My First Hiking Trip- Judd Trail

OLA : life

Hiking is something I have always been so-so about. The first hike I remember going on was at the YMCA Christian Values Conference in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Although this was a sentimental hike, I didn’t enjoy it very much.

I found hiking in this location to be very tedious. I was basically just walking through the woods. It was great to see the view at the top, but after multiple bug bites and itchy plants rubbing on my legs, I vowed to embrace the moment because it will never happen again.

Hiking in Hawaii is much different. Here, there is a good portion of rock climbing. This, I love. I’ve always enjoyed climbing. Starting at the Kenwood Elementary School Carnival, I would circle in line to climb the wall as much as I could. Every Mullet Festival or Billy Bowlegs, I was sure to get at least one climb in. Even at UNF, I joined the rock climbing club in my Senior year.

The hike was on the Judd Trail. Zach and I went with a group of about 10 friends. We started like a normal hike- walking through the woods.

(Pictured: Me, Alyssa, Coombs, and I can’t make out the rest)

Then it quickly got steeper. There were times I was using roots as handles to pull myself up. This, the more challenging part, was my favorite.

It wasn’t until we had nearly lost the path that we figured out we took a wrong turn on the way to the river pool. We continued to explore for a little before making our way back down.

On the way down, I practiced swinging from branches to help get down the steep hillside.

The trail was very very muddy. I think every member in our group slipped at least once. Zach and I had prepared by getting some awesome hiking shoes from the NEX. This helped our feet to grip a little better than running shoes or basic tennis shoes.

My slip was in the bamboo. In this section, thick and thin bamboo was everywhere. I was holding onto it with both arms to guide myself down the slide that was considered the ground. I took both of my falls here. The second fall was a hard hit for me. I think it is because my feet started to slip but I was holding on with my hands, causing my feet to slip out from under me and fall flat on my back. I rested for a second to relieve the headache, brushed off, and kept going.

Finally, after hiking back down to the near start of the trip, we found the correct turn and wandered into the icy cold pool. Although it was still difficult to get used to the freezing water, it was a refreshing relief after a long hot day.

The Beach’s First Impression & The Kona Pub

 

 

 

KIA’I OLA : lifeguard

Growing up on the Florida coast, the beach is no stranger to me. I am used to the white, soft sand and the warm, crystal blue water.

I was very excited to see the beach for the first time out here. I was told is was not like what I am used to.

Driving to our destination proved that right. I was able to look down and see white cap crashed onto the rocks, little nooks where people can rest in calm waters, and hikers kayaking out to climb the steep hills of the small islands.

The water was very cool. Although I am not one for cold water, it was refreshing if anything.

This day, we went to an original Kona Brewing Company Restaurant where they serve 24 Kona beers on draft. Although pricey, the food was great (the server wasn’t much for a welcoming attitude).

All in all, I enjoyed the environment of the restaurant and will keep it as a great place to bring visitors.