We’re back, Hawaii! It’s been 12 years and we have some unfinished business. This is my fourth trip (Bob’s third), and we figured it’s about time we hiked Diamond Head. How hard can it be?

The day prior to our hike I was encouraged by a t-shirt I saw that stated, “I hiked Diamond Head.” It was generic enough that one couldn’t know if the hike was completed or not, but I gave the man the benefit of the doubt.

My brother, who understands my fitness level, at least I thought he did, also had encouraged me that he thought I could do it. He said it was easy to moderate. He was wrong. Very wrong. As Senor Wences always said, “Easy for you, deefeecult for me.” If you recognize that name, you probably are around my age and have seen the Ed Sullivan Show. But I digress.

It is only 0.8 miles to the summit. That brings you to 560 feet above the crater floor. The trail is very uneven and steep, and there are stairways and semidark tunnels to add to the fun. we were told that it would take 1.5-2 hours to do the round-trip. I usually add another 25% to get to my time.

At the foot of Diamondhead it is quite lovely and serene. It is grassy and there are trees to sit under while you are being refreshed by island breezes. There are a lot of birds, too. Former trips to Hawaii introduced me to the Redcrested Cardinal, one of my very favorite birds. I probably took about 50 pictures of them.

I also got to know the small zebra dove, which is only about 8 inches in length. The dove and the common myna are everywhere in Hawaii. Also in abundance is the common waxbill. It is small, only 5 inches, and camera shy. The waxbills travel in large sporadically moving flocks.

As I am sitting here working on this post, the waxbill came right up on the balcony briefly. I told you he was camera shy!

Another new bird for me is the golden plover. They migrate to Hawaii from Alaska every year. It is a nonstop migration. Think about that!

This pre-hike area and the short time spent there taking in nature was my favorite part of the hike. As soon as we started up, I realized this was not about the journey but about the destination. At least it was for this flat-loving Florida girl.

My main goal of this trip to Hawaii was not to injure myself. That means I use a walking stick and watch my feet while hiking. Therefore, my main views of Diamondhead were of the ground. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all about looking down. There were lots of times when I was so out of breath I had to stop and enjoy the view during recovery.

This was one of those times. The man dropped his sunglasses over the edge and tried to get them with his shoe. Then he dropped his shoe. He had another friend with him and she did not video any of this. I was shocked! He did recover his shoe and his sunglasses and another pair of sunglasses as a bonus.

More recovery times to enjoy the view and the breezes:

Evidently, it would take more than three trips to the gym and a couple of times riding around the block on my bike to prepare me for a hike of any kind. Talk about disappointing! I think the main thing, though, is that I am not used to elevation or inclines of any kind. At least that’s what I tell myself to make me feel better.

And then this happened:

I took the video after an hour of hiking and then ten minutes of trying to breathe normally. It was a little concerning for Bob and me.

I ultimately decided I would keep going and reevaluate incrementally. I also decided that I had earned a T-shirt one way or the other. I was sure that Bob was not going to fight me on that!

These are the steps that did me in. you can see the tunnel at the top.

They really like stairs!

Here are pictures from the top. And they were from my phone, not Bob’s! I made it! Now I had to make it down.

I know that my readers are smart people, so you undoubtedly have figure it out by the fact that you’re reading this that I made it! My legs felt like Jell-O at the end, but it was worth it.

So if you are ever on Oahu and decide to hike Diamondhead and someone tells you it’s an easy hike, take note of who is telling you that and remember this story. I would hate to have suffered for nothing! Also, we started the hike before nine in the morning and it is hot in Hawaii. If you decide to do this hike, the earlier in the day the better. Happy hiking and aloha.

I got the t-shirt!