Our daughter Caitlin and her family recently invited us to join them on a trip to Hawaii. We had to wait quite a while for Annemarie to receive medical clearance, but once received a few weeks ago it was full steam ahead! So here we are with a baby, a toddler, their parents and ourselves enjoying a brief getaway from a dismal spring which has brought cool, wet weather to many areas. For a time we can enjoy sunny warm days and just hope that things improve mightily by the time we return home.🫤 The reports from home are not good!
Aside from the obvious joys of a hot weather travel, this trip has also provided an opportunity to acclimatize for the Italian heat which is just 4 slim weeks away. Though I recently read they are still experiencing late season snow in the mountains I’ll be walking through. I hope they hurry up and finish with all that because I’m looking forward to some warm spring days with mountain flowers lining my way! In fact, I’m planning on it!
I’ve enjoyed a couple of reasonable walks through town and out along a local track, but today I hoped to find my way further afield. Yesterday I figured out a bit of an out and back loop of some 20-24kms. Maybe longer.
Knowing that it was going to be hot, I was up and quietly away before 7:00, difficult to do with two young children in the condo! I followed a track out along the edge of town that I’d walked a couple of days ago. The really pretty start led me out into the lava fields that are a range of yellow and green hues.
The locals here are pretty friendly, and some kind soul has set up a nice rest spot which I’ll add to my informal list of thoughtful rest places I’ve come across walking elsewhere. Always nice to find, though too early in my walk to enjoy. But a rocking chair, really?
These Arcadia like trees are a real delight! Some how they’ve managed to establish themselves in this rather bleak landscape, and together with the spiked grasses this rough volcanic landscape has been transformed into a more gentle looking landscape. Though as I’d find out later, this soft layer covers a very tough and difficult walking surface. 
I believe the volcanic peak ahead is about 1600m high. We are staying at about 300m above sea level, and the walk today took me above 400m. The two major volcanic peaks on the island are about 4220m, and of course there’s a whole bunch more below sea level!
The first half of the day was a steady climb. Just what I was in need of as I thought of the climbs ahead of me next month.
A look back.
I arrived where I’d previously walked out to which was essentially a meeting of the various power lines which distribute the current from the recently constructed wind mills that populate this slope.
The trail under this tree was booby trapped!
This 1” thorn went right though my boot, insole and just into my foot. This was after I’d pulled it out. Two days ago I arrived home with three half inch nails in the bottoms of my boots. Sheesh!
This is what they look like on those really nice looking trees.
When I arrived at a crossroads I was greeted by this heavy gate explaining why I couldn’t enter and a second gate also locked. In other countries I might have climbed over the secondary gate, but not here. They take their signs and gates a bit to seriously for me!
So with continuing further southward ruled out I reversed direction along another track in the hope it would allow me to finish back at the highway east of town.
It was a very pretty walk!
But again I ran into another gate complete with barbed wire on top. Serious people!
Running out of trail options I cut off across the lava beds and soon found it tough going. I tried to remember how many of the various snake types found on the islands are venomous😵💫. I thought just one?
After not climbing all those other gates, I finally gave in and carefully hopped this wire fence trying to not catch either my gear or self on the wire. I left all the negative signage behind and rejoined my original route and headed back to town, hot, but satisfied.
I passed three wild turkeys right at the end. They are busy strutting their stuff all over town! Big full size turkeys. I’m sure they have Thanksgiving here, right?
A really beautiful morning! The afternoon was spent poolside with the kids, and we expect to be back to the beach tomorrow!
Aloha!
