When I was 25, I lived in the woods in Alaska.
I was there for about 6 months, give or take, and I worked at a lodge in Denali state park that overlooked the Alaskan Range and the Chulitna River. It was an incredible adventure that I highly recommend to any twenty-something who doesn’t quite know what they’re doing with their life and needs to get out of dodge for a while.
Alaska is where I–a native Floridian who was not raised to be outdoorsy at all (mom still thinks motels without room service count as camping)–learned to absolutely love hiking.
Whether I was trekking up to catch the near-forever-Alaskan-sunset over the cliffs, or I was wandering down into the valleys, along the various creeks, rivers, and lakes, hiking was where I found an unexpectedly invigorating peace.
By the second month, however, we were all stir-crazy and freezing. We began to day dream about where we’d go after our seasonal contracts were over.
Around that time, I learned about an incredible hike in Hawaii: the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast of Kauai.
Ranked as one of the best backpacking hikes in the world, this iconic hike includes 11 miles of absolutely stunning coastline.
At the time, I talked my friend Alex into hiking it with me. We booked our tickets and waited excitedly for the time to arrive.
…and then, through a series of ridiculous events that were largely out of my control, I had to cancel. Alex, never one to miss out on an adventure and always the first person to make a million friends within twenty minutes of any experience, went anyway.
I felt terrible, but from what I understand he had an absolute blast. He came home with pictures and stories and my guilt melted into a seething jealousy that I’ve harbored for about 12 years now.
So when my boyfriend texted me a couple of months ago and asked if I wanted to go to Kauai with him and a client of his, my one single request was that we carve out time for this ridiculous bucket-list hike.
Chaz is a fitness fanatic and loves a good adventure, so it took about five seconds of convincing.
After nearly 14 years of friendship and about 5 months of dating, this will be our first trip together. Why not just rip the bandaid off and do something completely bonkers, amiright?
Immediately, we began researching this insane physical and mental challenge. We snagged permits and began doing longer nature walks and hikes on the weekends. I have no idea how ready I actually am for this one, but I’m pumped nonetheless.
Thankfully, Chaz is the calmest, most positive-thinking person I’ve ever known (You could say we balance one another out.)
I’m definitely going to lean on him psychologically for this one, as it’s going to be a doozy.
So, what makes this particular hike so challenging?
Beginning at Ke’e Beach, the hike along the Na Pali Coast includes a diverse terrain that requires physical endurance as well as a solid set of nerves. One minute you’re trying to cross raging rivers, and the next you’re testing your psychological limits along the infamous Crawler’s Ledge: a narrow path along a cliff that drops directly down into the ocean if you aren’t careful.
The hike covers otherworldly views from sharp peaks and lush valleys teeming with wildlife. It’s also one of the only ways to reach secluded beaches and waterfalls.
None of the water is safe to drink along this trail, so we’re bringing life straws with us. It’s also 22 miles round-trip, so we snagged camping permits. Experienced hikers usually do this across at least 2 days, so we’ve carved out 3 to complete the trip.
It’s going to require me to push through my heights thing (something I do regularly, fully accepting that a panic attack with complete tunnel vision will absolutely happen every time) and it’s going to require a lot of endurance, but it’s also apparently positively life-changing.
…and we’re flying out in a week.
I’ll post more about what to bring and how to get permits soon, but right now I’m psyching myself up for my craziest adventure yet.
I can’t wait.
Cheers.
Kara Adamo is a globe-trotting ex-bartender, booze nerd, and booze writer. She is the author of Fancy Grape Juice: De-Snootifying the World’s Snootiest Beverage; Artimals: Coloring the Whimsical Wild; and Brews & Hues: A Coloring Book About Beer.
Adamo is a digital nomad, working as a UX writer and UX designer.
She is writing her fourth book, Layers of Cake.
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