October 8

Today I just needed to get out of the house... even though it was still pouring and windy from the worlds largest storm. I decided to go on a long trail to clear my mind and Whites Trail seemed to be a good option as I havent taken it yet. Headed to North Piha got onto the trail. This one seemed a little different, wider trail then the others and very open with large palm trees. It opens up to a little grassy area (strange, who mows this?) and a stream. The stream was a little brook really with shallow enough areas to step across without really getting your feet wet. So I jumped across and headed up the trail. Wow this one was steep and I mean STEEP. To the point where a trail isnt feasible and it is all stairs... stairs that are having erosion problems mind you but still stairs nonetheless. The trail gets much much smaller after the brook as well, not possible for two people to walk side by side and would have difficulty passing. It wraps around the mountain a bit in shadey areas as well as sunny spots. Temperature is pretty variable throughtout the whole ordeal really.

So climb climb climb... wow I feel like im getting nowhere fast. I take a bit of a detour (off the trail) and find a clearing to see where I am relative to the beach..... Oh my god Im only half way!!! What the heck kind of wacky vertical inigma is this?!? Im already tired from battling the stairs and hot/cold flashes. Im not in top physical condition by any means but jeez! So after a lot of breaks I feel I am starting to make it to the top of mountain 1... it then goes down to Whites Beach which the trail is named after.

(side note: just realized how close trail and trial are... irony? i think not)

I feel the sun getting more prevalent obviously meaning the top, I walk out into the sun.... . . . . onto somebodys driveway.... what? I check my map. Im in the right place. Why is there a road and a house? I walk down the road a bit and sure enough there is Whites beach... I promptly turn around and head back down the trail. What an awful awful trick that was. Here I felt like I was accomplishing something and not thinking.. Oh I can just get a ride up there. Its like someone climbing Mount Everest and finding some children with skis taking the lift up instead... a very what the *beep* kind of moment.

So I find my little clearing again half way down look out and see fog... but its not fog its another huge storm coming through. Luckily its going to Piha Valley instead of where I was... then I realize *shhhhhhhhHHHHHH* noise getting louder... ok so Im not a meterologist and cant predict weather patterns. So now the dirt trail with stairs and erosion problems becomes a slip and slide of mud with wooden stairs as tripping hazards. fantastic. Then I find my brook has become a river.

I sit and think back to home, for some reason the show "Man vs Wild" comes into my head and I end up not only being an adventurer but I also video record my mockumentary with enough sarcasm to choke a horse with. I am muddy, wet, dissappointed, and yet I feel great and the world is okay with me once again =)