Life of Larisa or LOL

Friday has never been a day that I hiked.  It has always been a day for coffee meet-ups, after school dates with my boys, fireworks in Waikiki, food truck fun, or football games at the high school.  This past Friday I enjoyed my weekly coffee out with friends and a winning play-off game at the high school...but I also hiked.  It was a fun filled Friday. Ka'ena Point (north shore access) is a great go to hike for me since it is relatively close by, pretty flat, and always provides scenic ocean and mountain views.  I've enjoyed exploring Ka'ena Point from the west and north trail heads, have had fun making it out to the point of O'ahu where west and north meet, seen Monk seals, dolphins off shore, Albatross, and fishermen.  In all my Ka'ena Point exploring, I hadn't yet visited the old WWII military bunkers or pillboxes...until this past Friday. My hiking partner Mary and I headed out late in the afternoon on Friday, without the kids, and briskly hike...

Yesterday I made a waterfall discovery. I was not the first, nor will I be the last, to seek out this waterfall on the edge of private property in Nu'uanu, but I felt quite accomplished after trudging through mud, climbing over downed trees, following a series of red ropes tied around tree branches, and listening for the sounds of gushing water along an otherwise unmarked mysterious rainforest trail.  My friend Marina and I went on a waterfall chasing adventure and we were successful! The path leading up to the top of Luakaha Falls is filled with bamboo, spider webs, mud, and eerie wind blowing sounds.  I had a vague idea of there being a path leading to a small waterfall just past another popular hidden gem called Kaniakapupu Ruins.  I had never ventured further down the path and decided that yesterday, on a slightly overcast day with rain in the imminent forecast, was the day to hunt for the elusive (to me) waterfall. It was humid walking throug...

See a mountain, try climb it.  Pretty much my hiking/life philosophy these days.  I've spent many a Sunday afternoons sitting at Makaha Beach both watching the kids play in the ocean and staring longingly at the mountains behind me, wondering when I would get the opportunity to hike them.  Last week Wednesday, the opportunity presented itself.  If it weren't for my hiking partner Mary, I'd probably never hike anything...thank goodness she is up for it all. I'm pretty sure I have noted before my disdain for eating big meals  before hiking...and yet somehow I did it to myself again this past Wednesday.  I enjoyed good conversation, coffee, and breakfast with three other moms and then met up with my hiking partner to squeeze in a hike before early school pick-up. Crazy.  First of all, I ate too much.  Second of all there have been zero trade winds.  Third of all, we were in Makaha where it was devil, desert, record breaking hot.  N...