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Erinn Keala 🌺

@erinnkeala

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either in the mountains or the ocean
o’ahu

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What’s funny is, from this angle it doesn’t look bad at all 😅 Looks like I should just be able to stand up and keep walking.

The reality: this hill was extremely muddy & slippery due to fresh rain. If you slide down this hill, you go off the steep, rocky cliff into the unforgiving ocean. It would almost certainly be death unless you’re lucky enough to catch yourself on something on the way down.

My shoes became so caked in thick mud that I was no longer getting traction, and my feet started slipping out from under me. I couldn’t get solid footing and I felt like the weight of my pack was pulling me backward. For a moment, I was terrified of slipping down the hill and even more terrified of taking out @adventara behind me! 😳

Since her shoes were in better condition than mine, she was able use her poles to help me remove some of the mud from my tread while I clutched the earth and regained my composure enough to stand back up.

Anyone who has hiked the #Kalalau Trail will likely tell you the section before Crawler’s Ledge is the worst. This is why! (even though this video doesn’t really convey the reality)

I’ve done my fair share of sketchy hikes and this moment takes the cake as the worst. When hiking this trail, be sure to have poles and solid tread on your shoes — clean the mud off before this section and take careful steps! If in doubt, it’s okay to turn around or wait for better conditions! taken in Kalalau Trail Na Pali Coast by @erinnkeala

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4 days ago

mentally I’m still here 🧜‍♀️🌊

mentally I’m still here 🧜‍♀️🌊

reality: a bird threatened to attack me 😅 taken in Kalalau, Napali Coast, Kauai by @erinnkeala

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17 days ago

Crawler’s Ledge is the most overhyped section of the Kalalau Trail on the Nā Pali coast.

Don’t get me wrong — if you fall, you are dead. So it’s right to have a healthy level of fear and be very careful. But (in ideal conditions), it’s really not as scary as everyone makes it sound! If you’ve hiked parts of the KST, you’ve likely experienced sketchier moments 😅

The section right before Crawler’s was so much worse in my opinion. It was super rainy and slick on our way back, and I thought I was a goner for a second when I slipped in that section 😩 I have a video of that, should I post it? 🫣 taken in Kalalau, Napali Coast, Kauai by @erinnkeala

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9 days ago

late nights (well, mostly early mornings) in the middle of June ☀️ taken in O'ahu, Hawai'i by @erinnkeala

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a month ago

I’ve always thought that exceptionally beautiful sunsets, sunrises and rainbows are our lost loved ones saying hello from the other side.

It wasn’t lost on me that we saw this rainbow on Sam’s birthday, the third one that has passed by without her earthside.

We still miss you every single day, Sam 🌈🐾

#petlossgrief taken in Kalalau, Napali Coast, Kauai by @erinnkeala

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a month ago

Hard? 100%. Worth it? 1000%.

Still living in my camera roll from the Kalalau Trail, Nā Pali Coast, Kaua’i. taken in Kalalau, Napali Coast, Kauai by @erinnkeala

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2 months ago

nā pali coast // camp ⛺️

for 3 nights we fell asleep to booming surf and the sound of the waterfall echoing through the valley. we had on-and-off sprinkles, stretches of beautiful sunshine and incredible golden hour rainbows spanning the entire beach from cliff to cliff.

we swam in natural streams, showered in a waterfall, explored sea caves, cooked hot meals on a jet boil, listened to joyful goats playing on the cliffs, watched the sunset with strangers, and lived inside of a postcard.

there is zero cell service — fully off-grid and disconnected from the stress of the outside world — which allows you to be fully present and feel every moment in this sacred place.

I can’t quite put the feeling into words but I fully understand now why people say kalalau is their favorite place on earth 🫶🏻 taken in Kalalau, Napali Coast, Kauai by @erinnkeala

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2 months ago

nā pali coast // the hike 🥾

an incredible and humbling experience to say the least 🩵

kalalau is a remote valley and beach on the north shore of kaua’i that can only be reached by a 23-mile roundtrip hike. with a heavy backpack, traversing the muddy and rocky coastal trail, stream crossings and switchbacks with 3500-4000 ft elevation gain each direction is anything but easy.

but every aching part of your body feels nothing but pure awe when you come around the final corner and see those famous jagged cliffs 😍

it was everything I thought it would be and more. I’m so grateful for the experience and look forward to doing it again someday.

** this trail is strenuous and several people have died from dangerous stream crossings, falling or other medical events. be sure to do your research and come prepared. also, a permit is required. permits release at midnight 90 days in advance and sell out within minutes. taken in Kalalau, Napali Coast, Kauai by @erinnkeala

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2 months ago

may moments 🌺🌈

enjoyed a visit from @segy514 & @cjewell417, celebrated a beautiful bachelorette @lauren_macdonald, spent quality time with my family… and of course backpacked the Napali Coast but that will get its own post (or three) taken in Hawaii by @erinnkeala

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2 months ago

some april views & mems, including one failed journey to hell 😅 by @erinnkeala

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3 months ago

Finally made it out to the sandbar during negative tide when the sand was actually exposed! Interesting to see.

Have you been there during a minus tide? taken in O'ahu, Hawai'i by @erinnkeala

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3 months ago

quick weekend in Maui 🌅

Ben ran the half marathon, I ran the 10K, then we soaked up the sun, sand & saltwater in beautiful Ka’anapali ☀️🤿🌊 taken in Ka'anapali Beach, Maui by @erinnkeala

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3 months ago