Riding With The Wind: Mountain Biking Adventures In Kauai

The last picture of me taken before my parents left.

So the plan went like this: mom and dad hang out for a week after the race, they leave their son for another 10 days and he bums around. Another friend from home (Also named Ben) comes to bum for 5 days in the middle. So we had camping gear, rented well used mountain bikes from this place, and didn't really have a plan besides hang out and adventure. Mom and dad drove me the 14 miles and 3600' up to Kokee state park (I would have never been able to pedal that with this pack). I camped for two nights and hiked around (see previous post). Then I rode down the canyon, which was exhilarating experience considering I was on a janky mountain bike with a 50 pound pack. Anyway I rode down to Polihale state park and hung out for a bit, chatted with some Hawaiian guy about pig hunting and cliff climbing. I decided the state park was really just an overrated scorching sand beach that was so hot you couldn't walk in bare feet. MI beaches are much more inviting. After that I rode a bit back toward Waimea and found a spot in the bush to camp for the evening.
Ben was flying into Lithue and I decided to ride the bus over to Kapaa to meet him. He booked a room at the Kauai Sands Hotel, where the room was clean, the price was right, and the clientele were super classy. For the period of time while Ben was there we rode inland to camp and also spent some nights at the hotel. We hiked, mountain biked, and read some books on the beach. A perfect combination of relaxation and adventure. It's worth mentioning here that I read Unbroken in two days, and it is one of the best books I've ever read. Read it. Anyway ere are some pictures from our adventures.