The Good Parts of Walking Uphill

The day dawns over Pearl Harbor

Copyright © 2018

By Ralph F. Couey

Five weeks into our stay in Hawai'i, a semblance of routine is finally taking hold.  There is a schedule of sorts, which now provides me some spare time here and there.  As part of that, I've started walking again.

Last year, I tallied over 1,200 miles locomoting bipedally on the streets and hiking trails of various places.  I was very proud of that, especially since I exceeded my goal by over 200 miles.  Assuming, as we often do, that nothing significant would change, I set a very ambitious goal of 1,500 miles for 2018.  

Oh, the foolish whims of man...

Over the past two years at my best I was logging over 100 miles per month.  Of course, I had nothing else going on, except cooking and grampa time.  But back in April, I took a job at Target in Aurora, Colorado, which limited the number of hours I could spend exercising.  Then in late summer, Cheryl got word that she had landed her dream contract in Honolulu.  What followed was a long eight weeks of selling, donating, and storing our worldly possessions, getting the car ready to be shipped, and attending to the plethora of details accompanying a major relocation.  Hence, my mileage totals began to drop precipitately.  August, the time when we were packing, shipping, and relocating, the best I could muster was a tad less than 28 measly miles for the whole month, which in the past would have been a below-average week.  

Even after arriving, there was all we had to do to get settled in and established.  I transferred to the Target in Ala Moana, but given my responsibilities toward my 92-year-old mother-in-law, an outside job simply became too difficult to maintain.  Now, things are settling down and a rhythm is re-establishing itself.  Cheryl's oldest sister comes in on Mondays and Fridays to take mom to visit her sisters, which gives me time to shop groceries, run errands, and of course, walk.  Tuesdays we go to the Ala Wai Country Club where mom has her karaoke group in the morning, after which is lunch.  Wednesdays is Ground Golf at Blaisdell (aka Pearl Harbor) Park.  The rest of the week I stay at home, doing laundry, and keeping an eye on the aging energizer bunny, making sure she eats right and doesn't overdue things.  Saturday, Cheryl is home and we usually go to the farmers market for fruit and vegetables.  Sunday is the (thus far) 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs at 7:00 am, then church and an afternoon spent lazing around the house and sweating profusely in the heat and humidity.  In amongst those times are those hours when I can with a clear conscience don my exercise gear and hit the pavement.

There is plenty to see on these sojourns, including the very warm and friendly natives.  Having studied the local real estate market, I can only shake my head upon seeing homes valued at $800,000 plus that wouldn't fetch six figures almost anyplace else.  The homes are, as anywhere, personal statements of the owners.  Many are beautifully kept paradises.  Others...not so much.  A lot of locals run auto repair activities out of their residences, and the driveway and lawns are decorated with a host of broken and damaged cars.  Across the street, one of Mom's neighbors' front lawn is decorated by a large cabin cruiser that I know hasn't touched salt water since at least 1981.  Many have built on to their original structures, turning their homes into apartments.  Now those front lawns and driveways are filled with cars parked in haphazard fashion to the point where one wonders how they get out to go to work in the mornings.  Other places look as though the owners are trying to put Lowe's and Home Depot out of business.  The carports are full of a myriad of bottles containing yard chemicals, automotive chemicals, and the mountainous remains of what I suspect are failed home improvement projects.  On the mainland (what locals call the 48 contiguous states) there are many homes like that, but the ugliness is hidden by a garage door or shed.  Here, because of the architectural choice of carports and tiny yards, the mess is out for all to see.  It is a testament to the tolerance of neighbors to see a picture perfect home and lawn sitting next door or across the street from something that looks like a superfund site.  

As is my pattern, I have identified several routes, all of which tally five to seven miles in length where I can walk.  Being an island, there is a lot of up-and-down component to these routes, which makes them very challenging in the heat and humidity.  On the upside (no pun intended), the scenery is beautiful, especially when I ascend the hills above Pearl Harbor and am gifted with a magnificent view.  It does rain here, but its usually a very gentle rain which is actually refreshing.  I do have to be cautious on those days when the trade winds fail and the heat and humidity climb to very uncomfortable levels.  Last week, I had to cut one of my walks short on a dangerously hot and steamy day, calling Cheryl to come pick me up after logging six very tough miles.  

Anytime you move to a different place, there is a certain amount of acclimatization that must take place.  I have written much about what a challenge the altitude was in Colorado, the heat in Arizona, and the traffic and air quality in Southern California.  It's the same here.  We are way closer to the equator, which means the sun's rays are much more direct.  And it is the tropics, which means it is humid.  September and early October are usually the worse times for this kind of weather, but even the locals have been complaining about the unusual heat.  I try when possible to do these walks in the early morning and late evening when things are just a bit more pleasant.  Over time,  I am told, my skin pores will open up and I will begin to be more tolerant of the weather conditions, and I am beginning to feel the changes already.

I still plan to go hiking along the multitude of excellent trails here on O'ahu when I can have a full day to spend.  But for now, it's enough that my legs are getting back to strength and my stamina is rapidly improving.  When the trail days come, I will be ready.

The hills are tough to climb, but there is that glorious payback when I get to the top and can turn around and see the incredible beauty of this remarkable place.