning new languages, meeting new people and exploring new places. Nathan has been living abroad since 2014 and likes to stay busy plotting his next trip.

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