Life of Larisa or LOL

The verdict is still out on whether or not I like this trail.  This past Sunday's adult only excursion was filled with hiking firsts and exhilarating moments.  There were photo opportunities and breathtaking vistas.  There were miles of forest to be explored without another soul in sight.  We were on our feet for over six hours and never once spotted another hiker. But all the things that made this trail great, were all the things that made it turn bad quickly.  April the Adventurer was my hiking partner for this Sunday Funday trail.  When we first made our plan, the choices on the table were Kamiloiki Ridge or Haha'ione Loop.  Since I have previously done Kamiloiki Ridge, I thought it'd be fun to conquer another new to both of us trail...Hahaione Loop!   I usually do research on trails that I have not been on...but this time I carelessly only stuck with a quick skim of Yelp/All Trails and a random blog from years past that briefly mentioned Haha'io

Hiking leads me to the most unexpected of places.  There are many trails on O'ahu, both legal and illegal.  There are the touristy trails that everyone knows about.  There are the challenging trails that are "hashtag goals" for fitness superstars.  There are trails for the family, for the kids, trails for when you are limited on time.  There are trails that are Instagram perfection and there are epic trails, trails that incorporate a little of everything for everyone...that is Kahekili Ridge.   I first read about Kahekili Ridge online.  An Instagram post here, a blog post there, a few sparse words amongst other hikers in online forums.  It was on my radar, but this year hasn't been big on tackling my Hiking Bucket List.  I've tackled other goals---running the Great Aloha Run, running in general, and adding a few new 10Ks to my small running list.  Hiking has still been in my heart, but not always when and where I most want to do it.  As the kids get o