Life of Larisa or LOL

The rainy season is upon us.  Winter in Hawai'i, muddy trails, high winds, and curl up under your blanket weather.  After chowing down on a hearty and delicious Thanksgiving meal at our friends the Pommerenk's house, I knew that I had to get out over the long weekend to hit the trail...regardless of weather and laziness setting in. The best bet, in my opinion, for hiking in the winter Hawai'i conditions, is heading to the Westside of O'ahu.  On the Westside, the weather conditions seem to always be on the hotter and less rainy side.  Sure enough, Ka'ena Point via Wai'anae, was clear of heavy showers (we did get sprinkled on), mostly sunny (we were grateful for the wind and partial clouds as this trail gets super hot in non winter/mid afternoon conditions). Since we have done this trail numerous times, I decided to keep it interesting by being festive and wearing Reindeer Ears (it kept it interesting for the other hikers on the trail as well) and by

Last week I added a "notch" in my hiking/climbing belt...Pali Notches.  Here's my disclaimer: I'm not responsible for your decision to do this hike.  If you are afraid of heights, not comfortable climbing, unprepared for changing weather conditions...don't do it!  When in doubt, don't go out applies for this hike.  That being said...last week I did the scariest hike I've ever done...and I survived! If you have followed my blog for awhile, you will know that the past year my blog has been regularly dedicated to my weekly hiking adventures.  A new hike, a new post.  But, before my hiking obsession, there was a cupcake baking obsession.  A new recipe, a new post.  Clearly I'm passionate about specific things and like to share it on my blog, lucky you.  During the cupcake phase, my sporty behavior pretty much consisted of couch surfing.  So, to be hiking an average of four times a week and eating zero cupcakes...well, I've come a long way.