One Item off the Bucket List: Solo Hike on the Kalalau Trail

In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s been quiet from me lately. There’s a good reason for it: With Covid-19 raging on the mainland, I’ve had the unique chance to spend a few months in Kauai, which unfortunately also required two weeks of strict don’t-leave-the-house quarantine with regular check-in visits from the National Guard and local police.

However, and more importantly, I’ve finally done it and checked off a major item from my bucket list: Hike the full 11+ miles of the Kalalau Trail, a world-famous, but treacherous, and very challenging hiking trail along the Napali Coast. (For the movie buffs: check out A Perfect Getaway.)

I had been dreaming about this hike for more than 10 years and a photo canvas at the bottom of my stairs at home had been reminding me every day that this trek was waiting for me.

I had been seriously planning and training for this hike for over a year. After several setbacks due to Covid, hurricanes, trail closures, etc., a short window of opportunity opened up for me to go on this adventure, right before my 50 birthday. One compromise I had to make for logistical reasons was that instead of having two hiking buddies with me, this had to be my first long solo hike, which added to my anxiety. Despite the mind-boggling scenery, this hike has very real dangers, and…