I picked up Callie and Jessie on Saturday from the airport! They’ll be joining Gav and me in Kauai for the week! I love it when my siblings come out to visit. Last year, I told Callie she had to come hike the coast with me. It’s one of my favorite hikes in the world because the views of the ocean and the mountains are absolutely stunning. But let me tell you, this hike is not for the faint of heart.
On Sunday, before the big hike, we went to the beach. I showed Callie the big "dubaya" by Waiohai. If you’ve seen It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, you’d get the reference. We sent a picture in our family group chat, and everyone recognized it right away! That evening, we packed and repacked for the hike. I made the girls go through their bags several times to cut any extra weight. We even managed to find a better backpack for Jessie at the last minute. By the time we went to bed, it was midnight... Not the beauty rest we had hoped for. And when our alarms went off, we were exhausted. Callie admitted she was anxious about the hike and just wanted to start so she could cross it off the list.
It turned out to be the perfect day to hike. The skies were just overcast enough to keep it from getting too hot. We chatted, played games, and soaked in the views while climbing up and down the trail. This was my fifth time hiking it, and I still can’t get over the beauty. How could I?
The scariest part of the trail is Crawler’s Ledge. We didn’t tell Callie or Jessie about it ahead of time because no way did we want them backing out. The trail narrows to a skinny ledge with loose dirt, and if you lose your balance… well, let’s just say it’s not a place to slip. We gave them trekking poles and took it slowly. They did great! Big sigh of relief we made it. From there, it’s just a push to the finish. I could tell the girls were getting tired, but we kept repeating: slowly but continue. (A phrase someone once shouted at Gavin and me while we were trekking to Everest.) Sure enough, they pushed through. We did the whole thing in about 7 hours! I was being the best cheerleader for them.
When we finally reached camp, we lucked out and snagged our favorite spot right by the ranger station. We set up hammocks and immediately passed out to the sound of crashing waves. The rain started shortly after we woke up, but with the ranger station as cover, we didn’t stress. Instead, we embraced the rain, running into the ocean to swim in the middle of the storm. Honestly, the water felt warmer than the air, and it was pure magic.
After the storm, we rinsed off in the waterfalls, changed into dry clothes, and ate dinner while watching the most beautiful sunset. Everything feels better on the Nā Pali Coast: the ocean, hammocks, food, sand, and even the sound of critters at night. It’s truly my favorite place in the world.
The next morning, we woke up for a morning hike and swim. Once a year, the tides are low enough to walk down the beach to Honopū, and we just happened to be there on the right day! We even made it to the falls. We felt pretty cool waving to all the tourists on boats their captains were probably telling them it’s impossible to reach this beach (and it usually is, unless the tide is perfect). BEST DAY!
We spent the morning swimming, eating breakfast, and relaxing. My only complaint about Kalalau? The constant sound of helicopters zooming by every 20 minutes. Way too loud.... That afternoon, we ventured into the valley looking for hidden pools. We got a little lost, but it didn’t matter we swam, wandered, and enjoyed every bit of it. Back at camp, we were ready for our evening routine: a sunset swim, pad thai, rinsing off in the falls, and getting cozy before the long trek out. But just as we were settling in, sirens went off. Someone with Starlink told us we needed to evacuate, apparently there had been an earthquake in Russia, and a tsunami warning was issued for the north shores of Hawaii. Moments later, a helicopter landed, telling us to head up to Red Dirt Hill immediately and to wait for further instructions.
I’ve never seen Callie and Jessie pack so fast. They were sprinting up the hill like it was their last moment on earth. Gavin and I… not so much. Honestly, I wasn’t that worried. Different warnings happen here from time to time, and nothing usually comes of them. Or maybe I was just in shock. We hiked up and waited with no service, no updates, just the sound of the ocean below. We kept staring at the ocean, wondering if it looked like it was receding. I think our eyes were just playing tricks on us though.
More hikers joined us. Eventually, a helicopter flew by, and one of the workers stuck out his thumb. But what did that mean? Go higher? Stay put? All clear? Nobody knew. So we strung up hammocks and tried to rest while everyone else slept on the trail. Callie and Jessie were definitely spooked. We couldn’t help but wonder what was happening across the island were hotels evacuated? Was everyone panicking? All we could do was wait. I was sure glad we had nothing to stress about. It was a very peaceful night.
The next morning, we packed up early and hustled back down the trail. For the first 10 miles, we didn’t see a soul. Finally, in the last stretch, we learned the tsunami never came, and everything had reopened a few hours earlier. Honestly, we were glad we missed all the chaos. The last mile was brutal, but Callie and Jessie powered through, even with shaky legs. They admitted it was harder than they expected but still one of the most fun adventures ever. No regrets.
We celebrated the hike with acai bowls, pizza, and banana splits, then spent the rest of the day binge-watching shows and recovering. We also loved looking at all our photos from Callie's film camera. Very vintage and fun!
The rest of the week was filled with little adventures in between work and the girls’ youth conference. We treated them to the best burgers on the island at Holo Holo Grill, hiked to the tree swing, and played endless rounds of Little Secrets with Chase and Anita. We laughed so hard! Nobody wanted to be the Confused Kitten, but Gavin and Jessie made the best Spy Pups. Chase… not so much.
It was such a joy having Callie here. We even got to run together for the first time! Honestly, it was one of the best weeks with my sister!
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