Hawai'i---"I don't need easy, I just need possible."

The picture below was taken last night. After a short ride I went swimming with Roberta. Well, she went swimming...I did my best to tread water...and it's safe to say that I got my minimum daily requirement of sodium chloride. There were two turtles playing in the water near us and even hours after I had gotten out, they were still there. So...I took Stanley down for a look. He liked them..wanted to take one home on the plane for a pet, but I said "No, they ought to stay here with Smitty and Roberta."



At my hosts' suggestion, I took a nap in the evening. It was very good advice..I probably slept two or three hours. But...I hadn't even gotten out of the driveway before I had my first snafu. That wonderful Niterider Blowtorch, capable of 40 watts of light, wasn't working. I troubleshot for all of 5 minutes before I pulled out a headlamp I had brought along (just in case) and turned on a little Cateye LED. Marginal light, but it was going to have to do. I headed north from Kailua just after midnight, using the Kona Ironman route along Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway. The road is perfect...wide, 12 foot shoulders with smooth pavement that is free of debris. I had a little traffic the first 5 or 6 miles, but after that I often rode a couple of miles in between cars passing. It was dark...I would've loved a full moon, but the moon was nowhere to be found. I did find the rumble strip a bunch of times...let's just say the rumble strip served its purpose...it kept me awake. Two flashing rear blinkies warned vehicles coming up behind me that there was something unusual on the road, and it was hilarious how many of them slowed to a crawl.

The terrain is expansive fields of lava flow, and 20 miles into the ride there is a lava tube on the east side of the highway. Locals take white stones and form messages against the dark lava like: "Mikala loves Jonah", "RIP Stephan", "Go Evona!"





My son gave me an idea for this trip that I want to incorporate. I want to pick up a small rock in each state so that at the end of my trip I will have this array of stones that represents all of the places I rode. I asked Smitty and Roberta about taking a souvenir of lava stone when we were sitting at the beach one morning. They both shook their heads "no". Bad juju. There are stories...plenty of stories, where people have taken rocks from the island and then suffered all kinds of misfortune. Now...I am not superstitious...but I am also not stupid. I have seen "Lost"...all 6 seasons...was a big fan. I took a piece of coral from the beach instead.

I rode to Hawi which was a little over 55 miles from Smitty and Roberta's house. The wind was strong and in my face after the road took a turn to the east, and there was a decent climb. I was, however, making good time. I turned around and headed back, stopping for a breakfast sandwich and something for my water bottles at a small market along the way. I had more wind until I could turn south on Hwy 19. I called Smitty and Berta about 15 miles from the airport, and I think that was about 7:15. They snapped a couple of photos, dropped my stuff off at the airport, setting me up to break the bike apart, (it took me less than an hour) gave me an ice cold drink and this very cool rice roll wrapped in seaweed. Hugs and Aloha to them...they are awesome. Mahalo nui loa. I got to the airport with 101.7 miles and an average of 12.7. My elevation gain was 3113'.

I am now waiting at the gate for my flight to Oakland, where Karen will pick me up around 9 p.m. I am hoping to get a few hours of sleep on the plane. We will drive to Fresno where we'll quickly pitch our tents under an orange tree in the backyard of some kind Warm Showers souls. He has sent me an email with a map of his backyard and the most level spot. He also plugged in a floodlight for us. All the kindness and generosity has me undone.


maybe you can't...because you won't...