An impeccable pair of sweaty hikers recently found their repose sitting perched on the chin of Sleeping Giant. The wind whips around the mountain’s face, cooling body temperatures and sending white-tailed tropic birds soaring into the sky like kites. The
An impeccable pair of sweaty hikers recently found their repose sitting perched on the chin of Sleeping Giant.
The wind whips around the mountain’s face, cooling body temperatures and sending white-tailed tropic birds soaring into the sky like kites.
The Eastside vista afforded to those who venture to the end of Nounou Trail is consistently breathtaking — figuratively and literally, depending on your pace along the uphill path.
But last week served as a special exception. O‘ahu could clearly be seen from the summit.
I have heard for years it was possible on good-visibility days to see The Gathering Place, as our neighbor island 100 miles east of Kaua‘i is also called. I have even seen a photo of this incredible view submitted as an Island Album for The Garden Island.
Still, I remained skeptical. Almost anyone could doctor an image in Photoshop to create such an illusion. But having now seen O‘ahu from Wailua with my own eyes, consider me a believer.
The long-sought-after vantage may have been an omen. But I’ll put my positive prognostication aside for now. Suffice it to say that some moments are simply beyond words.
Ambling back down Sleeping Giant — through its forests and rocky outcroppings, assorted floral scents and faunal sounds — I wondered why I don’t make this convenient excursion part of my weekly routine.
When weighing the amount of effort versus the benefit, the scale is tipped heavily toward the latter. I also now have a reward to provide extra motivation.
Finishing this hike at a quick clip can deplete your energy reserves. This demands replenishment.
May I proudly pass on the good word about the acai smoothie at Papaya’s Natural Foods & Cafe in Kapa‘a’s Kaua‘i Village shopping center. A costly habit? Perhaps. But worth every penny? Definitely.
While you’re there you can hit up their fresh soup and salad bar — not to mention the rows of organic products — and keep this healthy kick going strong. There’s even some nearby tables and chairs where you can rest your weary legs and chow down outside. It’s amazing how much better you feel, inside and out, when you treat your body right.
