Hawaiian Trail Smorgasbord

Yes! The Trail Quest has resumed: Hawaii! We stayed with Kendall's brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Kitty, and had a grand old time with them showing us all around the Big Island: trails, ocean, sunshine, lava, art, history, and scrumptious food everywhere.

Day 1
The day started with me being dropped off along Ali'i Drive, the main running/cycling road in Kona, so I could get a short run in, rendezvousing with the gang at a coffee shop before we set off on our day's adventures.

Seen along Ali'i Drive (aka Royal Footsteps Along the Coast)

 After a visit to the Greenwell coffee farm, it was time for my first helping of the Hawaiian trail smorgasbord: the 1871 trail. The name refers to the 1871 rebuilding of an ancient trail so it could accommodate horse traffic, widened enough to allow two horses to pass one another. Much of the trail is located inside the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and passes a myriad of historic artifacts.  While I ran, Steve walked a part of the trail...good thing cuz he became my bodyguard after a herd of wild goats showed up along the trail a few minutes into the run! The trail also gave me an immediate introduction of the kind of running surface I would be encountering throughout the island - lava, and lots of it!

Ready for the trail!

Wild goats take over the trail. I am not messing with those horns!

Goats move on - and so do I

Don't trip!

Spectacular view!

1871 Trail complete!

It must be a vacation. Cocktails?!?!?! The VaughanMillers?!?!?!

Day 2 - Ocean to Volcanoes Day
Today Steve introduced us to his newest activity - the Keauhou Canoe Club which I would join without a moment's hesitation if I lived in Kailua. What fun!

Dawn at the Keauhou Canoe Club

Beautiful paddles - each different

Serenity on the ocean

Newest Canoeists!

And then it was off to Volcanoes National Park and Hawaiian Trail smorgasbord second helping: the Kilauea Iki Trail which runs down down down through rain forest, across a lava lake, then up up up through rain forest. A glorious run!

Ready for the rain forest and lava!

View from the top

Rain forest ferns

Lava foliage

Lava foliage

Good advice

Selfie with lava bloom

More lava blooms

Remember the sign about following the Ahu. Really good advice.

Out/back across the lava lake brought me to these two fellas!

Lava runnin' - WooHoo!

Kendall and Steve rise up out of the rain forest!

The day was capped off with dinner at the Volcano House followed by a spectacular show, complements of the Kilauea Volcano.

Day 3 - Beach to Lava! Lava to Beach! We must be in Hawaii!
The first Hawaiian trail smorgasbord helping of the day started at a surfer dudes beach - Kohanaiki aka Pine Trees beach where I picked up the Ala Kahakai Historic Trail.

 

The second smorgasbord helping of the day involved a circle trail around and through the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park, which I described in my running log as "lava lava lava to beach to lava to beach - and two sea turtles!"

Lava...

...to beach...

...to lava

A nice German couple offered to take my picture along the way

Turtles greeted me at the beach end of the trail!

As a bonus, in between the two runs we had coffee overlooking the ocean and spotted a pod of dolphins frolicking about and a humpback whale! 



Day 4 - Snorkeling!
...and a short run (in bathing suit) and a lovely stroll through the old airport's community gardens.
 

On board the Fair Wind II to Kealakekua Bay for a morning of snorkeling!

 

Me and Kitty ready for some snorkel time!

 I do believe the fish win for most photogenic, followed closely by Mister Kendall. I am a distant 3rd.

 

My post-snorkeling bathing suit run passed many a bloom

Old airport gardens:

Day 5 - Beach-to-Gardens day
Started the day with a run (of course!). This along the windy A Bay - Waikoloa Beach (lava + sand + ocean + wind according to my log).

Yep. That's the trail!

Spotted on the trail and sent to Kendall as his early Valentine

At the windy but warm turnaround (thank you Steve the intrepid hiker photographer bro-in-law!)

Breakfast dining companion

Post-run breakfast. Yum!

After the run and breakfast, as we were driving along, Steve got a call saying our Mauna Kea Observatory tour was cancelled due to snow-caused road closures. So it was off to the Hawaiian Botanical Gardens. (I do believe there is always a delightful plan B waiting in the wings on the Big Island!).

A lovely respite rock for Ms Kitty

Gardens, ocean, sunshine. Methinks Kitty & Steve are liking this retirement life!

Day 6 - Four Beach Day!!!!
Beach #1: Hapuna Beach and my new most favorite sport: Boogie Boarding!

We are READY for a beach day!!!!

Michigan girls dancing in the ocean!

Paula (yellow board) & Steve (blue board) dashing out to catch a big one

I'm riding this alllllll the way in!

Weehawww!!!!! My new most favorite sport!!!!!

 Beach #2: Pu'ukohola Heiau trail to Spencer Beach. Along the way......we saw a shark! (Steve walked while I ran, and when I ran back to him, sharp-eyes Steve pointed the shark out to me.)

The bay seen here was a shark temple - and that is right where we saw the shark

Beach #3: A Bay for cocktails and appetizers
(well-deserved I must say!)

Beach #4: the Old Airport for sunset

Day 7 - Southernmost USA to Volcanoes
A visit to South Point

Whadya think Steve? Is the tide coming in?

USA's southernmost cows - photo taken in honor of my Boulder cow-loving friends

Followed by a return visit to Kilauea. What a show!

Photo from afar

Zooming in a bit

Zooming in even more

Photo with a smart phone looking through Steve's spotting scope

Day 8 - The grand finale'
The final helping of the Hawaiian Smorgasbord of Trails, the steepest trail of the trip, from cliff-top to Pololu Valley. All the Wednesday hill work that Connie, Anita and I have been doing must be paying off. I ran back up in just about half the time it took me to run down. (Of course, anyone who knows me as a runner knows that I am the world's most cautious downhill runner.)

So, yeah, there were a few warnings at the top. But it was worth it!

View from the top - and, yes, the trail goes from this high up all the way down to the ocean.

This would be the 'bottom' of the trail ...just a bit rocky - and a whole lot of beautiful

Also at the bottom - a stunning river valley (and hiker Steve)

From the ocean, it's on up the black sand dunes - yes, that wooded, foliage-covered hill is a dune!

Atop a dune!

Knox Physics makes it to the Pololu Valley Black Sand Dunes!

Starting the run back up. Woof!

All in All

FUN!

FAMILY!

 

and an exquisite Hawaiian adventure. Mahalo Kitty and Steve, from the bottom of my heart.

Meager Run. Mighty Event

Today started with a measly little 2 mile run with Taz long before sunrise; he with a blinky light, me with a headlamp.  But it was a monumental day: women (and men) all over the world marching to support the rights of all. I joined the Women's March on Denver where 40,000 people were expected and over 100,000 showed up. It was a march to remember - and, hopefully, the beginning of positive actions by millions.

Friends Mort & Lysa - standing room only to Denver

We made it to the march! (Me, Mort, Lysa and Melinda)

Pre-March at Civic Center Park - lots of signs, lots and LOTS of people!

A very good day in Denver

Big test for that daily run thing

So.... the evening and day following my last post, we got a foot of snow and the thermometer forgot that it was supposed to show actual positive degrees. Yet still I ran.

The first day, with piles and piles of fresh snow everywhere, I managed to get in an 8-mile run along bike paths to/fro a doctor's appointment. Yes, bike paths for all but a few blocks between my house and the doctor's office - and 100% of those paths were plowed. Sometimes Boulder really comes through for us runners! In the meantime, Mister Taz had quite a challenge getting through the snow that seemed to be taller than his legs are long:

Taz, jumping from the shoveled driveway into the yard

The next day, paths had started forming through the snow - making for a very happy pup (and pretty happy runner as well!):

Then the packed snow started turning to ice so running buddy, Connie, and I reverted to roads for our Sunday run. I was short on time but wanted a bit of a hard run so we chose the NCAR hill as our running venue. It's a long uphill run (about three miles uphill from my house to the top of NCAR) - but the sense of accomplishment and the view are well worth the effort.

Top of NCAR looking across the eastern plains - well, we're looking east; Taz is wondering when we're going to start back downhill

The next day, Monday/yesterday, was a day plagued with my least favorite running conditions: high winds (sustained strong winds with gusts up to 87 mph) and snow/ice-covered surfaces. I broke my arm once in these conditions (walking to work on ice in high winds) and the day was ripe for a repeat of that. Mondays happen to be the day I run to my volunteer job early in the morning, picking up running buddy, AndyE, about 2/3 of the way there. He was outside waiting for me as usual - but, not as usual, he was insisting he drive me the rest of the way there. It only took three tries to convince me to accept the ride; I'm glad I did! Meager mileage for the day, but I lived to tell about it!

Today, thanks to yesterday's Chinook winds, almost all of the snow is gone, temps are in the 30s and 40s, the running is great, and everyone seems to be trotting around with smiles on their faces!  After a morning of Taz running, exercise class, and running to & fro the exercise class, I sat down to work - my first foray back into my post-retirement CU job since shortly before Christmas. It included a conference call with my boss and we exchanged photos of those who would be joining us on the call - his 8-month-old daughter and my Taz pup. His daughter is cuter, but I sure liked having Mister Taz at my side while I worked!

2017 - Wintry running and lots of plans

The weather gods decided that today would be a good day to remind us that winter is upon us. But we runners are not to be deterred. Running buddy, Connie, and I have been running hills on Wednesdays and, by gum, run hills we did laughing at the 11 degrees and falling snow all the way.  Our one concession to the weather was to avoid roads (leery of winter drivers) and, instead, did repeats on Boomerang Hill behind NIST.  Taz was a bit perplexed by all of our running up, turning around, running down, turning around, and heading back up again - but he sure does love being out and about.

Taz, wondering why we human are so slow going uphill

 One reason for forging ahead with the hill workout: big plans for 2017! As you may recall, last year I embarked on a new quest: run a trail in every state between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017. Well, last year I only checked 13 states off the list. Very fun adventures one and all, but barely a dent in the states list.  I hope to make an even bigger dent in the list this year; if I don't get all of the remaining 37, I shall extend the quest into 2018. It's been a fun one, too fun to bail on if the 50 in two years isn't quite achieved. That said, here's what we are looking at so far for 2017:

• Southeast states this spring. Running buddy, Randall, is from South Carolina and has a lighthouse run she loves to do along the shoreline. She says spring is the best time to run in the southeast; thus the springtime southeast tour plan was hatched. We haven't laid out the exact route but I hope to run South Carolina, perhaps North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama - plus a state or two or three or more on the way there and back.
• Hawaii - sometime while Kendall's bro & wife are there at their condo on the Big Island.
• Alaska -perhaps with the same Kendall bro & wife who are talking about a road trip to The Last Frontier this summer.
• We will, of course, be making more trips to Petoskey throughout the year - hopefully via winding routes and more trails. One trail I am keen on running that is not all that far out of the way from Boulder to Petoskey is the Ohio & Erie Towpath trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Within Michigan, I have my eye on the North Central State Trail - a 62-mile trail that runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City by way of Cheboygan and Lake Huron. I've been wanting to run that trail since I turned 62...better late than never!
• Closer to home, a quick trip to the Dakotas is in order, I'd say. A few years ago I ran the northern portion of South Dakota's Mickelson Trail (during the Mickelson Trail marathon). I figure the southern portion would be a fine trail for checking off South Dakota. And if we're in South Dakota, we'd might as well hop on up to North Dakota...lots of good trail territory there!

 Other than trails, the only other running plans I have for 2017 are to run daily, to train for the Bolder Boulder, and to reach 74,704.65 lifetime miles - 3 times the earth's circumference. As of the end of 2016, I was 1,586.15 miles away from that goal. Thus I run - happily! - in our winter wonderland!

My 2016 Running Year

A peaceful run for the final day of 2016

The every-day running of 2016 was fairly ordinary, but not to say dull. And there were many runs of the exceptional-not-so-every-day variety! Of the 2,361.5 miles of 2016:

• 33 miles less than last year but more mileage than each of the two prior years;
• many runs with a variety of friends - always fun!

Connie & Anita, weekly running buddies

Reunion of the original Satboys Running Gang

• runs along some of my most favorite routes both in Colorado and in Michigan

Many a run along Little Traverse Bay this year with Taz

• just two races: the Bolder Boulder 10k and the Beat the Blerch Half-Marathon (in Carnation, Washington);
• another successful Relay for Life - a night of incomparable camaraderie with thousands of dollars raised for the American Cancer Society;  
• and a good start in my quest to run a trail in every state, checking off 13 states in 2016 (Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada), Trail suggestions for any of the remaining states are welcome and encouraged!

I seem to have stumbled upon the perfect quest for my temperament and marriage. Kendall thoroughly enjoys road trips to new and different places, and I thoroughly enjoy finding new places to run with an emphasis on interesting locales and no worries about distance or type of trail (dirt, gravel, sand, whatever). We're just having a good time being out there. This marker from the Erie-Lackawanna Trail, my first trail, seemed to be a sign that this quest is meant to be - and the photo from the Beat the Blerch Half-Marathon on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail captures the joy that each of these adventures has brought us.

 My friend Lysa gave me a quote she found that she said reminded her of me: "Those who wish to sing always find a song." I will be singing as I run my way through 2017 doodah! doodah!