6 years ago, when we decided to hike the PCT, we sold our house, quit our jobs, got rid of most of our stuff, and made our way to Texas for the final trail prep.
This time isn’t much different.
When first kicking around the idea of doing another long distance hike, we figured we would simply keep our apartment in Maui. However, in February the owner of our apartment let us know he was planning to sell it. It was perfect timing, really, because it was the final nudge I needed to fully commit to hiking the CDT. Rather than frantically look for another place to live, taking the next 6 months to hike suddenly made a lot of sense. So, once again, we found ourselves resigning from our jobs [Body in Balance (me) and Lahaina Divers (Nick)] and getting rid of most everything.
While we do plan to return to Maui, we figure it’s best to stay light and mobile. It was a lot of work and it wasn’t easy, particularly considering how sentimental I am, but it DOES feel good not to have so much stuff. I already miss everyone at Body in Balance and I know Nick misses Lahaina Divers…. but it’s going to be ok. Adventure awaits. :)
In the midst of packing and selling/donating our stuff, our friends help make our last few weeks on Maui amazing - so I figured I’d document it all. I need to get in the habit of writing again, anyway.
First, Nick and I finally managed to do the Sea to Summit hike up Kaupo Gap - this meant starting at the ocean and then hiking up 10,023 ft to the summit of Haleakala. The biggest issue with this hike is logistics - having someone drive us the 2.5 hrs to the start and then drive another 2 hours to the summit to pick us up is a big ask. Happily, our good friend Kait volunteered for the job.
The hike was brutal - some parts were incredibly steep, some parts were incredibly overgrown, and some parts were both incredibly steep AND overgrown. But it was beautiful, too, and I’m ecstatic we did it before we left (it was excellent training for the CDT).
Toes in the ocean to start
Looking towards the summit from the start
Another view of where we are going
Looking back towards the start after a few miles
The trail was barely visible in some parts
Overgrown but beautiful
Paliku, a camping spot inside Haleakala Crater (where we refilled our water bottles)
At the top… finally
Following the Sea to Summit hike, we stopped at my friend Julia’s house to drop off a box of stuff we didn’t want to take with us. Much to my surprise, she planned an amazing surprise Happy Trails party for us (with Nick’s help). It was incredibly thoughtful, a ton of fun, and a true surprise as I had absolutely NO CLUE.
I was 100% surprised to see this when I arrived. :)
I love how creative Julia was with everything!
Caramel apples are delicious
hahaha how clever
Man Hands with a Man Hands cookie
I absolutely cannot WAIT to open these letters! Everyone picked a different state/topic and Mary will send these along in an appropriate resupply package. What a cool idea, Julia! Mahalo! It will definitely give me a reason to keep going.
Some of the greatest Maui friends ever, including Kona (the dog).
Julia’s insistence that we come back is the most endearing thing ever - I love you, Julia, and I promise we will come back. :)
Nick was surprised with this delicious cake during his last dive trip with Lahaina Divers (his last dive trip for a while, anyway - I mean, we do plan on coming back….)
What a cool cake!
Us with some of the wonderful staff/friends from Lahaina Divers.
We ended up leaving Maui with two big luggage bags, two small luggage bags, a duffel with all our dive gear, our two hiking backpacks, and two personal items. We’ll keep our belongings with Nick’s parents while we’re on the CDT (we have the best family ever), after which who knows what we’ll do or where we’ll go before returning to Maui.
Nick with all our luggage (except my backpack) - we had to use a luggage cart for the first time ever. :/
A hui hou, Maui!