Maui Bike Tour-Windmill Beach, Kahului/Wailuku Part 3

Photo taken by Rick Gunn

We had only just begun our bicycle tour when I paused to reflect upon the fact that I hardly knew anyone on this trip. I've known Rick Gunn since junior high but we'd only become fast friends this past year and through him I'd met the others: Kevin Cannon who had planned this adventure in honor of his sister Vanessa Cannon. Like me, Vanessa is a teacher, though her students and her resources are very different than mine. She teaches on Maui, and I currently teach in San Ramon. I had ridden with Ken Mirell, kayaked with Rob Swain, been biking with Eric Jarvis and had only just heard about Taylor Flynn. Many of this group are photographers and most lived near Tahoe or had at some point. They all were here for the same reason as me: an adventure on Maui.

I had a very heavy bike that my oldest daughter had outgrown, a Specialized bike that was about ten years old and much heavier than I would recommend using. I'd ordered a sturdy pannier rack from REI and felt somewhat humbled and honored to borrow the panniers Rick had taken around the world on his three year adventure. 

I can only guess at the total amount of weight I carried with all of the gear, as well as my acquired bicycle. In a word, it was heavy. Too heavy. I will rethink every little thing I pack in the future and seriously consider a lighter bike. Still, I was happy. SO happy to be on this bike tour with a group of relative strangers in a place I'd only just met.

We headed from Kihei along the coast with our first goal to stop in Lahaina for refreshments. Vanessa was riding a lightweight road bike that she'd rented for the week and was going great. She was not carrying any gear and a friend would join us later that evening with her belongings. She'd started off rather timid and in no time was going great guns, so great in fact, both she and her brother were giddy.

Rick Gunn captures whales on film.

 We stopped whenever we saw something that we wanted to capture on film. Early on we had whales swimming beside us to our left. It was pure magic. Spirits were high and we were all a bit playful as we headed up the coast.

Rob Swain and I pose for the camera.

As we continued on somehow Vanessa and Ken took a tumble. Vanessa jumped up and at first we thought she would be okay after we bandaged her up. Unfortunately the closer we looked the more serious we realized she was hurt, bruising her ribs, road rash and more.

Sadly, Vanessa was not able to continue riding and we had to go forward on our trip without her. Our little band of merry riders was down one person after just a few hours. She would join us later via car, but it would not be what she'd envisioned.

We somberly pedaled a few more miles to Lahaina and the Banyan Tree Park where art and food were being sold.

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/banyan_tree.html

We continued to bike, stopping for photos as we rode. This was not a race and it is amazing how by the end of the day the tempo of our riding had clearly changed. Pedal, pedal, climb, stop for photos, drink, snack and pedal some more.

Eric Jarvis, Rob Swain, Ken Mirell, Taylor Flynn, Kevin Cannon, Kathy Dillingham, Rick Gunn

After riding further, we stopped for another water break and topped off our empty containers for the evening and next morning's ride. We also purchased fresh vegetables and fruit for dinner to add to our previously packed food supply. Mounting our bikes once more we headed to our first night's destination,  Windmill Beach. 

Windmill Beach

One member in our group had contacted the owners of the beach to ask permission to stay overnight. As we rolled down the bumpy dirt road we didn't know quite what to expect. We were surprised to find a perfect location. We began to set up camp and then quickly got into the water to swim and explore along the edge of the shore. We saw many fish and it was a great start.

Myself and Taylor Flynn set up camp.

The view from my tent, to the left.

Rick Gunn

Kevin Cannon

Eric Jarvis

Taylor Flynn

Rob Swain

Ken Mirell

We woke up the next morning early as we had a great deal more climbing and this side of the island would be warm.

Taylor Flynn packs up camp.

We begin our journey uphill.

Our bags were still very heavy-laden and I began this day pushing my bike up to the main road.

I am beginning day number two in high spirits. It is  beautiful and I know not yet what lies ahead: HILLS

Ken Mirell and Taylor Flynn, our gear is so heavy we walk up to the main road.

As I have mentioned, I had run my very first marathon the week before I came to Maui. I had felt okay the first day bike riding. This second day was much more rigorous and I soon was instructed how to zigzag uphill when there is a steep incline and the weight of my bike and gear were more than my legs could manage.

I won't tell you the mantra that went through my head as I pumped my legs, but my former fifth grade teaching team from Vista Grande Elementary School know it. "Blank, blank, blank, blank!" I told myself with each push downward on my pedal. "Blank, blank, blank, blank" went the next four stroke rotation's rap in my head...

I thought I'd saved enough energy for riding this week. I now knew that there IS something more difficult than a marathon that is completed while running at 75% of my perceived effort.  I had purposely conserved myself during the Napa Valley Marathon seven days earlier. And yet. And yet this uphill climb was much harder than I'd imagined. My heavy heavy bike was a burden and I worried I might hold the other six members, all men, back. I also thought about child labor at that moment. I can say that all three have a lot in common.

In my mind, there was no turning back. No quitting. No complaining or saying I couldn't do it. I pushed away the doubting voice that wanted to creep to the surface. I willed myself forward, each determined pedal stroke. I decided that my mantra " Blank, blank, blank, blank" was not a good message. I decided to just "be" in the moment. To look at the road I was upon and move. Inching forward the views did not go unnoticed.

Eric carrying all of his gear and photography equipment too.

Still smiling, Eric carrying all that weight!

One beautiful view that morning.

After the morning fog had burned off or we had traveled past it, the climate began to change. We were getting overheated and there was a nearby stream where we parked our bikes alongside the road. I jumped in with my Keen bike sandals, bike shorts, and sports bra (the bike shirt tossed to the road as all of the guys were instructed to turn away). 

Ahhhh! Cool refreshing water. Getting in and out of the water was the trickiest part, climbing down a steep embankment with little growth to hold onto. There was a rope swing attached to the pillars above our heads. Locals began to gather and observe this group of bicyclists monkeying around.

We continued on until we came to a very special woman who bakes killer banana bread in very generous proportions. Her name was Lorraine and she and her husband took pity on us. We were able to refill our water bottles, eat large quantities of her delicious bread and enjoy a little tour of their surroundings. She took us to see the bananas and pineapples growing on her property. It was our first food stop where local food was eaten. It was by far our most favorite banana bread!

From there we road to Kahului/Wailuku area. It was one of our warmest days. We seemed to do a bit of waiting to purchase the permits but since we were all in no rush it never amounted to much stress. We set up camp in a gracious local couple's yard. After setting up our tents we rode in search of a local swimming pool. Some of our group stayed at the Banana Bungalow Hostel and enjoyed their time there immensely. http://www.mauihostel.com/surf.html

I would venture to guess they got a much better night's sleep as the frogs croaking kept us awake all night. We got up earlier than planned as a result of our eventful evening and headed toward the road to Hana.

Maui Bike Tour-The Adventure Begins Part 2

Months of preparation were completed and I was just about ready to embark on my grand adventure to Maui on a bike tour. I finished my first marathon in Napa Valley just six days earlier. I knew I would be starting my trip somewhat fatigued but as my friends Rick Gunn and Eric Jarvis had said, Maui was not a race. The tour would be all about the journey, not reaching the end destination.

At last I was packed and ready to go to the airport. A friend drove me in his very large pickup truck, along with a very large bike box, a suitcase and a carryon bag.

I flew from Oakland to Maui and arrived as a single woman not quite sure how I would get to our friend Vanessa Cannon's house with my bike assembled. I am usually very organized and tend to like check-off lists. I decided to adopt the Maui way and to hang loose. I had a novel to read and would sit at the airport until I made contact with one of the members in our group and be directed to the storage unit nearby.

Thankfully after only an hour or so Eric began contacting me via text messages and I took a taxi to the storage center. While waiting for him to arrive I opened the bike box I had borrowed, took out all the items inside and began to put food, clothing and more in the pannier bags. Assembling the bike took no time at all with Eric showing me how to do it.

There was one slight glitch. The handlebars were loose as some of the bolts seemed to have been striped. I could not ride it. With assistance from my iPhone we headed to a nearby sporting goods store. No luck. The salesmen were very nice but they did not have the required parts.

A customer heard our dilemma and directed us to a local bicycle shop, Crater Cycles. We were fortunate that it, too, was within walking distance. It was hot, humid and I could feel the sweat dripping down the back of my sporty sundress. We walked into the bike shop and the young man working took my loaded bicycle into the back workroom and performed his repair magic.

At last I was ready to roll! I was joined again by Eric and we biked eight miles or so to get to Vanessa's home. We both relaxed while awaiting the others in our merry band.

Much later than we had imagined the others in our group joined us. As soon as they did so, we set up camp in Vanessa's yard.

As soon as "camp" was set up for the men (I confess I was given a bed inside the first night) we rode our bikes to a nearby beach to swim. From there we headed back to Vanessa's in search of food.

By nightfall we headed out once more with headlights added to our bikes where we found and ate delicious fish tacos. Food, as you will learn was definitely a priority.

The following morning we awoke and packed up all of the necessary items for our journey. Due to the warm weather I had opted to keep the sleeping bag at home, a decision I would be both thankful and regret later in our voyage.

I had packed a few surprises for our adventure, the first was a Birthday Princess sash for Vanessa, in celebration of her milestone birthday and recent weight loss.

We gathered our group for a photo shoot before beginning our journey.

Ken Mirell, myself, Eric Jarvis, Rick Gunn, Kevin Cannon, Vanessa Cannon, Taylor Flynn, Rob Swain

Maui Bike Tour-Prep! Part 1

Last August a group of friends invited me to tag along with them on a Maui bike tour in the spring. It would be a week or so in length and we we would be carrying all of our gear: Clothing, food and shelter.

One of the friends, Rick Gunn (www.soulcycler.com) had already completed the Maui tour several times over the past 25 years. His most recent trip was a few years ago after he had finished a three-year bike journey around the world, photographing and journaling for a newspaper the entire time.

He would be our leader with his friend and former colleague, Kevin Cannon, coordinating all the details. Kevin's sister Vanessa Cannon had recently turned 40 and this was to be a celebration in honor of her birthday. Others in our group included Taylor Flynn (www.mountainnews.net), publisher of the Tahoe Mountain News, Eric Jarvis (www.jarvisgallery.com), photographer extraordinaire, Ken Mirell, a technology expert, Rob Swain who works for the South Lake Tahoe Parks and Recreation Department, and little ol' me.

I had never been on a bike tour before but because I can swim, bike and run, everyone assured me I could do it. Altogether we'd travel around the island, over 200 miles and over 15,000 feet of climbing. It would be difficult but manageable, beautiful and a once in a lifetime opportunity.

To prepare, I went on a lovely bike tour for three nights in October along the coast of California. It was pure magic. I was hooked.

I was excited to be included in mix of people and began to look at airfares that were reasonably priced. I  slowly accumulated all the gear needed for such an undertaking. This took months of acquiring items at Sports Basement in Walnut Creek, Forward Motion of Danville and R.E.I. in Concord.

When deciding which bike to take, I was looking for one that could carry the weight of all the gear I needed to cart around the island. I decided to use my oldest daughter's cast-off bike. It was very heavy but the right size. 

I developed an extensive list of items which included the following:

Clothes and Gear 

Helmet

Bike Gloves

2 pairs of bike shorts

3 sleeveless bike tops

Title Nine dress

KEEN bike sandals, flip-flops

socks

sports bras & underwear

Gortex jacket, blue fleece jacket (running tights ?)

Swim suit

hat

nylon pants (backpacking, light weight)

Running shorts

lightweight long sleeved shirt

T-shirt, hat, and necklaces for contest

BIKE BOX  

Bike and bike rack

Pannier bags

Bike Light (small lock purchased on trip)

Bento bag

Water bottles

Extra bike tubes

Bike tools

OTHER 

headlamp

cup

knife/spoon/fork OR spork

pot/pan/bowl combo

backpacking cookstove

cutting knife

can/corkscrew/bottle opener

tent

pad

sleeping bag liner (& light weight fleece blanket ?)

Washcloth

Towel

Purse w/ glasses, camera, iPhone, wallet items, headphones and charger

Toiletries: body butter, sunscreen, shampoo/soap, toothbrush, paste and floss, comb, rubber bands, razor

FOOD

Sports Beans

Shot Blocks

Assorted energy bars:

         Cliff Builder’s, Cliff Mojo, Kind, Think Thin

Walnuts

Freeze-dried blueberries

Oatmeal

Peanut butter

Cereal

Foil pouches of Albacore White Tuna

Pouches of wild rice

Organic Ramen noodles from Whole Foods

Cans of St. Dalfour Ready to Eat Gourmet on the Go:

         Three Beans with Sweet Corn

         Whole Grains with Beans

Spices

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

The timing was less than stellar – six days after my first marathon. My legs would be tired and tested and I could not train much on my bike beforehand. Still, I felt it would be more mental than physical, and that I was up for this once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

To read this on patch.com: http://sanramon.patch.com/blog_posts/maui-bike-tour-prep

Sell It To Me

The term "Sell It To Me" came from a former boyfriend. His children were younger than mine and he had limits on their computer, video or gaming usage. This included other reasonable rules that were implemented.

In the name of compromise, every so often he would relent on various child-rearing restrictions by allowing his children the opportunity to do the following: They would have to "sell it to him" as to why they should be allowed to do the activity. Perhaps it was staying up a wee bit later, playing 15 minutes more on the trampoline, or a little bit more time on the computer. This was not a daily occurrence and to me seemed like a good lesson for children on the art of negotiation or compromise.

At the time two of my children were fairly independent, one in college and one in high school. My youngest was in middle school. I shared his parenting technique, "Sell It To Me" to my daughter Shelby and she said it sounded like a good idea.

That should have been a warning to me. If I had remembered when she had learned how to write persuasive letters and essays in elementary school I would have remembered how she convinced me to get her a feral kitten who single-hand-idly wreaked havoc upon our little home. I would have remembered how she persuaded her dad to get her a bunny, or Pottery Barn for Kids to makeover her bedroom or Christmas or birthday suggestions she had handwritten for both her dad and I, post-divorce.

But no, I did not remember any of it. I wish had remembered how, as a teacher, I am impressed with a well-crafted letter or essay and how I could succumb to the written word. I only thought it was an opportunity to hone in on her skills. Or her brother and sister could hone theirs too. 

If I had remembered Shelby's skills, perhaps I would have also remembered her brother or sister's. I would have remembered that Troy had attended Speech and Debate camp at Monte Vista before his freshman year. I might have remembered he had taken the course for several years. I'd know that although he didn't always choose to compete much, he was a natural. And he was naturally good at ad-libbing and making me laugh and using his humor.

My kids know I am a sucker for laughter and so I wish I had remembered how Troy used that to his full advantage. It would aggravate both his sisters when they saw me laughing instead of disciplining. I should have remembered the time he presented his defensive lacrosse coach with the team’s end of year gift. As he did so, he recited a well-crafted speech that moved grown mothers, fathers, players and the coach he so wonderfully paid tribute to, to tears.

Or I may have recalled the Monte Vista High Mr. Mustang contest, where he was the emcee. During the evening he was organized, smart, and witty with a great sense of timing and improvisation that impressed some of the fathers in the audience. In fact, he impressed them to the point that they came up and told me to have Troy see them after he had graduated from college. I should have remembered the vice principal coming up to me, telling me he was amazing. But no, I didn't think about any of it when I was first presented with the "Sell It To Me" method of child rearing. Sigh.

If I had, I would have remembered how my oldest daughter Morgan began her own version of "Sell It To Me" naturally and all of her own accord. She would ask me to go over to a neighbor's house when she was in elementary school. Around that time we had set up a computer station in our family room. As I was online designing a lesson for school or creating class lists she'd know it was not the best time to ask to do something.

She would come up and beginning rubbing my head, massaging my scalp. She used this successful methodology on her father too. She could de-stress us both to the point of near drooling. Our body language softened and we would be sliding down the chair in a pool of relaxation. At that point, she would pose the aforementioned request to go to a friend's house, or have one of hers over to ours.

Sadly, she knows her powers now and rarely, if ever uses them. Which brings me back to her sister Shelby ... just this past weekend she wielded her powers of persuasion from the "Sell It To Me" technique. It was hot. I was tired from running 12 miles earlier that morning. I envisioned relaxing at home. She needed something from Target.

After I had said no, she decided to try once more with this, "Mom, really, you know one year from now I will be away from home at college. You will need to run an errand at Target. You will miss me. You'll think back on this day and only wish that you could have the experience of being with me as we always have a good time together.

Mom, think, 'Gilmore Girls' and how Rory went off to college and left Lorelai all alone. I will even drive you there so you can relax some more. Now, don't you want to go to Target with me?"  Believe it or not, I still said no.  And then after my shower I got dressed, headed downstairs and into the garage. 
Shelby was waiting for me in the driver's seat, knowing full well that her "Sell It To Me “skills had been successful enough for a short trip to Target. And as I opened the passenger door I knew she was right. I am going to miss my little salesgirl. 

To read more of my writing, go to: http://sanramon.patch.com/users/kathy-dillingham/blog_posts