Paddle Log #23: Hickam Beach

For my last weekend on the island, I made an effort to get out and enjoy Hawaii while it lasted.

View of Kaneohe coming out of the H-3 Tunnel

Saturday I took two of my shipmates on a drive around the northern end of the island.  We visited Tropical Farms and Waimea Valley.

As I've stated on previous visits to Tropical Farms, every time I got there I learn about some new fruit that I'd never heard of before.  This time around I got to learn about the Star Apple.  It looks more like a plumb on the outside, but when you slice it open you see the star pattern on the inside.

Star Apple

We stopped and had lunch at the famous Giovanni's Shrimp Truck as we drove around the northern end of the island.

Mmmm, Giovanni's :-9

I continue to be amazed by the quantity and variety of tropical flowers I see at Waimea Valley.  Every time I go, I notice some spectacular new flower that I hadn't previously seen there. As usual, I took a ton of pictures, but I'll just share three of them here:

 Not sure what this one was.

 Ruellia Chartacea

Finger of God

We got to Waimea around 4:30 and they supposedly close at 5 p.m., so we didn't bother taking our swimming suits in with us.  However, the staff didn't seem to be in any hurry to push people out the gate at 5 p.m.  I think they just close the entrance and don't let anyone new in at 5 p.m., but there were still plenty of people swimming under the waterfall when we left.

 Waimea Falls 

(standing in front of my eldest son's favorite rock)

Sunday I made a point to get out on the water one last time.  I wanted to try Kaneohe, but the forecast called for scattered showers all day on the windward side.  So I went to Hickam instead.

Hickam Beach

You aren't allowed to go very far from Hickam Beach.  You pretty much have to stay inside the box formed by the taxiway and the runway of Honolulu International Airport (see Garmin track below).  Even though it was a fairly short paddle, I'm glad I got one last trip out on the water to enjoy warm water and the peaceful lapping of the water against the kayak hull.

This is as far as you are allowed to paddle away from the beach.

It was cool to watch the jets taxi by to the runway. Actually, as I sit here finishing this blog post, I am in the San Francisco airport.  Just this morning, I was on a plane just like that, looking out the passenger windows toward Hickam Beach.

On item of note:  In hindsight, this is an excellent spot to take your kids and give kayaking a try.  It is a lot easier to get in and out here and not have the winds pushing you away from the marina like at Rainbow Marina on Pearl Harbor where I first tried kayaking with my eldest son. 



Stats for the paddle log:

• Date: 27 February 2011
• Time In: 3:20 p.m.
  
• Time Out: Approx 4:00 p.m.
  
• Elapsed:  40 min
• Moving Time (GPS): 34 min
• Stopped Time (GPS):  6 min (had difficulty getting watch to stop after getting out of the water.  Had to rinse with fresh water and dry off before it would accept the "stop" command.)
• Mileage (GPS): 1.8 miles
  
• Sea State: 1
• Winds: Very little
• Air Temp:  77F
• Water Temp: Not sure.  Warm.  Bathwater.
• Current:  None.
• Gauge Height:  N/A.
• Avg Speed (GPS):  3.2 mph
  
• Max Speed by (GPS):  4.5 mph
• Rapids?  None. 
• Hazards?  None.
  
• Kit: Rental kayak (Ocean Kayak Scrambler). No hat, NRS paddling gloves, short sleeve shirt, swim trunks, Keen sandals.
• Configuration: Solo.
• Route:  Put-in at Hickam Beach Kayak Rental hut, clockwise around the rectangular basin formed by the Honolulu Airport taxiway and runway, then counterclockwise back to Hickam Beach.
• Other comments (such as wildlife spotted): Many crabs on rocks, coral, sergeant fish.

Paddle Log #22: Kailua to Mokulua Islands

Ahhh, it's good to be back in port again after almost three weeks out at sea.  It was a very busy time with no days off and not much in the way of sleep, so it was nice to have this weekend off to rest.

So what did I do to relax? 

Went back out to sea, of course!  Well, this time under my own propulsion.

A friend of mine and I went to Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks and rented a tandem kayak to paddle out to the Mokulua Islands and back.  It was a beautiful morning on the water. 

Normally, the winds around here are from the northeast (hence why this is the "windward" side of the island).  More often than not, it will be cloudy on the windward side of the island with the clouds bunching up against the Ko Olau mountain range, and it will be bright and sunny on the south side where Waikiki and Pearl Harbor are. 

Not today.  Oddly enough, the winds were out of the south-southwest today, so it was cloudy on the south side of the island as I left the naval base, and it was gorgeous over on the (normally) windward side where we were planning to go kayaking.

Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks has kayak rental down to a science.  They have an incredibly smooth process for checking people in, moving you on to watch their safety video (which is very informative, funny, and entertaining), check out your gear, head down to the waterfront, and get paddling.  It is all very well orchestrated, and I was amazed at how many customers they were able to process in a very short period of time AND with friendly and professional service to boot.

 Standing on Flat Island, looking back toward Kailua in the background.

On our way, paddling from Flat Island to the Mokulua Islands.

The Mokulua Islands are a bird sanctuary, so you can't leave the beach.

Evidence

Sidenote about my Garmin:  I forgot to start my Garmin Forerunner before we got in the water.  Paddling out through the surf we took a good amount of splashing and wave slap.  The Forerunner uses a touch-screen, so when I tried to activate my Garmin on the way paddling out, the saltwater on the watch just drove the touch-screen nuts.  I locked it (pushing both side buttons at once locks or unlocks the touch-screen) and waited until we got over to Mokulua Island.  I rinsed it with fresh-water and let it dry out in the wind, then I unlocked it and activated it for the paddle back to Kailua, so that's why my Garmin Connect data isn't complete for this trip. 



Overall, we had an excellent morning getting some exercise in the fresh air with some saltwater splashed on us.  We wrapped it all up with a stop at the legendary Boots & Kimos for some banana pancakes with macadamia nut syrup.  Mmmmmm.  :-9

Stats for the paddle log:

• Date: 20 February 2011
• Time In: Approx 10:35 a.m.
  
• Time Out: 12:35 p.m.
  
• Elapsed:  About 2 hours
• Moving Time (GPS): unknown - technical difficulties with watch
• Stopped Time (GPS):  unknown - technical difficulties with watch
• Mileage (GPS): Approx 4 miles
  
• Sea State: 1
• Winds: 8-10 mph E observed in Kailua (Intellicast), but overall winds from SW made for a cloudy day on the south side of the island and a clear day here in Kailua.
• Air Temp:  77F
• Water Temp: Not sure.  Warm.  Bathwater.
• Current:  None.
• Gauge Height:  N/A.
• Avg Speed (GPS):  3.2 mph (at least for the second half paddling back to Kailua)
  
• Max Speed by (GPS):  5.0 mph (I'm pretty confident we didn't exceed this paddling out INTO the swells on the way out)
• Rapids?  None. 
• Hazards?  Waves breaking over reefs.
  
• Kit: Rental kayak (unknown model). NH ballcap, NRS paddling gloves, long sleeve shirt, swim trunks, Keen sandals.
• Configuration: Tandem.  I sat in back, S sat in front.
• Route:  Put-in at Kailua Sailboards & Kayak rental, headed out into surf and over to Flat Island.  After a brief stop at Flat Island, we paddled southeast parallel to shore and then out to the north Mokulua Island, paddling into 3 foot swells crashing into the bow.  Rested on the island for a bit.  Paddled back toward the shoreline, then northwest parallel to the shore back to Kailua.
• Other comments (such as wildlife spotted): None.

Bucket List: Climb Koko Head

One hike climb that was on my to-do list most of the time we lived in Hawaii in 2007-2008 was Koko Head.  (Check out the gorgeous aerial photo of the Koko head crater on wikipedia.)  I never did it while we lived here because it was above the level of difficulty for my two little boys (at the time anyway), and there were plenty of other hikes to do around the island that I could take the boys with me.

Now that I'm back on the island for a fairly brief period of time, I made a promise to myself that I would conquer Koko Head while I was here.

You may recall a couple of posts ago, there's a wonderful view into the Koko Head crater from the trail going up Makapu'u Ridge. 

This time I had a completely different perspective of Koko Head.  There is a set of railroad tracks that were used to take supplies up to an Army coastal observation post during WWII.

Warning:  If you go climb Koko Head, be advised there is a bridge you have to cross which is open between the railroad ties down into a ravine.  This might freak out someone who is afraid of heights or who has small children with them. 

This turned out to be quite the stairmaster-type workout.  The picture above was taken from a horizontal position to show you the slope of the tracks going up the hill.

On the way up, my heart was pounding so hard I thought it would leap out of my chest.  I couldn't believe there were people passing me - RUNNING both up and down the tracks.

The view at the top was worth it...

That's Makapu'u Ridge in the distance.  

In the foreground is the other side of the Koko Head crater.

Hanauma Bay

Diamond Head

I foolishly thought that going back down would be easier than going up.  Going down was like a thousand squats.  It's not like Makapu'u where you just walk down a flat, paved trail.  Coming down those railroad ties was one careful and deep step down at a time.

Did I mention it was 1,083 feet of elevation gain in just 0.8 miles?  It took me 50 minutes to get to the top and 35 minutes to come back down.  Here are the Garmin stats with the altitude profile.

Today my legs are a bit sore and my right knee hurts, but I'm happy to cross Koko Head off of my bucket list.

Paddle Log #21: Pearl Harbor

Deja vu.  Back where it all started.  Almost three years ago, my eldest son and I went kayaking together for the first time here at the Rainbow Marina on Pearl Harbor.

For exercise, I've been running almost every morning since I arrived here three weeks ago, but I have been taking Sundays off to do something different like the Makapu'u Ridge and Olomana hikes that I wrote about last week. 

This week I wanted to get out on the water.  I had originally intended to do a longer paddling excursion out of Kailua, but I had too much studying to do and a 3 hour test to take.  So this afternoon I just took a quick break, went down to the Rainbow Marina, and checked out a kayak to get some exercise and enjoy some time on the water. 

It was partly cloudy out, which was nice to give me some shade.  It was also pretty windy - 12 to 14 mph winds according to Intellicast.  That stirred up some chop on the water.  Of course, the marina is at the windward side of the harbor, so you have no choice but to go downwind first and then fight your way back against the wind coming back.  You can see it on my Garmin where my average speed was about 4.0 mph as I paddled down wind.  Then when I turned around and started paddling back, you see my average speed dropped to about 3.2 mph. 

It was a good workout paddling into the wind.  After I paddled back into the lee of McGrew Point, I just loitered in the basin there enjoying the sound of the waves lapping against the hull, watching the water and the feeling the wind. 

It was a short excursion, but it was a much needed break from studying.

Stats for the paddle log:

• Date: 23 January 2011
• Time In: 2:23 p.m.
  
• Time Out: 3:46 p.m.
  
• Elapsed:  1 hours 23 minutes
• Moving Time (GPS):  1 hrs 5 minutes 
• Stopped Time (GPS):  18 minutes
• Mileage (GPS): 3.6 miles
  
• Sea State: 1
• Winds: 12-14 mph NE (Intellicast)
• Air Temp:  79F
• Water Temp: Not sure.  Warm.  Bathwater.
• Current:  None.
• Gauge Height:  Not sure.  Seemed about average.
• Avg Speed (GPS):  3.3 mph
  
• Max Speed by (GPS):  5.3 mph
• Rapids?  None. 
• Hazards?  None.
  
• Kit: Wilderness rental kayak (unknown model). Flop hat, NRS paddling gloves, short sleeve shirt, swim trunks, water shoes.
• Configuration: Single seat.  Only me this time.
• Route:  Put-in at Rainbow Marina.  Examined the chart at the boat house and determined where the restricted areas were.  Paddled to the red buoy north of Ford Island that marked the edge of the restricted area.  Harbor security got nervous about me and sent a boat out to make sure I wasn't going to go past the red buoy.  I told them I knew the boundary and that I would not cross it.  Turned around at the red buoy and paddled back into the wind.  Did an extra lap in the basin next to the PACFLT boathouse.

• Other comments (such as wildlife spotted): A couple of local birds that I have not yet identified.

Olomana Hike

Aloha and Happy New Year everyone! 

I'm in Hawaii for some training courtesy of the U.S. Navy.  I don't get much sympathy for being separated from my family when that separation involves sunshine, shorts, t-shirts, and sandals while my family is bundled up and shoveling snow in Virginia. 

There isn't much free time in my schedule here, but I am getting out to do something adventurous each weekend.  Last weekend I took some of my classmates to hike Makapu'u Ridge at sunrise.

Sunrise over Molokai as seen from Makapu'u Ridge. 

We had a good glimpse of the Dragon's Nostrils, too.

 Self-portrait with KoKo Head in the background.

This weekend, three of my classmates led me on an excursion to hike Olomana. 

Did I say hike? 

I should have said climb.

1,600 feet of elevation gain up a narrow ridge with several hundred foot drop-offs on either side.  Check out the altitude profile from my Garmin.

The trail started off easy-enough, but then there were several spots with pretty steep rock-faces that required pulling ourselves up a rope.

 There are drop-offs of hundreds of feet on either side of this ridge.

There are actually a series of three peaks in Olomana.  The first peak is the highest, and that's as far as we went.  It is possible to continue hiking the ridge down from the first peak and back up to the second and then the third peak, but those are advanced and even dangerous to attempt.

That's the third peak.

The views from the top of Olomana were extraordinary...

 View Northwest to Kaneohe and up the Windward side of Oahu

 View Northeast toward Kailua

The trip back down the ridge was tricky, but we were careful and took it slow.

It rained a little bit on our way back down, and the trail toward the bottom got pretty slick and muddy.

I slipped.

I do NOT recommend climbing Olomana if it has rained recently or is expected to rain soon.

Overall, this was a most EXCELLENT adventure - great exercise with a great view.

Thankful Thursday

Before I start giving thanks, let me just recap the past couple of days as background.

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Pearl Harbor to give a morning presentation and an have an afternoon meeting on the sub base. I flew out Monday and flew back Tuesday evening on the red-eye, so I didn't bother to adjust my body's clock to Hawaii time. After I landed Monday, I grabbed some stuff at the NEX, got some dinner at Tacos del Mar, checked into the Navy Lodge out on Ford Island and went to bed about 6 p.m. HST (midnight EST).

I woke up about 2:30 a.m. HST (8:30 a.m. EST) on Tuesday. I brought a couple of blockbuster DVDs with me. I finished off the first disc of BSG Season 2 and then I watched Fan Boys.

Fan Boys is about a group of Star Wars nerds who go on a road trip across country to California to break in to George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch and watch The Phantom Menace before it was released in theaters. They stop and get in all sorts of misadventures and battles with Trekkies along the way. It has some crude humor / sexual content - not something I would recommend for kids, but it was a pretty funny movie with some awesome cameo appearances.

Aside: The first and only way I ever heard about this movie was in this article in WIRED magazine along with these behind-the-scenes pictures. Surprisingly enough, telling each of my friends who I think are nerdy enough to have heard about and appreciate the movie, none of them have heard of it. Is it just me or did this movie get NO advertising at all??? (besides an article in WIRED magazine anyway)

About 5 a.m. when I started to see light in the eastern sky, I put on my running shoes and went for a run around Ford Island. What a spectacular and enjoyable run it was, too. I ran counter-clockwise from the Navy Lodge, past the USS UTAH memorial, past the new houses and their lovely view of the brig. The sky was getting brighter in the east as I rounded the southern end of the island and admired the view looking down the channel to the Pacific Ocean and across the water to the USS NEVADA monument, the shipyard and the sub base. I ran along the old WWII era sea plane ramp and down along the battleship row mooring keys to the USS MISSOURI, past the USS OKLAHOMA memorial and on down to the USS ARIZONA memorial. Then I turned past the swimming pool and by the traffic circle back on over to the Navy Lodge. Total distance for 1 lap around the island was 3.5 miles.

Blunoz run by the ARIZONA at sunrise

After I got done with my presentation and meeting on Tuesday, I did a quick scenic drive over to the windward side to get some macadamia nuts at Tropical Farms. After admiring the view of Chinaman's Hat, I headed back over the H-3 and picked up some POG for YB at the commissary. Then I met up with one of my JOs from the Mighty MSP and had an awesome dinner at Sam Snead's. I love the grapefruit vinaigrette dressing at Sam Snead's. I could drink the stuff by the gallon.

Okay, so shifting gears to the Thankful Thursday post, this week I'm thankful for:

- my wonderful family, the awesome dinner my wonderful wife cooked for us tonight, and the awesome bike ride we had around the trails here in Ashburn after dinner tonight
- a safe trip to Hawaii and back
- an awesome run with the history and beautiful scenery around Ford Island
- great shipmates like Matt (thanks for meeting me for dinner, Matt) and the awesome crew I was priviledged to serve with on the Mighty MSP
- macadamia nuts
- grapefruit vinaigrette dressing
- all the great family memories I have of our 15 months living in Hawaii - snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, scuba diving, and enjoying the aloha lifestyle

BT BT

After catching up on reading some of my blog-roll this afternoon, I want to add one more line item to my thankful list.

I'm thankful for the bravery, dedication, and GUTS of guys like Darrell "Shifty" Powers.

Aside: Friends of mine on Facebook know I share this article's disgust with the MSM coverage of MJ's funeral and total LACK of coverage of people like Robert McNamara and Darrell Powers. (Let's see, WHY is the flag at half mast in the photo of the ARIZONA memorial above??? I wonder how may people in America would guess it was for MJ based on the MSM coverage of his death?)

Anyway, rants against the MSM aside, H/T and many thanks to FastNav for sharing the post about Shifty. I got choked up reading it on the bus ride home today.

Thank you for your service and Rest in Peace, Shifty.