Speakin' Whale

In the famous words of Dori from Finding Nemo...I speak wha--ule.  Well, at least I think I could if I were able to swim in the ever-changing and churning Pacific ocean instead of hiking high above the cliffs that plumment into the deep waters along the windward side of Oahu today.  January is a perfect time to hike the 2 mile paved trail leading to the Makapu'u lighthouse.  Although it is paved, I can guarantee your body will feel the effects of the steady climb upward and the slide downward.  Keep yourself hydrated and covered from the sun because there is little cover from the harsh sun. 

Makapu'u Lighthouse peeking out from the ledge of the
mountainside at almost the end of the trail.

What makes this hike amazing is the vantage you have to catch a glimpse of spouts, fin slaps, and even, if you're really lucky, the jumping of the Humpback whales as they head through the Molokai channel between December and April.  We've hiked this trail for two years now with our Pack.  It's easy enough to do with the wide range of ages we have within the pack and our pack family.  HS loves packing for this hike.  He grabs his favorite tool he'll use on the hike:



HS searching for whales, people, eyeballs, plants, centipedes and just about

anything else you can think of using his binoculars.


Cody even came with the clan on the hike.  He is one easy going, loveable dog.  Thank goodness for that because we had at least six lovin' easy going scouts for every one of him.  HS has proudly declared Cody to be a Pack mascot.  I see a dog parade in our future with all the Pack "mascots".  HH led the charge up the hill while Cody and I enjoyed the carefree nature of keeping up the tail end and ensuring that no one was left behind, and Cody took that responsibility seriously.  We also enjoyed hiking with DF's and their sons.  Those have to be my favorite moments of any hike: laughter, chatter, and exploration.

LD enjoyed the life of leisure by staying safely in the comforts of her jog stroller until we were at the top.  I do want to go back when it is just the family hiking so I can see how far she makes it on her own.  With the determination she has flowing forth from her toddler body, the only thing that makes me nervous is walking along the trail where a stumble of her chubby feet could easily make me have heart failure just watching her. 



Diva enjoying her chariot ride.
HH enjoying the workout.



We were able to take a wonderful clan photo, along with a group shot at the top.  At the top, the pavement ends and you can meander up to pillboxes from the war era, but seeing as we had a jog stroller, dog, and the safety of a pack in mind, we left it up to individual families to continue higher. 

Clan at the top of Makapu'u Lighthouse trail with
Manana Island, aka Rabbit Island
and the blue waters and rugged windswept coast at our feet.



We could not have asked God to provide a better day to hike with the pack.  He provided a glorious day for hiking and taking in the beauty of this part of Hawai'i.  He provided us also with wonderful moments with the pack family, as well as treasured moments between scouts, parents, and friends.  I know you're wondering...

did Dori speak whale well enough for us on my behalf? (Since as many of you know that no matter how much I adore the Scouts in our pack, my fear of deep water would prevent me from ever sticking my face under the water out there to get them to put on a show for them).

Oh, yes...she certainly did!  We spent many moments sitting among the rocks, watching as pods of humpback whales enjoyed frolicing in the beauty of the Pacific before we headed back down the mountain, energized from God's creations.