1,106 steps to the Koko Crater summit! 1,206 foot elevation
Hanauma Bay
I actually made it to the top!
I got a call the other morning from my friend Marc, who asked me if I wanted to go with him on a hike up Koko Crater in Hawai'i Kai. I love to hike & be outdoors, so was easily persuaded to join him. I did not realize what I was getting myself in for!
I felt exhausted just looking up the 1,106 steps to the top. Marc sounded enthusiastic as he remarked, “It doesn’t look so bad”. And so we began our ascent one step at a time. I often had to stop and rest as we climbed in elevation. Each time I rested, there were fewer steps before the next rest stop. We could hear the cracking of guns going off at the police shooting range in the distance. I got so exhausted that I secretly hoped one of the bullets would find me & put me out of my misery!
By the time I got about 30 paces from the top, I sat down & had never felt so exhausted in my life! I reminded Marc that “I was carrying 100 pounds more than he was with each step I took”. I honestly envisioned their having to use their cell phone to call for a helicopter to rescue me, as I looked down those 1,000 plus steps & felt nauseous at the thought of climbing back down them. After a short rest & drink from the bottled water my strength was renewed and I finished those last few steps upward.
What a gorgeous view. There was a white bird that seemed to enjoy hovering in the updraft. How free that bird looked. The 180 degree view was spectacular. I was reminded of the verse in Psalms 14:1 “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” It was well worth the exhausting climb. I’d even do it again; I’d just make more rest stops along the way.
