The Kalalau Trail, Na Pali, and Perseverance
Posted on October 17, 2007
Filed Under Personal, Worldview |
The northwestern coast of Kauai is mesmerizing. It consists of 15 miles of steep, fluted volcanic cliffs covered with an emerald green rainforest. 
It is isolated.
You can’t drive there. If you want to see it, you must do so by air or by sea…with one exception. There is an 11-mile ancient trail that winds along the cliffs beginning at Ke’e beach on the north shore and ending at Kalalau beach, only about a third of the distance along the famous Na Pali coastline.
In degrees of difficulty, the Sierra Club rates this trail as a “9” out of “10”. I don’t suppose 
I know what the word equivalent for a “9” would be…maybe “really, really tough” or “really, really rugged” or “you’re out of your mind!”
So…naturally, we decided to hike it.
Well, actually, some of it, with the emphasis on “some of it”. We turned around after about two miles because of time, (sure!) but we both agreed that, if the Lord should allow us another opportunity to visit Kauai, we would go for it all.
It didn’t take long for us to get a feel for what the Kalalau Trail would be like. The 
trailhead began at sea-level, but immediately made a steep ascent, etched into the side of the first cliff. The trail then wound its way alternately into the flutes where the sun disappeared beneath the heavy rainforest and then out again to the cliff’s edge where the surf could be seen pounding the rocky base hundreds of feet below.
Our first “summit” gave us an incredible view down the Na Pali coast.
As we hiked, we would occasionally stop to allow returning hikers to pass, chatting briefly with them about where they were from and what they had seen. It was hard to tell if their breathless comments were from the hike or from their magnificent experience. I also noticed that they were covered with mud. Not much different that what you see of motocross racers. It didn’t take long for me to realize that we were starting to look like 
that as well. When the trail followed the cliff back into the flute, the trail became wider, yet wet and slick with volcanic mud. It was a strangely sticky mud. When it slopped up on your legs, it stuck.
Well, I don’t suppose my pictures are conveying to you the depth and the reality of the 
beauty that we were privileged to witness on our hike. Everything was stunning. The cliffs, the foliage, the ocean…even the volcanic rocks that formed the base of our trail. It was a unique place; a part of this creation that defies one’s ability to describe. We had to work a little for it, but it was well worth the effort.
That is true of most things in life, don’t you think?
Unfortunately, we live in a culture that provides us with much that takes little effort to consume. In fact, it almost seems that there is a product development law in place which defines product improvement in terms of the reduction of consumer effort. We can punch a button and watch a baseball game from our living room couch. We can punch another button and watch a movie without leaving home. We can pop a frozen package into the microwave and dine well, with the greatest effort on our part consisting of pulling the drawer open to get a fork. We can visit friends by simply flipping open our cell phones. You can even hire people to walk your dog.
I’m not really saying that I don’t enjoy having a cell phone. I do. But with the constant move of our culture toward ease, it is not difficult for us to begin to think that everything can be obtained with ease. We may be in danger of losing perseverance…the character trait that recognizes that good things often require work and effort over a sustained period of time. At a minimum, we are becoming lazy…trained by our easy-to-use, no-effort-required consumer products.
Sure, we can enjoy them, but it may be beneficial for us to recognize how they have a tendency to soften us, weaken us, lure us into believing that everything should be easy or that nothing is really worth an extended effort.
There is much in our world today that is going to require a great deal of effort to achieve. The rugged trails must be hiked. The steep cliffs must be scaled. The mud must be endured. Galatians 6:9 is one of my favorite passages: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Like the mesmerizing Na Pali along the Kalalau Trail, it is worth it. 
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Dr. Del Tackett is president of the Focus on the Family Institute and Senior Vice President to Focus on the Family. He is also the architect and chief spokesperson for Focus on the Family's The Truth Project--a nationwide initiative designed to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ.
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Long Races
I remember running the Maui Marathon in 1978. I was in a Bible study with Officers Christian Fellowship and on the road to faith in Jesus. I was not there yet since I had not really heard the Gospel in a way that resonated.
Anyways, the first 10 miles were uphill from Kahalui to the center of the island. Then we ran downhill to the shore and up the beach to the finish at Lahaina. I ran the first ten miles well, feeling strong if not too fast. To me the race was more of a “fun run” than competition.
Then the long haul set in and I ran slower and more painfully to the finish. Sally and my two children met me at the finish. Sally said she would never come to another race since I appeared gray and near death. But in retrospect it was a great instructor in perseverance.
Running helped me to understand a little bit the agony of the cross and the exhilaration of finishing the course. So when I discovered the missing pieces, I could have a deeper faith quickly.
My life seems to be a series of marathons. I enjoy the excitement of participating in the various races, I am discouraged at times, it is often lonely along the beach, and I am exhausted at the finish. But I sit down with my loved ones, have a few bottles of water, and am looking forward to the next race.
In my races today I need to remember the joy of a race well-run and the water of life from my Savior at the end. And the final reward will not be just a tee-shirt but a white robe and a great banquet. I can hardly wait.
We went to Kauai for our honeymoon! it was a wonderful experience!!! i loved it over there and was in awe many times!! we did not do this trail b.c of the level of difficulty but went snorkling at that beach! it was beautiful!!
we didn’t get to see the coast by sea b/c they cancelled small crafts due to the tropical storm! i hope we get the opportunity go back there!! what a beauitful place! loved seeing your pics as it reminded me of such a fun time!
Thank You! A great reminder that the greatness of the “rewards” in our lives are directly proportional to the efforts in achieving them.
It is the journey that brings the joy.