There is something pure and enjoyable about riding a bike.

You learn to appreciate it as a kid – but as soon as you own a set of car keys that appreciation gets lost. Lately, Kim and I have been trying to get it back.

Today we drove the Jeep to Kailua, a quaint beach town on the eastern shore of Oahu. Kailua offers (among other things) world-renowned breakfasts, beaches, ocean-kayaking and a bike-friendly atmosphere. For those of you living in Honolulu or Waikiki, you can understand why we took the trip to enjoy a day of riding bikes.

It was a simple day really – we rode around the town and admired different homes. We talked about owning one someday – from the over-the-top mansions to the fixer-upper. We stopped at a couple of beaches and snapped a few photos.

At the end, we topped off a relaxing day of bike riding with a feast fit for a King. Buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks and potato skins – accompanied by a couple of pints of course.

I couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday.

Climbing rail-road tracks into a dormant volcano? Yeah – just another typical Sunday around these parts.

Koko Head is a well know hike on Oahu. It’s a great resource for a quick workout for the type of people that aren’t into the whole gym thing (me being one of them). You get a challenging hike that’s quick (about 45 minutes round trip but leave extra time at the top) with a real nice view the whole way up.

It can get crowded, but there is an unspoken etiquette where folks going down have the right of the way. Most people have earphones or a hiking buddy so if you want some time to yourself – you can have it.

The beginning is a bit overbearing – this bad boy gets steeper with every step. You get into a groove at first where you find yourself skipping steps, until at one point you stop to catch your breath and realize you still have a long ways to go.

The summit is gorgeous. You can walk around a bit and get multiple views that are worth a snapshot or two. It’s a 360 degree view that you don’t want to miss.

Today was the first time I did the hike alone – it was really nice to sit in some quiet and let my mind wander. There are enough spots at the top to either find a group to chat with or find a quiet spot and reflect.

The one thing I recommend you do is to make sure you have plenty of sunlight when you’re coming down. I’ve done the decent it in the dark and it’s a bit tricky. Plus if you time it right, it’s nice catching the sunset on the way down.

I captured a few other photos in the slideshow below, I hope you dig them.

On a whim – Kim and I decided to drive over to the Botanical Gardens behind Koko Head and have a look around. It was great.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make your day. A two mile loop around a unique and diverse garden for instance. We strolled, took some pictures and talked about all kinds of random things.

It was just nice to be outside.

It’s more like a great place for a little workout or a nice walk – some ambitious folks will even run up and down it multiple times. The majority of the path has a wide view of the ocean, and in the right season you can usually catch a whale or two.

Since we’ve been to the top a few times, we decided to explore down instead. The tide pools were always something we heard about, so we decided to take a look.

Although the main path isn’t very challenging, the hike down to the tide pools requires a little more attention. It’s a steep vertical drop with bits of broken rock and awkward angles. Nothing too scary (small kids can be seen on this path regularly) but it definitely deserves your attention.

The tide pools are basically nature’s version of  hot tubs. The rocky coast has bits of lava rock that formed pockets – when waves hit the coast, the pockets fill with ocean water.
On a day when the ocean is calm, the tide pools heat up from the warm sun. Our day offered cooler water conditions, but with some incredible waves hitting the rocky coast to go with it.

After a relaxing day watching the waves roll in – Kim and I finally broke in Frank (that’s my Jeep) in a nearby off-road spot. Let’s just say I’ll be doing that again – real soon.

Things have changed. Fueled by Oahu’s climbing headquarters at Volcanic Rock Gym, a few friends and I have been practicing at the gym and finding new spots to climb around the island. The Mokule’ia Crag (or the Moks), is one of the better spots to play on.

Gearing up for a the 30 minute accent to the face. It isn’t super hard but with gear you start a huffing and a puffing.

See – there’s the huffing.

…and a puffing.

Mokule’ia boasts about twp dozen routes – various difficulty levels but all good fun.

David Chat making it look easy.

Kim calculating here first few moves.

Captain Jack and some smearing action.

A view from the top.

Me rocking the one foot in front of the other technique – and needing a haircut.

Closing time…

Celebratory beers, food and tunes are in order after a great day of climbing.

Being more accustomed to outdoor multi-pitch climbing, bouldering is still new to me. Most boulder problems start in strange and in uncomfortable “sit-start” positions that make the routes challenging right off the get-go. It’s pretty much the reason why I need to get my butt to the rock gym on a more regular basis.

David Chat planning his next move while Waimea stays calm behind him. It’s hard to believe that the Eddie Surf Tournament was held at this very spot only months ago.

Bouldering, like surfing, somehow creates new friendships rather quickly. We met Mike on the rock, and he helped with some strategy from below.

Depending on your size and shape, your climbing style will vary greatly. Unlike myself, David can use his light weight and agility to get around tricky edges like this one. Here he’s sporting what I like to call, the “angry monkey.”

Only a little higher up, boulder problems are still demanding on the fingers. Crimpers…

Try left. Nope. Try right. Nope. What about more right? Nope. Yeah, I’m pretty much stuck.

Another benefit of climbing at Wiamea, a nice ocean to jump into to quench the heat. This rock offers a fun mellow cliff jump around 15-20 ft high.

We were only able to hike four miles in, but we enjoyed every second of it. Thank you for checking out the video, I hope it gives you some incentive to visit the amazing island of Kaua’i.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Hōkūle’a mission, it is to sail around the world in a canoe that is free of any modern technical advancements. This means the success of the mission relies on the crew and its knowledge of navigation via the stars. No easy task to say the least.

I was fortunate enough to be a guest upon the canoe they call the Hōkūle’a, to understand better what their mission and goals are as an awareness campaign. What I learned is that the crew is made up of passionate and impressive lovers of the ocean and the history and culture of Hawaii. I learned that the Hōkūle’a is fueled by the passion of sustainability, not just for Hawaii but the entire world. “If we view our Earth as an island, our only voyaging canoe in the sea of space, it becomes apparent that we must change course to ensure a healthy, sustainable world.”

The group of people I met on the canoe carried the true spirit of what I interpret to be the spirit of Aloha. They were warm, receptive, and happy to share their knowledge and passion of the Hōkūle’a and its mission. They were truly genuine, and when you encounter that it becomes contagious.
Although warm and receptive, the crew was also very quick to put the new crew members to work. This is me trying to master the art of steering the Hōkūle’a, while at the same time pretend that my arms weren’t tired. I don’t believe I’m doing a very good job at either of the tasks.

We learned a little of what it takes to make the Hōkūle’a sail, how to navigate by the stars and what stories are associated with certain constellations based on Hawaii beliefs. I’ll be honest, some of the Hawaii stories are more entertaining than their Greek counterparts, and so are the storytellers who shared them.
Although this post is not as timely as it should have been (I really need to get better about that) the subject matter could not be more perfect for what is happening today. At the release of this post, an oil slick covering 2,500 square miles of ocean (and growing) is the nerve shattering reminder that our Earth is continually being endangered by its population. To truly be amazed at the magnitude of this spill, compare the spill to the size of your local town by using the application called the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Map, which I found on the Hawaii Blog.

The Hōkūle’a message could not be more critical of a movement, in a more critical point in time. After all, we’re all in this one canoe called Earth together.

To stay up to date with the Hōkūle’a and its powerful message, please visit their site, their Twitter page, and their Facebook page. Mahalo.

One day maybe, but unfortunately I haven’t made a strong enough commitment to pursue climbing in Hawaii (other than the black rocks at Waimea) but that’s something I’m planning on changing really soon.

On this one day we got a chance to climb with some sizable swell to our backs. Mark and Suzi were visiting us from Colorado and although Mark wanted to surf, Suzi wanted Mark to live. Being that the three of us were all climbing guides in the Adirondacks, some bouldering at Waimea turned out to be a great (and safe) alternative.
Pipeline in all its glory, firing barrel after wicked barrel.

Waimea wasn’t so glorious that day, but it was big. So big that most of the beach was closed to the public and almost nobody was in the water. Except of course for the crazies that enjoy getting pounded into the sand by some 20+ foot beach break. Somehow, you can’t help but appreciate it.

Mark OPT trying to get a better look at the waves (while simultaneously trying to show off his bouldering skills).

Things can get pretty competitive when you pin ex-teammates back together again.

Some others joined in the fun, and some climbed too high and needed our help to get down.

We had a blast with Mark and Suzi… wish you were still, here.

This peak was no picnic. After two moderate peaks, this one takes it to the next level. After completing the second peak you have to rappel down a rocky path using a rope that someone (I hope they were good at tying things) tied onto a tree. The decent from Peak 2 to Peak 3 is the greatest elevation drop of all the ones you have to take. Then of course you have to climb Peak 3, which is the steepest and most difficult of them all. It’s steep, rugged, and definitely not for the beginner hiker. My only tip is to bring lots of extra water, and make sure you save some energy for the way back.  Also…  it’s one of the most fun hikes I’ve done on Oahu so go train, and go kill it!

The decent begins.

Jack going down.

After a tricky decent, the real challenge begins.

What goes down, must come up.

Sick photo op.

David Chat, deep in thought, and stuff.

A fellow hiker offered to take a shot of the Olomana Crew, we accepted.

Captain Jack.

Chat thinking twice about another risky drop.

Ropes make these drops a little less scary. A little.

A view along the way.

The Beast itself.

That’s all folks!