Jenny’s Journal: Lanai April 12th-15th

April 12th

‘The Pineapple Isle’

Paddled across the Au’au channel today – we were nervous about the wind but it was SO fun! There was a slight side wind in the beginning but there were still some bumps that were easy to catch. Slater Trout joined us for the paddle. Fun to have someone else along. We had a great line all morning and were able to surf downwind for most of the crossing. I was so happy to be able to surf and not just paddle. I couldn’t stop smiling – I was having a really fun time. After 2.5 hours we paddled in to a beach – it was covered in plastic trash. We picked up what we could and paddled back out to the boat.

We’re camping at Hulopoe Beach Park on the South side of Lanai and it is absolutely beautiful! Keawe trees surround us and a white sand beach/turquoise water are just steps away. There is a surf break out front that works on a South swell – hoping we get lucky and get some waves!

April 13th

The wind was blowing last night. The trees were creaking as their branches swayed – it was an eerie sound. This morning the dolphins showed up in the bay. I have never seen dolphins so close to shore before – it was amazing. I swam a little ways out and was surprised when a pod swam right over to where I was. No matter how often I see dolphins, it never gets old. They are beautiful.

Drove over to the North side to check out Shipwreck beach. I was really looking forward to paddling near the wreck but the walk/paddle out looked difficult, not to mention how ugly the conditions were. We explored the beach instead and were blown away how much plastic trash there was on it. Rubber sandals, fishing line, toothbrushes, combs, glue sticks, WATER BOTTLES (so many!). It’s sad to see all that trash in such an isolated, beautiful place.

April 14th

More exploring today. We managed to get lost on our way out of town, difficult to comprehend since there are only 2 roads. We did however, find the local dump and there were HUNDREDS of plastic bags strewn all over the nearby fields. It’s going to be a very powerful image for people to see. Yesterday as we picked up trash I realized that all we could do is pick it up and take it to the nearest garbage – and then what? It gets blown away again or sits there forever. The problem isn’t picking it up – the problem is that so many plastics exist. We need to find a way to decrease the production. We can start by changing our habits… no more plastic bags or bottles.

Drove up to Lanai city. It reminds me of the Pacific Northwest – it was rainy and chilly and there were pine trees everywhere. It even smelled a bit like Canada. It’s a beautiful town. I loved it. It was neat to find something so different on the island – it didn’t feel at all like Hawaii. Stopped by some great local shops and chatted with the owners/managers. Great people. Talking to them made me realize that this is what our trip is all about – interacting with people and sharing our story and cause and listening to them. It was a great afternoon.

As the sun was close to setting Morgan and I saw a freak set roll through the bay. We jumped at the chance to surf – ran to the campsite, grabbed our boards and paddled out. We only caught one wave, it was shallow and freezing cold but it was gorgeous. The colors in the sky were amazing – shades of red and purple.

S’mores by the fire after dinner. Last night on Lanai – really enjoyed this island.

April 15th

Left Lanai today. Sad to go but excited about the rest of the trip. Moving is always interesting – 6 people, 5 boards, 20 pieces of luggage and pelican cases. All things considered, things went pretty smoothly today – well, except that Chris and Jen got left by the ferry.

Layne was supposed to pick us up on his boat to take us back to Maui but the conditions were not looking good and we decided to take the ferry instead. It’s a good thing we chose the ferry over the 30′ raydon because it was wild in the channel. Riding the ferry was like being on an hour long amusement park ride. The boat was rocking all over – I cannot imagine how bad it would have been on Layne’s boat. We would have been soaked, sick and most likely stuck on the boat for hours.

Maui to Molokai is up next, forecast is looking good!
Looks good for Molokai to Oahu too!

Cannot believe how quickly this trip is going by.