boring hikey stats

In the last two years I've hiked Kuliouou six times (including today), three times to the top and three times halfway (including today). This is my second trial of the summer, first timed trial. Started on the trail at 11:45 a.m., reached the halfway point at 12:30 give or take however many minutes I spent answering people's questions about Kona - What breed? (Jack Russell Pug) Does he make it to the top? (Yes) Can I pet him? (Yes) ... and five wasted minutes spent getting Kona back after he decided he really wanted to go home with a miniature collie and her family.

Didn't have a strategy today - it basically went like this: ten hard up the first half, find myself totally winded, take four breaks (two hydration breaks, two I-simply-suck-at-this-and-need-to-rest breaks), lie down on the table at the rest point (in fact, when a group of foul-mouthed teenagers bounced over to play with Kona and ask all the requisite questions, I had an entire conversation with them without getting up from my supine position on the dirty table or even opening my eyes.) Awesome.

Kona's favorite part of the trail is the clearing that's completely blanketed with pine needles. He goes nuts running around, kicking up piles of needles, skidding to the edge and almost tumbling off the mountain. He tears around in huge circles like he's competing at the doggie derby - this is manic speed I am describing - and sometimes, in this mania, forgets himself so completely that he starts leaping at people in a strange fit of joy/rage. Fortunately I was the only one around, so only I got bitten by the weird little dog that was so happy he was mad.

Anyway, after a 15-minute breather at the rest stop, I contemplated going the rest of the way up but decided it was too late (I woke up at TEN-THIRTY, yikes mike) so we jogged all the way back down (probably not the smartest thing to do on a solo hike, when a twisted ankle can be of serious concern), emerging at 1:20, making our out time 35 minutes and our hike total (minus the 15-minute break) 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Kona curled up on the floor of the car for the car ride home (despite the fact that this was shorter than usual, because we only did half, we pushed harder going both up and down.) Except for nipping at me at the height of his Pine Needle Mania, he was as always an excellent companion on the whole. Due to his low, stocky stature, he can bound up and down pretty much any terrain on that hike with the ease of a pygmy goat. But on the way down, especially at the tough spots that require hands, he always stays behind me and makes sure I get down first before he leaps down at scampers ahead. Good doggie.

He went straight to sleep as soon as we got home - just plopped down on the floor. Callie tried to entice him into playing by batting at his ears, but gave up and sweetly gave him a bath instead. Poor thing, she's probably bored out of her mind, having had to sit outside on the lanai for hours and listen to the crew pressure wash the garage floor downstairs. A nap doesn't sound bad, actually ...