The walk down into Waipi‘o Valley on the Big Island is easy,
but the hike up isn’t, for the casual stroller at least.
I’ve tackled that steep incline twice in my life, so long ago,
once with my family, the other time on a class field trip,
the first at age 10, the second at age 12.
I’ve walked many miles since my retirement,
for exercise on a daily basis, far more than I did in years before.
Yet no matter how many miles I put in each day,
when it comes to hills far less perpendicular than Waipi‘o,
I have difficulty, due, I’m sure, to damage from 45 years of smoking.
Access to Waipi‘o Valley has been much in the news recently,
and the various restrictions placed upon using that road
have made me want more than ever to make the hike one more time.
Pedestrians are currently one of the banned classes of users,
but there will come a time when they’ll be allowed again, I hope.
When this happens, I plan to make the hike again, with many rest stops,
traveling back to my childhood, when walks like that were easy.
Lanning Lee 