This Mom Conquered Mt. Olympus!

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Mount Olympus, huh? Wow! Talk about a cardio work-out from beginning to end!

My friend and I lead a group hike up Wa’ahila Ridge over the weekend. We decided to meet up bright and early so we met at the trailhead at 6:30am for an adventurous 6 hour hike!

This trailhead is located in the Wa’ahila Ridge State Recreation Area. You will see a sign like this, and see the trail begin behind it…

You will start out almost immediately with some steep hills covered with roots so watch your step. It won’t take long and you will be rewarded with some lookouts with amazing views of Manoa Valley, Diamond Head and Waikiki. 

A few miles in, you will see a sign saying the trail ends. Don’t let this stop you! The adventure of  finding Mt. Olympus is just beginning!

From here on, you will notice the climb increases. In fact, there will be about a half-dozen ropes to help you climb up these steep, muddy sections.

Be sure to pack those shoe spikes and some climbing gloves!

Not only will it make you feel like a bad-ass hiker, but they prove to be VERY helpful! You will appreciate the grip you gain with the spikes as you trek up those rope sections and the gloves will help prevent any rope burn or painful rubbing. Once we reached this sign, my friend suggested we put on our spikes and gloves and I am so thankful for that suggestion!

 

Continuing up the trail, you will also notice the tree canopy becoming less and less. Be sure to have your sunscreen on and hats/sunglasses are a plus as well. It’s also a good time to mention hydration-be sure you are drinking plenty of water this entire hike as it can get HOT!

In addition to getting hot, I’m not going to lie…my heart rate was through the roof a good chunk of this hike! Not only is it a good distance (6.6 miles round trip), it has a good elevation to it as well!

The mountain’s summit sits at 2600 feet above sea level! 

You will feel like you are climbing…climbing…and climbing! You will begin to feel like you should be in the clouds by then-and you practically are!

By the time you reach the top, you are more than ready to rest, enjoy a snack and take in the view! If you are lucky like us, you will be greeted with this amazing view! I mean…does it even get any better than this!?!?!

Nothing is more rewarding than a great view!

Eventually, the clouds did clear up a bit and we were able to see both sides of the island. It was beautiful! Definitely worth the long hike!

We enjoyed about 30 minutes or so at the summit and decided we were ready to continue on our journey…back down!

The clouds cleared and we were able to see much more scenery than we did on the way up. These mountain ranges STILL amaze me!

Now, if you know me or have been following my blog posts, you know that I love a good taco after hiking! My Taco Hikers crew got me hooked! I feel like I could just pick up my phone after hiking and Siri would say, “here are the closest taco joints” without even asking! Siri is THAT good and I’m THAT predictable!

It’s typically about halfway down the mountain on our way back when I start a craving for them. I start imagining the salsa, guacamole and cheese and can practically taste it by the time I reach my car.

Well, today I thought God had answered my prayers of adding taco restaurants on all Hawaii hiking trails because, as we reached the end of the trail, we ran into a group of hikers carrying Taco Bell with them!

As much as I would have LOVED to knock them out and take their tacos, I decided to be on my best behavior and wait until I got home for my tacos. I still question that decision because, come on-how many times do you see hot, fresh Taco Bell on a 6 hour hike!?!?

With the smell of Taco Bell lingering in my nostrils, I grudgingly made it back to my car and checked out my Fitbit stats…

 

…and headed to get some Tacos! #earnedit!

I hoped you enjoyed my recap as much as I enjoyed the hike!

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