Hiking the trail December 2019

We’re hiking the trail for the 7^th time the first week of December to celebrate our 32^nd wedding anniversary. It’s truly one of our favorite spots on the planet and love it more with each trek.

We’ve rented a condo from November 28^th to December 12^th in Princeville. It comes with one parking space, which we’ll obviously use, but we can buy a second parking pass for $15 per night. If anyone is hiking the trail during that time, you’re welcome to the second pass for your care and store stuff in our condo if needed. We’ll be hiking in on December 2^nd and out on December 6^th. Our 1br condo is available on those nights if anyone wants to share in the expense. Mahalo and we hope to see some of you on the trail.

We just completed our 5th trek on the Kalalau and wanted to share the experience again for those that may be interested.

Motivation:

If you’ve not done the Kalalau Trail it should certainly be on your list; especially if you’re a fan of the outdoors and enjoy the awesome beauty of nature. If you’ve done the trail then you know just how magical it can be and how it can recharge the souls of us poor bastards who are cooped up in work environments most of the time. As I said earlier, this is the 5th time we’ve done the trail and it started 4 years ago as a personal challenge to get in better shape. I’m now 46 years old and hiked the 8 miles to Hanakapi’ai Falls and back in April of 2010 with my entire family. I’m 6’ tall and weighed close to 280lbs at the time and was completely embarrassed how fat and out of shape I had become. I made a promise to myself that I would return a healthier person and came back in November of 2010 to hike the whole thing; albeit 40lbs lighter. I still had no business making the trek at 240lbs but was determined to do it and I did. My wife and 12 year old daughter joined me and we stayed two nights at Kalalau Beach and returned on day 3. My wife and I returned in 2012 and made the trek again; this time for 4 nights. Our most recent trip was in November of 2014 and we bought permits for 5 nights this time. On a side note, I’ve continued to live a healthier life over the past 4 years and made the hike this time at 215lbs.

(My wife Mitzi and I at our 27th Wedding Anniversary 12-2014)

Physical Preparation:

Even though I’ve lost 60lbs over the past 4 years, I’m still too fat for my height. I’m now 215lbs and carry that on a 6’ frame. I’m committed to hiking the trail in 2016 at 195lbs and I can’t wait to write a post about that. Now, as it relates to this particular trip, we had a small hiccup 5 months prior to the hike. I unfortunately tore my MCL in June after booking the trip earlier in April. I was so bummed about missing the hike that I decided to try and find a way to do it without an MCL. Against my surgeon’s advice, we decided to do the hike anyway. I purchased a carbon fiber brace that is similar to the ones used by offensive linemen in the NFL. It allowed a full backwards “hinge” or bending of my knee but allowed no “pivoting” or side to side movement at all. We began hiking about 6 weeks prior to our trip and started with 2 mile hikes most of the time. The benefit for us is that we live at almost 9,000 feet and have a natural lung capacity that is a bit better than most who hike the trail. We gradually increased those hikes to 5 to 6 miles and began doing some steep inclines of about 900 ft. in one mile. I got comfortable enough with the brace and how my knee was responding that we decided to go ahead with the Kalalau trip. I would say that I was in “average plus” shape when we did the hike but I was not “fit” by any stretch.

(Mitzi and I on one of our training hikes in our hometown of Telluride, CO)

Planning:

I purchased the permits 9 months prior to our trip. I got them online using this link https://camping.ehawaii.gov/camping/welcome.html and found the process is fairly easy. Since this is the fifth time we’ve done the trail we know that you want a minimum of 3 days at Kalalau when you book your trip. If you plan on going out and back in just two days, you will regret not spending more time. The permits do sell out fairly quickly so I recommend making that investment just as soon as you can.

Gear for the hike:

We’ve gotten much better with each trip but plan on traveling as light as you can. Below are some weight-saving ideas that served us well this past trip. Again, we were there for 5 nights so we packed accordingly but much of these will be the same regardless of the days spent.

Packs: We both carried Osprey 60 liter packs and had plenty of space. They had 3 liter hydration systems and that was sufficient.

Tent: We use a Mountain Hardwear 2-person tent that weighs approximately 4lbs. You will not need a foot print as you will find plenty of clear spots to set up. Many folks simply take hammocks and use a rainfly and that will work as well but we like the space in the tent and frankly there are things you can do in a tent that you can’t do in a hammock.

Sleeping Gear: It never gets below 65 degrees at Kalalau and hovers near 70 most nights. We simply purchased silk sleeping bag liners that are very compact and weigh less than a pound each and did not take sleeping bags at all. We both took sleeping pads and found that the thermarest ultralights are very light and serve their purpose well. You will not need anything warm to sleep in at all so do not worry about long sleeve pants or shirts for night time.

Clothing: We each took two shirts and two pair of shorts on the trip; plus swimming suits. One pair for hiking in and out and another pair for wearing while at Kalalau. Exofficio makes a great line of undergarments that wash and dry very well and I would recommend those instead of multiple pairs of undies. A hat and a rain jacket are also recommended as both could be needed at some point. Clothing is somewhat optional while at Kalalau and you will most certainly see folks walking around with nothing on; especially near the beach and on the trail. We are not overly comfortable doing that but did disrobe to swim and bathe.

Footwear: This is a hot topic amongst some and you should just go with what you feel is best. We DO NOT wear hiking boots although some swear by them. We have both switched to the ultra-light running shoes that weigh next to nothing and dry quickly. I don’t like the weight of hiking boots and your feet are going to get wet regardless of what you wear so I prefer to not carry the weight. We each took 4 pairs of thick running socks and ensured we had dry feet whenever possible.

Food: We have converted completely to dehydrated food for our trips. They weigh very little and can now be purchased at many places either in person or online. There are many different brands and dishes and we focused on which had the most carbs and protein. We ate three meals per day and purchased food packs that had 2 servings each. We also purchased powdered flavored coffee drinks that were great to have in the mornings to get things going. One thing that we’ve learned is that taking condiment packs is a great way to ensure a better flavor in the food. We brought packets of ketchup, hot sauce, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes used for pizza. We also really counted on energy snacks on the way out and back. Again, there are several options from power bars, to gel shots to Gatorade chews and I recommend trying to do 4 of those each way on the trail.

Camp Gear: We took an MSR water filtration system but never used it. The water from the water fall is safe to drink as is the water at Hanakoa at mile maker 6. We used a jet boil brand stove for cooking and took one small canister of fuel (that is plenty). I recommend a Leatherman or survival knife, some sort of fire starter, basic eating utensils and drinking cups. We also bring about 50ft of twine to use for clothes lines, etc. Good headlamps are a must as are extra batteries as a backup. I also recommend a well thought out first aid kit with focus on bug repellant, Band-Aids and Neosporin. We also get scripts from our docs before we go with antibiotics and pain killers just in case something happens.

Electronics: I know that Kalalau is a way to escape electronics but we cheat a bit here. We both took our cell phones so that we had use of the cameras and I brought an iPad mini with a few preloaded movies to watch at night in the tent. I purchased a Mophie battery pack and it kept everything charged for the entire 5 days. I kept all of these in Ziploc bags to keep them dry and clean.

The Hike To Kalalau:

I recommend resting up the day before and eating a carb loaded dinner the night before and morning of the hike. I messed up on this trip as I hiked the 8 mile trip to Hanakapi’ai Falls with my sister and her husband the day before and I certainly felt it on the way to out to the beach.

We ate a very full breakfast and got dropped off at the trail head about 6:00 am. If you don’t have a ride then you can use the North Shore Taxi for about $40 and he will take you as early as you want to go. I don’t recommend leaving your car out there for 5 days as they get broken into sometimes. If you do end up taking your car, I would recommend removing all valuables and leaving the car unlocked. The worst you will lose is your floor mats.

If you haven’t done the trail before, the first half mile of the trail is fairly steep and you gain quite a bit of elevation rather quickly. Hiking poles are an absolute must in our book as they provide some safety in the mud and allow you to use all 4 limbs to do your climb. Don’t worry as it flattens out after the first mile and then is mostly downhill to Hanakapi’ai beach which is two miles in. From there you will cross your first stream and this is a decent spot for a quick rest if you want one. When you head out from there you will take the right fork in the trail as the left goes to the falls. The elevation gain between miles 2 and 3 is one of the largest on the hike. You will gain about 900ft in less than a mile and I certainly feel it when I’m on that section. Miles 3 thru 6 are of varying terrain and move from jungle to ridgelines rather frequently. It’s an extremely beautiful part of the trail and you will most likely run into your first pygmy goats. At mile marker 6 (ish), you will come to Hanakoa campground which is a stopover option if you don’t want to go all the way in one day. There is a composting toilet here as well as picnic benches and camping spots. The water in the Hanakoa stream is good to drink and you should fill up your water bottles here. Leaving Hanakoa the trail gets a bit more difficult. We had always wondered what it would be like to hike the trail in the rain and we have now checked that off the bucket list. It was an absolute deluge and the hillside trails were slick and should be taken seriously. Just past mile marker 7 you will come to the famous “Crawler’s Ledge”. It’s been a bit overblown and is not any more difficult than the rest of the trail but if you have a fear of heights then make sure to keep your eyes looking ahead. It can be a bit dicey in the wind and rain but just stay focused and all will be fine. Miles 7 to 9 are my least favorite part of the trail as it contains the sections referred to as “Mars” and “Red Hill”. These red dirt sections are slick whether dry or wet and give me the most angst on the hike. Once you get thru the final section of Mars you will see a green meadow below and that’s the sign showing your almost there. At mile 10 you will come to the Kalalau River and I have dropped my pack and jumped in each time. I’ve been hot and tired and frankly it’s one of the best feelings I’ve had. From there, you simply cross the river, veer to the right and walk to the beach. The hike has taken us anywhere from 6 to 9 hours depending on conditions.

(View from near mile marker 8)

Where to Camp:

When you get close to the beach you will begin seeing signs for camping on the left. The camping area runs about half a mile and it’s pretty easy to find a spot. The nice things about these spots are that they are in the shade and provide some cover for the afternoon rains. The composting bathrooms are also in this area so your walk is not far if you need to use those. If you don’t want to camp in the trees then just keep going towards the beach and you will see spots in the shrubs on the right side nearer the beach. If you continue to walk past the beach you will see additional spots available but they are in a more open area and don’t provide much privacy. The positive to these spots is that they are close to the fresh waterfall which is the primary water source for everyone there. The water is clean and can be drank without treatment.

(Our campsite for 5 nights)

(Cool cloudcover our second night)

What To Do While There:

This isn’t really a trick question as there are some options other than just relaxing. There is a beautiful hike up into the valley that takes you to several cool spots. There are a myriad of trails once you get up there and half the fun is seeing where they lead. One led us to a group of naked men who invited us down for a drink. Another led us to a girl who just graduated from college and was spending a couple of months before entering the workforce. Our favorite trail leads thru something akin to a hobbit hole and eventually to one of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen. Depending on the season, several fruits are plentiful in the valley. We’ve seen oranges, guava, mangoes, papayas and bananas. The folks that live out there full time are normally eager to share with you and seem friendly (mostly).

(Rope swing near the old community kitchen)

(One of the beautiful waterfalls in the valley)

The Hike Out of Kalalau:

We have tried to hit the trail by 7-8am. That gives us the opportunity to get a decent breakfast and get everything packed up. Please remember to pack out ALL of your trash as not everyone does that. It’s disappointing to see but it does happen.

The climb back out thru Mars and Red Hill are, without a doubt, my least favorite part of the entire trip. It’s steep, slick and long. The good news is that it’s the hardest part of the trail; at least in my opinion. Once you are thru that portion the rest of the trail seems similar to the hike in. Again, be mindful of crawlers ledge if it’s windy and make sure to fill up with water at Hanakoa. When you hit Hanakapi’ai it will probably be the middle of the afternoon and it will be busy. You will end up navigating several people on the last two miles but most folks are great and a few will ask you about your trip. When you get back to the trailhead at Ke’e Beach you will find showers and bathrooms in the park area. There is also a nice table to put your stuff on while you clean up. There is a pay phone there if you need to call for a ride but remember to either take coins ($1.50) or have a credit card as that’s the only way you can make a call. It’s also fairly easy to hitch back into Hanalei if you need to do that but I would recommend showering before you do that as to not stink out your hosts.

(Mitzi going up the Mars section on our way out)

(Two days later we took a Napali Coast Dinner Cruise and saw the beach from the ocean)

The Kalalau Trail Hike - Day One

We got picked up at The Cliffs Resort at 5am so that we could get an early start on the hike. Our initial estimation was that it was going to take us about 8 hours to do the 11 mile hike to Kalalau Campground. Obviously, starting in the dark means that you must have headlamps for the first portion of the hike but you should have those packed for the trip anyway so there is minimal impact.

Brad from Hanalei Taxi dropped us off at the Ke'e beach trailhead at 5:50am and we began the hike at 6am. Outside of my wife losing her Maui Jim sunglasses, the dark part of the hike was uneventful. The trail was in good condition and the lights provided plenty of vision for us. The beginning part of the trail is one of the steepest parts of the trail. You gain about 450 feet of elevation in a little under a mile so you are working up a sweat by the time you get to the first crest. The timing was perfect for us as the sun was just beginning to rise. I have posted a picture of this below.

After you make the initial crest near mile marker 1, it is generally downhill to Hanakapi'ai Beach which is near mile marker 2. We took off with 6 litres of water, comprised of two 3 litre bladders; one each in my wife's and daughter's hydration packs. We mixed the initial water with Gatorade and emergen-c thinking that it might help with the trip.

We hit the beach about an hour and fifteen minutes into the trip and felt pretty good at this point. We were on pace for 45 minute miles and that would allow us to finish the trail in our planned 8 hours. Remember, we have not been past this point on the Kalalau trail before as we have went up the valley to the falls on the previous 3 trips. Below is a picture of the sign you see when you enter the trail.

The first true test is immediately evident when you leave the beach area and begin the hike on the trail. Between mile markers 2 and 3 you gain over 750 feet of elevation. That's quite a climb in less than a mile and we were really feeling the burn as we finally got to the crest. I have pasted a picture of the GPS measurements on elevation changes below. This was to be the second hardest leg on the trail.

Your next target once you have made the initial crest near mile marker 3 is the Hanakoa Valley which you enter at about the 6 mile mark. The hike to this point is varying in terrain and is in the trees, on the hillsides and on the rocks. We did encounter a couple of small pygmy goats on our way and they were even nice enough to pose for a picture.

There is nothing really hard about miles 4 thru 6, other than you are still trying to recover from the big climb. Very beautiful views from the hillsides and dramatic scenes up the coastline to the northeast.

About 6.2 miles in, you will come to the Hanakoa Valley and a little further is the Hanakoa Campground. We stopped and had lunch here at one of the tables that are set up at the campground. There is also a composting toilet if needed. Below is a picture of the Hanakoa Valley sign. You can begin to see the tired look on the girls faces. If I would have been in the picture, it would have been even worse.

About 100 yards after you leave the Hanakoa Campground, you will come to a pretty good sized stream. It is similar in size to the one you crossed at Hanakapei'ai Beach. We made a pretty big mistake not filling up with water here as our bladders were about halfway down. Unless it's raining, this will be your best chance at getting water until mile marker 10. Again, fill up with water here if you have any room.

The highlight (or horror) of the trail lies one mile past the Hanakoa Campground. The infamous "Crawlers Ledge" at mile marker 7 is the reason that 60% of tourists turn around and do not complete the trail. While not really any narrower than other parts of the trail, this is a rock ledge that has fairly significant consequences should you fall off. It is several hundred feet to the rocks below and even if you survived the fall, you would probably drown in the water. There is very little that can be done to this section to make it any safer unless they decided to come in and take out part of the rock. Frankly, this is one of the primary reasons that the trail is so special. Here are a couple of pictures of the ledge as well as a video.

I was really proud of my wife and 12 year old for navigating this part of the trail. It's not too bad, but if you let it get in your head, it can be a trip killer. Kudos to both of them! They are true rock stars!

Miles 7 thru 9 are one of the best spots for pictures. The sign to the Kalalau Valley is near mile 8.5. Very scenic shots throughout the section and with the exception of on 350 climb right before mile 9, this part is fairly easy. Our challenge was that we began to run out of water at this point. We expected to see a few streams, but nothing presented itself and at mile 9, I began to worry just a little bit. At this point, we began a section that a couple of hikers refer to as "Mars". I questioned why it was called that until we got there. It is a really baron, red dirt/rock section that looks similar to pictures of the surface of Mars. It is loose and slippery, so you will want to make sure you have your trekking poles out during this part of the trail. As you can tell by the elevation chart I posted above, you can tell this is the steepest part of the the entire trail. You will want to keep your footing under you for this part.

At about mile 9.5, we were getting pretty thirsty and hot. The Mars section of the trail offers no shade and if the sun is out, you will absolutely get baked on this section. Fortunately, the best water on the trail is at mile marker 10 and we could hear it from a quarter mile away. I don't know if I have ever been so happy to see a body of water in my life. I dropped my back, jumped right into the stream; clothes and all. I was so hot that I just wanted to cool my core down before I over heated. We filled up our bladders here and then began looking for the trail out. There is no clear sign indicating where to go, but after much exploring you simply need to cross the stream at the same point as the mile marker 10 sign and you will find the trail as you go up the other side. This is a very popular spot for the campers at the Kalalau Campground as it is the purest water around there and has several swimming spots as well.

We finally crossed the river and found the trail and right at the top of the trail we saw the sign we had been waiting for. The sign for the campground stating it was only 1/2 mile away. We were all three ready at this point. It was 3:15pm and we had been on the trail for over 9 hours. Here is a picture of the sign.

We walked into the campground at 3:30pm; exactly 9 hours and 30 minutes since we began the hike. We were all in good spirits but were certainly wiped out physically.

The first thing you will see when you come in are the camping signs on the left. The camping spots are all up in the trees off the beach area and they run for about 300 yards or so. You are not supposed to camp on the beach but it looked like several people were. Ironically, the first person I ran into at the campground was someone from my hometown of Telluride, Colorado. We had both lived there for quite sometime but had never actually met in person. We had several mutual friends but hadn't met until this particular moment in time. Very surreal.

We found a great campsite about 20 yards in the trees and began to set up camp. We hopped right to it because we were all afraid that if we sat down, we wouldn't have the energy to get back up. It took us about an hour to get everything set up and ready and then we decided to go down to the beach to have a look see. There were only about 6-8 people there and it was absolutely beautiful. There is a small waterfall at the east end of the beach that most people use for water and showering. There are also composting toilets in the camp area that are a nice bonus.

At about 5:15pm the sun began to set. It was a spectacular sunset and all three of us simply sat there enjoying the reward of our long hike. Here is a picture of the sunset that night.

After the sunset, we went back to the camp and cooked a great meal consisting of udon noodles in chicken broth. We topped it off with Hot Coco and chocolate bars. We were all so tired that we were in the tent and asleep by 8pm. I certainly suggest taking some sort of pain reliever and sleep aid for the first night. You will be glad you did.

I will update the post with days 2 and 3 in the next few days.

The Preparation Process - Test Runs

We were fortunate enough to get to spend 5 weeks in Kauai this trip and that allowed us to do a couple of short "test runs" on the trail. On two occasions, one week apart, we hiked the 8 mile round trip to the falls and back. Unless you have a week or so to rest after the test hike, I wouldn't recommend this as that particular 8 mile loop is still pretty strenuous. It gave us a chance to test out our shoes and our endurance. The trip we took in April as 6 1/2 hour round trip. The first test run in October as 5 1/2 hours and then the final one was 4 3/4 hours. I'm not sure what the reason was for the shorter times each go round but I can only assume it was trail familiarity and less stopping. Nonetheless, it basically meant that we ended up doing 38 miles in 4 weeks instead of 22, and I'm sure that my body felt the extra miles. It sounded good at the time, but I don't know if I would do that again.

The Preparation Process - Gear, Food and Clothing

While this was our first experience at "Backpacking", we are experienced campers and outdoorsmen. That being said, your pack weight is probably one of the most important things on this hike and it is important that you spend as much time thinking about what NOT to put in your pack as you do about what to put in it. I did not have much in the way of backpacking gear so I made a post on Facebook asking friends for some loaner gear and I couldn't believe how many people would reply. If you are only going for a few days and won't do it again, it doesn't make much sense to spend $500-$1000 on gear only to put it in the closet later. You are better off asking friends to raid their closets for the same gear.

Remember, the nights rarely get below 70 degrees at the Kalalau campground so don't spend much time packing "warm" items. Instead, think about ways to keep your pack "light" and "dry". While the rains are not generally heavy, they are most certainly consistent and will happen.

Here is a brief rundown of our gear:

1 Osprey 50 litre pack with rain fly.
1 Full Size Osprey Hydration Day Pack
1 Full Size North Face Hydration Day Pack
3 Rain Jackets (Marmot, Mountain Hardware and Jagged Edge)
1 North Face 3-person three season tent. 2-Pole construction
2 Thermarest self-inflating sleeping pads.
1 King size sheet. Much less bulk than 3 sleeping bags and we were plenty warm.
1 Jet-Boil Canister Style Cooking Stove w/2 fuel canisters
1 MSR Water Filter
Trekking Poles, Leatherman, Cloths line, Whistle, Spot GPS and First Aid Kit

Here is a brief rundown of our clothing:

All 3 of us hiked out in lightweight shorts and hiking shirts. Remember NO COTTON. Think Hot and Wet.
My wife and daughter wore their bathing suit tops under their shirts and made for convenient swims.
Dry socks are pretty important to eliminate blisters. We took 2 pairs each and that was sufficient.
We each took thin thermals to sleep in but they were not needed.
You will want at least one change of clothes for the camp site. You will get very sweaty on the way out.
Shoes: I wore Salomon Wings, daughter wore Keen water shoes and wife wore Vibram FiveFingers.
You should take a pair of flips for the campsite. You will want out of your shoes as soon as you get there.
In short, one of the benefits of hiking in Kauai is that the weather is so good. It will always be 65-85.

Here is what we took for food:

Instant mashed potatoes. The Idahoan brand is just add water and doesn't taste to bad.
Instant oatmeal. Two packs per person each morning was sufficient.
Lipton soup mixes. Again, just add water makes for an easy meal.
Salami, pepperoni, laughing cow cheeses and pita bread. None need refrigeration and were nice treats.
Dried fruit and nuts.
Tiger's Milk Bars - In general, energy bars are great to take because they melt but we put these in the freezer the night before and they made the trip just fine.
Gatorade powder to mix with the water.


When we left, my pack weighed 35 lbs and each of the girls packs weighed 25 lbs. A lot of that was water and food. We ended up taking too much food and gave quite a bit away to a very happy camper who had found himself in the opposite position. Remember, there is quite a bit of fruit in the valley (Guava, Bananas and Mangoes), so you won't starve to death if you run out.

We were over packed and over prepared as usual but I thought we did a pretty good job as a whole. Below are pictures of all the gear laid out and then with all three packs loaded.

The Preparation Process - Permits and Transportation

We purchased our permits online by going to this site: http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/ . The trail reopend on November 1, 2010 after some trail maintenance work. We got permits for the 12th, 13th and 14th of November and the cost was $20 per person per night. They limit the permits to 30 per day and the passes now are for BOTH Hanakoa and Kalalau campgrounds. They no longer issue camping permits for each site but you may camp at either site with the same permit. While we were not checked while we there, several of the other campers that we encountered stated that they were checked at mile marker 6 and 10.

Regarding transportation, I would not recommend leaving your vehicle overnight at the trail head. I've just heard and read too many stories about cars being broken in to. We called Hanalei Taxi and used driver named Brad. He picked us up on Princeville at our condo and drove us to the trail head for about $40. Considering he picked us up at 5am and there were 3 of us plus gear, I didn't think the price was too bad. The website for the cab company is www.taxihanalei.com .

Brad has taken several folks out to the trail head and was chock full of last minute info that we enjoyed. I also saw several folks on some other blogs that offered to take you to the trail head for a "donation". I'm sure it would be six of one, half dozen of the other.

The Preparation Process - Physically

I am, by nature, a person that likes to plan things down to the smallest detail; almost to a fault. I am the idiot that passes out itineraries to everyone when we are on a group trip and spend more time making sure everything is running on schedule than I do enjoying myself. That being said, I began to plan this trip in my head about 6 months in advance.

Let me start by saying that I have never been a hiker. I'm fat, I'm lazy and didn't believe anything that spanned 22 miles should be done without the benefit of a motor. However, as I began to lose weight and the hikes with my wife became longer and longer, the reality of this hike being achievable slowly took form.

As far a physical condition goes, my 41 year old wife is in excellent shape and my 12 year old daughter is in average shape but at 5'4" and 125 lbs, she is as strong as a bull. At the time we left for Kauai, I was at 235 lbs., which is still way too much for my 6' frame but much better than the 280lbs I was at 6 months before.

Physical preparation wise, I walked 5 days a week with my wife and generally went between 1 and 5 miles each trip. I didn't do much in terms of elevation change other than two specific occasions where I took 2 mile hikes on a trail similar to the beginning of the Kalalau Trail. From a "being in shape" perspective, I was probably not where I needed to be but I felt I was adequate enough to attempt the trip.

I was a little worried about the distance (22 miles round trip) but was planning on the fact I live at 8,500 feet being an asset on the hike. That and the fact that I was mentally committed to doing the hike.