Halape
I finally feel that I have found something I have been searching for all of these years, like I have taped into the essence of joy and freedom and realized how simple and primitive it is. With friends Drew and Katie we set out for the Halape Shelter in Volcanoes National Park. It started with walking a trail 8 miles carrying our boards and culminated at remote surf break where we rode waves and immersed ourselves in the stunning landscape for three days.
It was such a transcending trip for me. I have dreamed of surfing in a remote back country setting since I began back in middle school. The trip encompassed my passions: backpacking, surfing, running, rock climbing, and star gazing. Halape evoked memories of some of my favorite places. Sweet floral fragrances reminded me of running along the banks of the James River in Richmond. The remote surf reminded me of dreaming of such a place while back in Seashore State Park, the place where I began running. The dry air and landscape of the hike brought back memories of running up Horse Butte outside of Bend. All of these amazing places and memories fused into one spot of remote coast on the Big Island had me buzzing with joy, dancing up and down the face of waves. Both me and Drew were inspired by the movie Litmus and it reflected in the way we rode waves.
I draw parallels to running and surfing, I think trail running is the closest thing on land there is to surfing. I get the same sense of ecstatic joy and freedom from both. Dancing on waves at Halape I have never been happier!!
