Running and walking 22 miles round-trip of the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast is worth some serious bragging rights. We’re talking about covering some insanely rugged terrain with endless uphills, downhills and switchbacks. We’re talking about crossing streams,
Running and walking 22 miles round-trip of the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast is worth some serious bragging rights.
We’re talking about covering some insanely rugged terrain with endless uphills, downhills and switchbacks. We’re talking about crossing streams, creeping along narrow, bumpy pathways above a roaring ocean and stepping on and over slippery rocks and climbing up, over and around boulders.
Many, if they’re headed to Kalalau Beach, hike 11 miles in, camp out for a few days, then hike back to the trailhead at Kee Beach. Few do it in a day. Fewer start with the morning sunlight and finish well before sunset.
Spencer Smith, and six others, did just that Friday.
So, Spencer Smith, what do you think of what you did? How proud are you?
Not so much, he said.
“That’s pretty stupid, what we just did,” the Wilcox Hospital doctor said, smiling.
Of the seven, three finished strong. Four were reduced to slowly walking the final miles. One suffered leg cramps that led him to find two walking sticks so he could forge ahead. Another battled an ailing IT band and was accompanied on the return by Smith.
And one, the eldest, had trouble keeping up, fell on the way out, went down hard again on the way back, was twice temporarily lost, failed to drink enough water, suffered serious chafing, ran out of food and stumbled the last miles, muttering about never doing this again.
Oh, that last guy, that was me.
Starting out
When I received the note from Nic Clark asking if I wanted to join him and a few others on a day trip, out and back, on the Kalalau Trail, I didn’t hesitate. Absolutely. What, 22 miles of trail running with glorious scenery on the Na Pali Coast? Who wouldn’t want to go?
So Thursday night, I found my fanny pack, filled one pocket with food and the other, a few medical supplies. In the middle, went one 32-ounce water bottle.
My wife reminded me we were having guests over for dinner at 6 Friday night.
“Oh, I’ll be home at latest by 4. We should be in and out of there in six hours or so,” I assured her. “Start by 7:30, back by 1:30, clean up, eat and home by 4.”
Friday morning at 6, I met up with Nic, Spencer Smith, Todd Hadley, Brady Edwards, Keith Tyler and Mouren Bowen in Lihue. Nick, who has completed Kalalalu out-and-back in a day seven times, organized this trip. At Kee, each was outfitted and ready to run. Nick and Spencer carried water filter systems. Todd let us in a short prayer. By 7:30, under cloudy, cool skies, perfect conditions, we set out.
I had no doubts of my ability to keep up, but in that first mile, virtually all uphill and over rocks, I gasped for breath. Five runners quickly disappeared up ahead. Spencer brought up the rear, I feared, to watch after me.
“Bill, can I ask your age?” he said.
“Fifty-three,” I answered.
The others in the group out front, he said, were probably all in their 30s. No excuses, I thought. I can handle this. I’ve run marathons and ultramarathons and lots of trails. This should be easy.
Maybe not.
About three miles in, my foot caught a rock and I fell. Nothing too hard. More embarrassed than anything, I hopped up quickly brushed off, and kept running.
“Bound to happen,” I said.
“It’ll happen to all of us,” Spencer added.
Moving on
We gathered at Hanakoa Stream, about six miles in, for a break and to fuel up. Everyone seemed strong and light, with plenty of jokes and laughs. There was an easy camaraderie in the group. Some of these guys were friends and co-workers. They had run together before. Some had done Kalalau already. For others, this was their first.
Even I was feeling better. Easy to see why folks travel far to hike this trail. As the miles passed, I stopped occasionally for pictures and just to admire the majesty of the Na Pali Coast. More pictures, more videos to send back home. Wow.
On this day, the closer we got to Kalalau Beach, beautiful blue and white waves crashed on the shores. Spencer and Todd, surfers both, admired them, grinning.
“I can see myself on those waves,” Spencer said.
But it was beyond just seeing. You could feel the power of this place. You could sense something very special, a spirit, if you will. No way to pin it down.
Then, came more people.
The final mile through the campground confirmed the rumors I’d heard. There were people walking about, sans clothes. Some were living out here, I was told, with makeshift huts back in the wilderness. A simple life, I guess.
Again, we met up, this time at Kalalau Stream for a final rest and refueling. We all gulped water, devoured whatever food we found, soaked weary legs.
We charged off and I fell in line. Mouran ran strong out front. I followed, with Nic, Brady and Keith just behind. For about a mile, I held on, but even at this easy pace, I couldn’t maintain. I could not keep this up. Finally, I stepped off to the side.
While Mouran, Brady and Nic moved ahead, Keith and I shuffled on, running and walking. Todd, nursing that ailing IT band, and Spencer followed. Soon, Keith and I could only walk.
Even that was too much.
At the end of a long, narrow path of rocks on a downhill stretch, I slipped and flipped in the air, coming down with a thud on my right side. I lay there and stared into the sky. Felt pretty good and I thought about taking a nap. Keith helped me up. I was OK. Arm moved. Leg worked.
“That’ll hurt more tomorrow,” I said.
With about four miles to go, Keith found a final wind and resumed jogging. Not me. Out of food and water, depleted of energy, something happened I didn’t believe possible: I wanted to run, but couldn’t. Nothing left. Fried. Toast. Put a stick in me. So I grumbled and mumbled and stumbled. Delirious, I was. This was far more difficult than I anticipated and I regretted not preparing better. The treacherous, technical terrain humbled me. Never again, I thought, will I do this. Slow as I was going, I caught up to Keith, using a pair of sticks to stay upright at times, stopping at times. Leg cramps. He was hurting.
The last two miles, I think, took an hour, perhaps more. When we finished, there was a wave of relief. We were met with cheers and high fives by Mouran, Brady and Nick. Spencer and Todd pulled in a few minutes later.
It was 4:30 p.m., nine hours after we started. Not quite the six hours I predicted.
All agreed. The Kalalalu Trail is a bugger.
“No mercy, ever,” Spencer said.
Still, we finished.
“We did it. It wasn’t easy, but we did it,” Nic Clark said.
Why?
So, naturally, comes the question, why do this? What’s the rush? Why not go slow and easy and just enjoy?
“I did it because it’s something we love to do every now and then,” Smith said. “It’s a challenge. It’s beautiful.
“I got my butt kicked,” he added, “but it was worth it.”
It was his third time of completing Kalalau Trail, in and out, in a day. The first time was on his 40th birthday in April.
“I wanted to do something fairly hardcore just to prove I was still alive and not getting any older,” he said, laughing.
Todd Hadley spoke of the camaraderie.
“These guys are great to run with,” he said.
For the most part, the day went well.
“Going in was fantastic. Coming out was little dicey,” he said. “We made it out. That’s what matters.”
Clark, the best runner of the bunch, said it was his first time taking on Kalalau with others. He loves putting in the earphones, turning on the iPod, listening to tunes and relaxing. Yep, he finds a 22-mile trail run on the Na Pali Coast relaxing.
And this time, he learned another lesson.
“I usually think water is the most important and today, food was most important, and I didn’t bring enough,” he said.
For Clark, there was one other aspect of the journey worth pointing out, too: “Nobody died.”
Brady Edwards, Clark’s friend and co-worker, said he had heard Clark’s tales of running Kalalau, even watched his children while he was gone.
“It’s something I always wanted to try, and the opportunity came,” he said.
His previous long run was 14 miles. He fought through leg cramps to finish strong.
“This was a whole new level for me. It went really well. I was pleased,” he said.
Keith Tyler joined in for a few reasons.
“I wanted to do this to fellowship with other guys, and to see what I could do, test myself,” he said.
Early, he held his own. Late, for a stretch, he had trouble just lifting his legs. Each step hurt. He didn’t stop.
“I couldn’t quit,” he said.
Mourad Bowen loved the challenge offered by the Kalalalu Trail.
“Anything that tests me or challenges me, to push my body to the limits, I love that,” he said.
Just the chance to see the Na Pali Coast, he added, was pretty amazing.
“To be able to live out here, work out here and have this in your backyard is a blessing. It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen anything so majestic and beautiful. I’m very thankful for the opportunity.”
Going home
There was a brief stop in Hanalei, Bubba’s Burgers for everyone — except me.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to stop over at Kalypso’s for a beer,” I said.
What, after all, could be better than a cold beer after 22 miles of running and walking?
There, I got to chatting with a couple from Chicago. Very personable, friendly. We talked about the trail, about running, about the Chicago Marathon, about rental homes and tax deductions. That’s one thing I love about Kauai. Sit down and soon you’ll be talking to someone like they’re long-time friends.
Time to go and I readied to pay my bill.
“I got your beer,” my new friend said. “It’s on me. You deserve it.”
Such kindness made the day even better.
I arrived home at 7 and hobbled in. Our guests Bill and Judie Fernandez were waiting and I told them about the day. They laughed as I recounted the journey on the Kalalau Trail. I talked about the anguish. I talked of the splendor. I expressed my doubts I would do it again.
Bill knew better. He looked across the table and smiled.
“Tomorrow, you’re going to think you had fun out there and you’re going to want to do it again,” he said.
He was wrong.
It only took until later that night.
