Thighs of Rage

My legs are a-BURNIN this morning. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to go meet Bradley on the point of Black Sands at 11:30pm Saturday for some night fishing. He had been out there all day, but I wanted to go to the Maui County Fair - pretty fun, mostly just great fair food to eat abundantly - so I decided to hike out and meet him later. It was quite an adventure.

First of all - Black Sands is a public park, and it closes at sunset, so I was dropped off at the road outside, and had to hike into the beach by myself in the middle of the night. Scaaaary. Bradley met me at the beach, and then we hiked the lava rock out to the point. It's really only about half a mile, but it's hairy. And I'm almost glad that I did it in the dark first because if I had been able to see the hazards on the outskirts of my head lamp...I might have freaked out. There is a lot of climbing, loose lava rock, caves, sheer drops, and slippery valleys. It was nuts. But the reward was exceptional - out on that point there is an unfettered view of the sky, and the stars were so breathtaking.

I didn't really sleep much - Bradley and I took turns sleeping in the cot and my beach chair, maybe an hour or two at a time. Not comfortable at all, but still an incredible experience. Because there are caves and hollows in the lava rock, there is an incredible effect with the ebb and flow of the ocean....as the water crashes in and out, the lava rock breathes. The sound is sometimes hollow, sometimes groaning, and even whistling. It's actually very soothing, and really makes you realize that you're surrounded by life.

Didn't catch any fish on this trip either (well, excepting bait fish, and those don't count).

In the early morning hours, I spent a LOT time watching big crabs scurry along the rocks, and playing in the tide pools. The hike back was actually a little harder in the daylight - I helped carry out some of the fishing gear, so I only had one hand to steady myself. Plus the 9am Maui sun is pretty intense, so it was a sweaty hike back. Luckily, Bradley has an extra pair of Tubbies - they are these split toe shoes that are great for fishing in Maui - they are a lifesaver on lava rock. You can't feel any of the sharp edges, and the bottoms are usually this really thick compressed felt, so they grip, even in slippery situations. Plus the split toe helps to keep you from rolling your ankles, which happens all the time on that rocky terrain. I don't think I would have made it without them (and I'm also grateful for my giant feet that allowed me to fit into an old pair of Bradley's).

The hike in and out, the lack of sleep, and the sleeping in a chair left me pretty sore and tired - I was useless yesterday. And my thighs are hurting more today than yesterday. I gotta start using my foam roller, but I'm scared about how much it's going to hurt. I'm feeling old.

Oh yeah, and I got cable on Saturday, so now I'm (unfortunately) keyed into all my old shows that I used to love. I lasted six months with no TV!! Good news is that I hate commercials SO much now that I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to stand watching it too much. We'll see. Law & Order is calling...