Maui Bike Tour-The End of The Road, Part 5

After our early morning exploring of the sea caves at the Waianapanapa State Park, it was time to continue on with our self-supported bicycle journey.

It was overcast as we departed from our campsite and headed toward the end of the road to Hana. We were on the downward slope of our trip, with just a few days left of travel. We headed in the direction on the island where tourists do not go, generally speaking. The end of the road to Hana.

Somehow the weather seemed to mirror my mood. I felt torn. I was having such a magical, meaningful trip I didn't want it to end. It was as if I were a bit like Wendy with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. In the peripheral recesses of my thinking, I felt a little bit like I would be re-entering society and normalcy of routine living. 

 We stopped to look at some hand-painted coconuts at a roadside stand, fill our water bottles and empty our bladders at a small store selling a few trinkets.  I was bestowed with a beautiful fragrant Hawaiian lei by one of my traveling companions. It's bouquet camouflaging the sweet smell of sweat.

How to describe this trip? Each day held breathtaking beauty, tests of my physical abilities and an ease of friendship with one another. Each turn of the road displayed an oceanside setting that defies description, waterfalls, pools, and ponds. There were many little stores or displays of fruit, souvenirs and friendly locals selling their wares. Each day I marveled at all that we had encountered and experienced. The last two days would prove no different and test me in new ways.

We biked and came upon some pools of water. Though it was overcast I had decided early on that I would jump in whenever the situation warranted it. As a few of us entered the water and laughter echoed the landscape two small boys decided to join in on the fun and show us how the locals live. 

From there we pedaled our way to the Seven Sacred Pools. We hiked into a bit more remote spot in time to cook our lunches and swim, climb and explore a few ot the tiny falls. That particular pool was my favorite of the trip. I was able to float on my back, swim underwater and even performed an impromptu solo complete with a ballet leg or two in a nod toward my childhood's synchronized swimming performances.

Reluctantly I packed up my belongings.

We soon had a decision to make. Some members in our group wanted to continue on to set up camp. On this particular day we did not have an end destination and would have to "free camp" along the route. In the past members had camped near the remote St. Joseph's Church in Kaupo. We had recently been informed we were no longer allowed to do that and to plan accordingly. We weren't exactly sure where we were going but we did know the direction to go. As I've said, I used to be a "planner" and noted I had easily adopted the "hang loose" or "go with the flow" attitude of the island.

Myself and two of the men, Ken Mirell and Taylor Flynn decided to hike to the Bamboo Forest and the Waimoku Falls, starting at the O'Heo Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools). We read it was a 2 mile hike, or so, and would be 4+ miles roundtrip. We were pressed for time and knew we would be racing the remaining sunlight in order to make it back to camp before dark. Earlier I had dumped some more of my gear in the car that Vanessa had driven because we were doing a lot of little side trips that day. I had planned to get back to camp early so I did not have my headlamp nor my night light on my bike's handlebars. It was a tad bit worrisome. Still, we decided we could do the hike, ride like the wind to join the others and set-up camp, all before nightfall.

The hike was both a bit more taxing than I had imagined because  I was wearing my Keen bicycle sandals. They were the perfect shoe for biking on the island of Maui. My tan lines, months later are still visible. However, they were not meant for hiking and exploring. They have a very stiff bottom so that there is plenty of support while pedaling. The downside to that when hiking is that there is no flexibility and my knees took the brunt of every step up or down on the paths and stairway leading to the falls. I had just completed my first marathon and my knees were still smarting with each step. I winced a little inside as we moved both toward and away from the falls. Even so, I am glad I went on the hike that day.

We hiked from the tropical forest into the bamboo forest.

 

The knocking of the tall towering bamboo, as the wind wrestled the enormous shoots, sounded like a mammoth wooden windchime symphony. If you have never gone to this place, go. Soon.

We wound our way through the bamboo and continued our climb, inside my wincing was continuing, step by step. We headed around a corner and facing us was the most majestic cascading mossy-lined waterfall one could imagine. The sound of the water tumbling down the wall was deafening.

Immediately I started toward it. I wanted to stand beneath the fall and feel the water pounding upon my head. 

After Ken and Taylor captured my jubilant moment on film we headed down the path to our bikes as quickly as our now-weary legs could carry us.

A great deal of time had passed as we headed toward our destination.

I was hungry and out of food, thirsty, and out of water. I had no light or lamps and I had run out of cash in my wallet so the mere fact that there were no stores along the road didn't seem to matter. My rear bike derailleur was not cooperating and my chain kept switching gears as I was going uphill. My pedaling had to be done while standing and my feet were slipping from the pedals, despite the cleats. I had more bruises than could be counted and eventually I knew my slow pace had separated me from my two companions. I was traveling alone. I ignored the catcalls of local teens driving by but was aware I might find it necessary to put up a fight, if need be. I pressed on. 

I eventually joined one of the men, Taylor,  at the Kaupo Store. Thank goodness. I was empty-handed staring at a shop filled with food and drink. By this time I was so hungry I wasn't thinking straight. My new friend offered to get me something and I grabbed the nearest sports drink and an Almond Joy. I both ate and drank them in no time flat. I hadn't realized how depleted my body was until that moment. I knew then that I needed more food and more drink and my only thought was to get to our campsite. Now.

I continued onward with my chain dropping every fifth pedal stroke or so. Thankfully one of the others, Rob Swain, from the big group came looking for us. The darkness was fast approaching and we didn't exactly know where we were headed. We followed him back to a large grassy field next to the ocean. I got off my bike and into the open arms of the group who enveloped us. They offered to set-up my tent but if one thing I have learned on this trip it's that each person has to do that on their own. It actually saves time. I had located my headlamp by now and assembled my home away from home.

I pooled my food resources with Rob and together we made quite a tasty feast. It was not enough. I ate more from others' stores and continued to eat and eat and eat. And if the truth be told, I did not feel full, despite the large quantity of food I had just inhaled. Water was scarce and so we drank it sparingly. As it showered rainfall upon our camp again later that night, the irony of not having enough to drink was not lost on any of us I think.

The next morning we packed quickly. We headed to the main road. The earlier portion of blacktop was smooth and not at all what I had remembered on my previous trip twenty-five years earlier. This particular stretch was much like the Road to Hana from long ago: it was bumpy, had potholes and ditches and patched throughout. We were all giddy to get to our next destination, the Ulupalakua Ranch Store and the Tedeschi Winery. 

When we reached the main road a rainbow greeted us. It was very picturesque and we all took it as a positive sign.

We soon separated, all pedaling at different paces. One of the men, Rob, noticed my rear derailleur giving me grief. We pulled to the side of the road and with a rock lying alongside the road he pounded the troublesome spot while using a nail to keep the chain from breaking. I nicknamed him MacGyver from the old t.v. show.

A bit further down the road my bike was not happy. I had traveled for nearly a week with a heavy laden bike and my chain was in need of lubricant. The others were ahead and my Ziplock baggie with the aforementioned article was not with me. I did, conveniently, have a bottle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in it. Olive oil is a wonder for our health and it is an acceptable means to lubricate a bicycle while on a tour of Maui. Or so I now know thanks to the quick thinking of "MacGyver."

Thankfully the travel was easy after that and we made our way to the famous Ulupalakua Ranch Store. I ate a grilled chicken sandwich, Maui potato chips and drank nearly a liter of water. We were a bit scruffy looking at this point. I'm certain I had a layer of dirty grime on my face. I didn't mind. My belly was full and we were preparing to celebrate Vanessa's belated big birthday bash later that evening.

We were blessed, and I do not use that term lightly, by a gracious host and hostess named Roger and Paula Hegele, the owners of Tedeschi Winery and Vanessa's dear friends. They allowed us to stay at their home for the evening.

We were given clean towels, hot showers and a spot to relax and enjoy a new and altogether different scenery...that of a working Maui Ranch. Their restored home was beautiful, the food plentiful and the party was like something out of magazine. We tasted wine, we heard stories about the ranch turned winery and met their youngest son and sweet-natured dog. I actually cried when I stood in the hot shower, washing away the dirt. I appreciated the near-ending of the momentous journey. I was touched by the generous way the Hegele's cared for us, doing our laundry, and providing a spot to rest our weary heads. In point of fact, I slept on their porch on an outdoor sofa with cool breezes allowing me to bury beneath a thick sleeping bag.

As we departed from the winery the next and final day of our tour, we headed back down the Maui mountainside. We rode through pineapple plantations with wind so strong I was swept sideways an entire lane line and somehow did not fall. As strong as our headwind was going up the mountain earlier in the week, it was twice as strong heading down. We were flying, loaded pannier bags and all! Wheeeee!

Our Maui trip had come to it's conclusion. 

My road to Hana redo was over, in the most excellent of manners. I had survived one week post-marathon, a trip around the entire island, climbing up hills on my bicycle with loaded saddle bags. It was the most amazing experience of my life. I tapped into my younger, carefree self. The beauty was more amazing than I had imagined, the food more flavorful and the comaraderie formed amongst a small group of relative strangers is to be fondly remembered for years to come. 

On the road to Hana I also learned I am strong, in all definitions of the word.

Friends and family ask if I would consider doing a bicycle tour of such magnitude again?

The answer, enthusiastically, is yes.

Maui Bike Tour: Beyond the Breakers, Black Sand Beach & Sea Caves, Oh My! Part 4

Bike touring on Maui was amazing for me. Not only was I pushing my body to limits I could only imagine, viewing sights that were more beautiful than photos could capture, I was learning so much practical knowledge, too.

Tent flapping? Line was not taunt enough. Hill too steep? Zigzag. No running water? Carry as much as you and your bike can hold and shower whenever it is available. New personal camping cookstove? Be sure to purchase the correct kind of propane. Place items to be used at the top of the saddlebags. When photographing, pay attention to what's in the background. Close-ups are nice. Once in a while, even an amateur can capture the swan dive on film.

What about the impractical things I have learned? I learned to stop. Notice. Observe. Enjoy. Laugh. Take time to go to the roadside stands as there will be some good grub there to eat or drink. Old timers who have a morning routine of drinking coffee together will talk and share their stories. Listen. The waves breaking at night are a lovely lullaby. Everyone has something scares them, even leaders. The strong are sometimes weak and the weak are sometimes strong. Men actually do talk when together (and yes, sex is one topic that crops up frequently). And if I'm quiet, I can gleam some insight into their pysche.

Our third day began with leaving our hosts and the croaking frogs behind and heading toward the road to Hana. Our destination: the YMCA camp of Kaenae. We had obtained permits the day before at the state building in Wailuku.

                                                     We soon were pedaling into a fierce heavy headwind and felt as if we were making no progress. It was relatively flat as we seemed to continue on and on and on. Slowly we started to wind our way up. As we did so, the roadside stands  began to appear alongside us.

I had been to Maui twice before. Once on my honeymoon exactly 25 years ago and again a couple of years ago. The road to Hana has symbolized a great deal to me as time has passed.

I have always chosen to live my life with no regrets but Hana had been the closest thing to a road of regret for me. I regretted not speaking up. If there were but one single moment to relive in my life, the trip on that road so many years ago was it for me.

The chance to go to Maui and ride on this bike tour was a do-over for me, of sorts. With each day that passed, I could feel the approach to Hana in my inner self. If that sounds new-Agey or weird, so be it. 

Always before, I had never stopped at any of the roadside stands. Big mistake. As I said, the cuisine is good. Very. I was hungry from pumping my legs at a steady clip, carrying the load on my bike and perhaps my senses were heightened, but even so, the native people of Maui prepare some delicious foods and grow fruit that is amazing. 

We stopped more often than not. We found small pools of water to jump into and cool ourselves  between roadside snack stops. I was sure I would gain weight on this trip, even with the physical demands of biking and stopping to swim. 

Before long, we arrived at the YMCA camp. Hot showers, running water, beautiful views and we had the entire camp to ourselves. I had an amazing spot overlooking the cliff out to the ocean. 

We set up our camp and cookstoves and ate quickly as the weather seemed to be changing and a heavy storm was approaching. I was so tired I looked forward to the showers. That is, until sheets of rain stormed upon our small abodes causing the wind to whip my tent flaps. All. Night. Long. When I recount this evening and say I did not sleep, I am not exaggerating. And why didn't I go out and fix them? Because I could not figure out what was making them flap and it was raining so doggedly that I didn't dare leave my tent.

The next morning the guys laughed at my recounting of the evening's flapping and showed me how to fix the problem. For the remainder of my trip, despite showers of rain and wind whipping along the shoreline, my tent remained taunt.

We quickly packed before the next storm came upon us ... at this point of the trip our three hardest days of climbing had passed. I had proven I could be the Killer Bee they teasingly nicknamed me. I will admit, I now put a good majority of my food items in a carload of gear that had joined us, being driven by Vanessa and her friend. It's not that I couldn't carry it but I decided since we were stopping so frequently to purchase food, why did I need to carry so much that I wasn't eating or cooking?

We proceeded to our next destination Waianapanapa, another campground. On the way we were caught in a torrential downpour but together it somehow seemed fun, even on a bike with saddlebags. We harvested wild avocado for our dinners, purchasing mango and other fruits and vegetables at locals' homes or markets.

We set up our campsite and were free once more to explore our surroundings. We would spend two nights here so there was plenty of time to enjoy all of the splendor surrounding us. First choice? Swim in the ocean framed by the shores of the Black Sand Beach.

There were a lot of people at Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach that day but no one was in the water. It was shortly after the tsunami in Japan and the waves were very choppy. Four of us decided to swim beyond the breakers. Without going into who was swimming with me, let's just say he was male and bigger than I am (I know, nearly everyone in our group was male and bigger than me).

We were bobbing along in very robust waves. In fact, I would venture to guess this was the most choppy bit of ocean I had ever swam in on my 47 years on our planet called Earth. Still, I was not scared. It did not feel out of control and I am a strong swimmer. The current was not bad and overall I was enjoying myself. I had just decided in my head I would go no farther when the man swimming next to me looked rather panic stricken. He looked like a deer caught in headlights as he said, "I don't think I can make it back to shore, Kathy. Don't leave me."

I have often noticed I am calm in emergency situations. When our children were injured growing up, I was calm. As I taught in classrooms, the crazier the situation, the calmer I become inside. This moment was no different.

"Okay. I am not leaving you. You are going to swim on your side, looking at me the entire time." I did not hold onto him or instruct him to come near me as I recalled how sometimes swimmers panic-stricken and pull their rescuers underwater. I have three children who are still very much in need of their mom so I kept him at a distance, but ready to grab him and pull him to shore if needed.

He turned to look at me, laying on his left side as I lay on my right, facing him. The waves were coming toward us, pushing us toward the shore, bobbing us up and down.

"We are going to let the waves carry us back to shore. You are looking good. That's right, let the wave carry you."

The moment felt strangely tranquil for me. I can't explain why. I just knew he was going to be okay and that normalcy would return.

It did.

Soon we were back on the sand and joined the other strangers standing on the black shoreline looking out to sea. My new friend and one of our traveling companions looked at me and said, "You saved my life. I'm not kidding Kathy. I could not have made it back to shore without you."

Later that day we rode our bikes to the shores and sea of the Red Sand Beach. We laughed and roasted one another by the campfire that evening. There were light showers that night.

We awoke to another beautiful Maui day and rode bikes around in pairs or individually throughout the day. Some of us went to markets, others to beaches, body-surfing and more. One member's bike broke and miraculously he happened upon the part at a garage sale later that day. Without it, he would have had to lose two days of our bike adventure, traveling back and forth to get the part from the bike shop near the airport.

Some of us went to toast Vanessa and Kevin's mom at the Hotel Hana Maui resort. I can recommend the lemon mojito. I can also say that liquor affects me when I have been swimming and bike riding all day. I slept soundly.

The next morning I awoke and packed up, ready to go to our next destination. Before doing so, someone mentioned the sea caves that they'd been to in previous years.

Sea Caves? This was something I needed to see. Five of us walked down a path to the caves, four of us jumping in the fresh water to explore. The only glitch of this two day excursion was that I did not wear my night light on this portion of the hike. I could have swam with my head above water but had better lighting for climbing over and into the caves. I could see underwater, it was crystal clear, but it was dark inside the caves.

This is when I realized one member of our group, who up until this point had been fearless, was scared. In fact, he'd been the leader for a good portion of our trip. As we stood in what can only be described as a large adult-sized coffee can shaped cave he had had enough. He quickly scaled the wall back over to the sunlite side of the freshwater pool.

I had more trouble getting over, being so much shorter. I had to step on the thighs and shoulders of one of the men to crawl back to our starting point.

The two remaining explorers did as much exploring as they could do in the dark and turned back to join us. That is until one got kinda got stuck. He was like Pooh Bear. He noticed that fact too and said, "Christopher Robin, help me! I'm stuck."

We had some side-splitting belly laughs over that comment. And with that, we dried ourselves with towels that were packed in the Cannon's car. We attached our gear back onto our bikes: tents, sleeping bags, food, clothing and more to begin the longest day of our journey.