The shortest distance between two points...

...is a straight line.

But the shortest isn't always the best, as evidenced by Saturday's hiking adventure. Chris spotted ancient ruins on a map in a remote area below Pahala town more than six years ago and he's been aching to get down there ever since. He attempted the trek once with a guy who turned back because he wasn't prepared for the amount of "hardship" he'd have to endure on this particular hike.

We started on a road at the edge of a mac nut farm, but the road didn't go the direction we wanted to head so we bushwhacked for three miles through six-foot tall grass, thorn bushes, weeds that conceal cracks in the lava, rough a`a lava, and finally my favorite, the weed covered a`a field. According to the GPS, we kept a very straight line all the way to our destination. No wasted effort; that made us proud.

We were disappointed when we found the spot, however. The coastline was beautiful but ordinary. The ruins consisted of a few rock walls littered with old beer bottles, an interesting rock table and piles of opihi shells- nothing we haven't seen before. Chris was expecting a canoe launch site, fresh water, trees, something "magical." To add insult to injury, a boat load of fishermen and all their junk littered the cliff. So much for going "where no man has gone before."

We were relieved to find a road and decided to hike that out, even if it meant going five miles out of the way. Instead, it lead right back to the orchard and nut farm. It was the very road we started out on! Why did we ever stray from that path? All I could do was laugh.

Don't let this dismal report fool you. We both had fun...good times, good company. It gives new meaning to the phrase, "the joy in in the journey."

Making use of a stone table and chairs

This is where we decided to stray from the road and head through the woods. Why did I decide to wear a tank top and shorts?