Stay Tuned...

Hey everyone! So I'm still getting settled here in Utah, my skin is dry, allergies are at DEFCON 10, and a 5 pack chapstick bundle was immediately purchased upon arrival, but I'm surviving. I'm now moved into a house in South Salt Lake and I'm slowly getting everything unpacked and organized. I want to once again thank everyone who has followed this blog, I really appreciate everyone's interest and feedback. Life is all about experience and sharing those with others is a great feeling.

I also want to remind everyone that I will continue to blog about everything and anything that comes my way, however I don't feel it would be appropriate to do that under the "Hawaiian Jace" name. So as you may already know i'm retiring this particular blog, but I have transferred it over to a new blog under the name "Taste Of Jace".  This is where all my new content will go up. So please feel free to bookmark that page, and click the follow link so you can be notified when new posts go up! So click here to do so :)

Again, thanks everyone for being so awesome, and I hope I can continue to deliver content that you will all find interesting!

If Life is a book, this was a Chapter.

As some of you may already know, my time here in Hawaii is coming to  an end. At least this particular trip anyway. It's strange to think I  have been here for 3 months now, and stranger how quickly it has went  by. My untimely arrival came just weeks after my friend Devin Graham asked if I could edit a documentary film he was working on, telling the story of a local photographer Jon Mozo  who was killed while photographing waves in the ocean. Little did I  know how much of a positive effect taking this job would have on me.

The  life of Jon Mozo is one that is without a doubt worth sharing. As I  learned more about his life I began to realize how much love and  kindness he showed to all of those around him. Not only that but here we  are 6 years after his death and yet he is still impacting people that  he never even knew. People like me. I feel like I have learned from Jon.  Almost as if I knew him. The things I have learned from how he lived  his life will have a wonderful impact on mine for years to come. I could  easily write thousands of words about his life, but I would not do him  justice. I do know that Devin has worked very hard acquiring many  interviews and lots of footage, and I will work hard editing the story  together in hopes that it will give even a glimpse of the incredible  life Jon Mozo lived.

I have been blessed to spend time  with his wonderful family. His wife Nikki, brother Carlos and his four  children are bright extensions of Jon. They have been so kind to me from  the first day I arrived. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to get  to know this family. Although I am leaving now, I know that I will be  back. Not just because I want to see this beautiful island again, but  because I know I will miss the Mozo family, and look forward to spending  time with them again in the future.

The most  important part of life is the people we share it with. Everything else  is simply for survival. The money we make, the possessions we own, that  status we acquire really means nothing in the end. Our journey from  birth to death is all about who we experience it with. Choose wisely and  keep an open mind, because we only get one shot.

I am  excited to return home and see my family again. They have been so much  help and offered a tremendous amount of support, not just during this  experience but my entire life. I'm lucky to have such amazing parents  who have always been incredible examples, teaching me to be a hard  working, loving human being. Also, a Brother who toughened me up as a  kid, and has become a great friend during the transition to adulthood.  I've always been lucky to be surrounded by such good friends. Friends  willing to reach out and help me in times of need, friends who I can  only hope to emulate one day. I can't possibly say enough about them.

So  as the final words are written in this chapter I can't help but be  excited for what comes next. Thanks to everyone who has followed along  as I have blogged my experience here in Hawaii. I want you all to know  that I am going to continue posting articles on another blog called "Taste Of Jace".  I have a lot of cool things around the corner so if you have enjoyed  following this, then I suggest you follow that one as well!

Here  is a video that sort of summarizes my time here. It is a mix of video  and photography. Thanks again everyone, and I hope you have enjoyed  following along!


Hawaii 2011 from (LTAV) Jace LeRoy on Vimeo.

Stairway To Heaven

First of all let me apologize to any Led Zeppelin fans out there who may have accidentally come here hoping to hear one of the best songs ever recorded. Click here to ease your woes. No, this particular post is about the hike I was lucky enough to experience called "Stairway To Heaven" here on Oahu Hawaii. If you want to know the complete history of the stairs click here, but the gist of it is that these stairs were built in 1943 by the Navy to enable them to string communication cables from one side of the island to the other. Later the Naval base was decommissioned in the 50's and was then used as a navigation system by the Navy. In 1987 the stairs were closed off to the public and remain closed off today due to liability issues. The total stair count from bottom to top is 3,922.

There is a Guard stationed at the bottom of the stairs who's job consists of turning away any eager hikers. I found this out the hard way, twice. Yes, that's correct, I tried this hike twice previously last week and both times arrived too late only to be turned away by the guard on duty. This was super disappointing because just getting to the stairs requires going over, under, and through fences, stomping through bamboo forests, navigating small beaten paths, and did I mention this is all done in the dark? The only way to avoid the guard is to go very, very early.

So as my time here on the island comes to a close, this particular hike quickly shot to the top of my "must do list", mainly because it had thwarted me twice previously. Determined and motivated I decided to give it one last shot. Only this time I was going to leave at 1 a.m. in order to guarantee not being defeated yet again by the the man in the uniform. So I enlisted a group of friends, none of which had every done the hike before and we set off.

The cast included my roommate Austin, an eager 19 year old who likes hot pockets almost as much as I do. My friend Melinda who I knew previously from Provo and is currently here going to BYUH. Melinda's roommate Lani, a girl you want to bring on every hiking trip because she literally thinks of everything, and is more prepared than any elite boyscout. Also, my good pal Carlos Mozo, little brother to Jon Mozo, the man who's life is being made into a documentary that I have been very lucky to work on. And Finally a very good friend of the Mozo family, Dillion. Needless to say it was definitely a good looking group of people.

Close look of the Stairway structure.

So the Six of us set off on our Journey at 1 a.m in the morning. We arrived at a small neighborhood where you can park your car and cross over the first of many fences that are littered with "NO TRESPASSING" signs. The benefit of attempting this hike twice the week before was that I now knew the path of finding the stairs like that back of my hand. So getting to the beginning of the stairs quickly is no problem. After navigating our way to the base of the mountain where the stairs begin I was elated to find no Guard on duty! Finally, the term "3rd time is a charm" was actually applicable to a situation in my life! So there I was, standing at the bottom of nearly 4,000 stairs that had evaded me twice already, but this time there was nothing stopping me, except myself.

Only two more fences had to be crossed, and we finally set foot on the first stair at roughly 2:30 a.m. At this point the excitement and adrenaline was all I needed. I quickly realized I was going to need a better flashlight solution than my current tool which was my cell phone. This is where Lani comes in very handy, she didn't have a flashlight, rather she had TWO flashlights. So i stuck one in my mouth, grabbed the railing and started my way to the top.

It begins.

Going up these stairs you quickly realize they are like nothing you have every climbed in your life. Almost always steeper than a 45 degree angle, these 8 foot segments, although rusted and missing a step every now and then feel amazingly sturdy for the most part considering they are nearly 70 years old. Wide enough for just one person to fit, your arms are just as important as your legs as you pull yourself up each step. The stairs literally turn into a ladder in a few spots as they go completely vertical scaling the face of rocky cliffs. 

Years of wear and tear taking a toll.

I'm not sure if it was the adrenaline wearing off or the lack of food in my stomach but after climbing for 20 minutes I became very sick. At one moment I thought I was going to have to turn back, and felt throwing up wasn't a matter of if, but when. So we took a break, I sat down, leaning against the railing trying to decide what I was going to do. Certainly I couldn't turn back now. Luckily, this gave Lani yet another chance to show off her preparedness skills. She was like having a mini convenient store following behind me. She not only had an apple for me to eat, but some ibuprofen as well. After about 10 minutes I felt much better, and our adventure continued.

I wish I could accurately describe the magnitude of these stairs, and I hope these pictures are able to do them justice somewhat. Looking at them as you climb is intimidating to say the least. They are built on the ridge of a mountain where in many cases you are standing in areas where these narrow stairs barely fit with 100 foot drop offs on either side of you.

As we climbed, the rain started to fall. This made me nervous at first, because the last thing I wanted was another obstacle to deal with. Climbing a set of soaking, wet stairs isn't exactly preferred in a situation where if you fall, you are not going to stop for a very long time. However, the rain felt good and cooled us off as we climbed. It did cause the stairs and rails to become very slippery but was not enough to make us turn around.

Stairway to Heaven.

 There are basically 4 main platforms that you encounter on your way to the top. These are flat spots that feel very rewarding to get to. The first one is by far the most difficult to reach, but eventually we arrived, and it felt great. We still had thousands of stairs to go, but hitting this first platform filled me with all the motivation that was just sucked out of me trying to get there. After a short break we continued to the top.

First platform. From left to right: Dillion, Carlos, Lani, Me, Austin, Melinda, and Tripod.

Built by mad scientists.

At this point I had my second wind, and sort of hit my stride. The obsesive compulsive disorder inside me was busy distracting me as it had me counting each and every stair I was going up. I lost track of time and position. Before I knew it, I had got quite a bit ahead of my friends. I kept going until I hit a realitively flat spot. This is where I had one of those moments that we live for, and never forget.

Surrounded by clouds, with light rain falling around me. I leaned against the rail and looked out over the valley. I could barely see the lights from the towns below glowing through the thick mist. I closed my eyes and took a slow deep breath realizing this may be the purest breath I had ever taken in my life. I felt the cold air rush into my lungs and imagined the oxygen being mixed into my blood hitting my heart and being pumped through my body. Standing there, on a mountain in Hawaii in the middle of the pacific ocean breathing this air is something that will stay with me forever.

Beautiful.

 The group caught up to me and we made it to platforms 2 and 3 rather quickly. We could feel that we were getting close. The weather continued to get worse. This wasn't the Hawaii you imagine in your head. Far away from sandy, sun soaked beaches where 85 degree sun rays tan your skin. No, we were some 2,000 feet above sea level at this point, surrounded by rain clouds dumping water on us. With the temperature somewhere in the the lower 40's, I felt like I was right back in Utah.

Continuing on.

Finally, our destination was just a few hundred steps away. Climbing up, the giant radio station with two large satallite dish like structures on top came into view. We had finally reached the end of this amazing staircase. We were cold, tired, and hungry but the sense of accomplishment was enough to distract us from these discomforts. At least for a few minutes anyway.

Getting to the top doesn't exactly reward you as you might think you should be for climbing a near 4,000 stairs. You feel like there should be a hot tub at the top, and a buffet filled with your favorite foods. What you get though is a rundown concrete building complete with wet floor, rusted metal, and grafitti all over the walls.

I climbed to the top of the radio tower. Fighting the wind, rain and cold in order to get this shot. Worth it.

Hanging out at the top, inside the graffiti covered radio tower.

This is the part I tell you to buckle up because I'm about to throw a crazy life changing analogy your way where I compare a hike to the grand scheme of life. But that's exactly what it was. Life really isn't about the beginning or the end. Rather the experiences you have getting to the end that matter. We get so focused on where we want to be tomorrow that we forget to enjoy where we are today. Don't rush through life too quickly because the only thing waiting for us at the end of our earthly life is a six foot hole in the ground. What comes after that is another journey in of itself, but you might as well pull as much out of this one as you possible can. Take a minute to stop and fill your lungs once in a while with the air around you.

Ascending the staircase.

Carlos facing his fear like a man.

Our trip was only half over and we still needed to climb back down. This proved to be a bit quicker than going up, and with the sun finally peaking over the ocean we could now take in all the beauty that was around us. My pal Carlos wasn't too happy about that, because he isn't exactly the biggest fan of heights, but like a champ he pushed through it with a clean pair of shorts. Stopping periodically to take photos we eventually reached the bottom where the guard was waiting for us.

Luckily he was very cool about the situation, and he even warned us that cops had arrested people the day before, and he recommended we take a different path back to our car to avoid the same fate. So back through the bamboo forest we went, making it back to the car in one piece.

7,844 stairs later I can finally scratch this hike off the list. What an amazing way to say goodbye to such a beautiful place. But at least I know this isn't goodbye forever, as I will hopefully be making many more trips back to this wonderful place.


More Photos from the hike.

What, you thought I'd climb 4,000 stairs and NOT bring a slinky? You're crazy.

Staircase full of misfits.

Melinda giving her best Richard Nixon impression.

My point of view while coming down.

Carlos shooting the mountainside.

Just when you think you're done... it keeps going.

Carlos through the overgrown plant life.

Mud Fight In Paradise

Hey everyone, remember my post "Making a Mess and New Friends"? It was the first thing I filmed out here in Hawaii. In fact I think it was like the third day I was here? Anyway, Devin finished editing the video and has posted it to his YouTube channel! Now it's time for you to enjoy it :)

The Aftermath

Partners in crime. 

Bonus Video:
The song in the mud fight video is by a guy named Kyle Andrews. His music rocks. I helped film a music video for one of his songs (You always make me Smile) last Summer. I highly recommend watching it, and I definitely recommend buying his music.

Kyle and I after shooting the music video.

Belated 4th of July!

Wow, I was sitting here deep inside the 9th straight hour of editing the Documentary today when it hit me. My friend/roommate/collegue Devin Graham released a really cool video for the 4th of July celebration. I somehow spaced it off and forgot to post it!

Some of you probably caught it on Facebook or YouTube, but I really wanted to share it on here so anyone who might have missed it would have the chance to watch. I make a few cameos swinging a golf club and throwing a Frisbee. I have to thank my Jr. High PE coach, Coach Thompson for teaching me how to chuck a Frisbee like a pro. I'm pretty sure my Ultimate Frisbee team won that year because of said skills? Yes. Yes we did.

Interviewed By Skoolige.com

Hey everyone, I was recently interviewed by a website called "Skoolige.com". I was asked 5 questions about my photography. Go check it out here.

Sacred Falls Hike

When you get the opportunity to hike an area referred to as "Sacred Falls" you can't really turn it down. What an amazing place. When you come to Hawaii it's easy to spend all your time on the beaches, and for good reason. However, I must say that going inland is just as incredible. I've never felt so detached from the world. The high cliffs rendered my cell phone useless. It was just my friend, his father, and myself walking through the untouched landscape of Oahu. Below is a very shaky, handheld video of this expedition. Enjoy!

Kua'loa Ranch [Video]

For those of you who have been following my blog you may remember reading my post "Another Day At The Office". That particular post was about a day spent filming at an amazing location called Kua'loa Ranch (Koo-uh-low-uh). I was helping my friend Devin Graham with a commercial being shot for the ranch to help promote their activities. If you want to read a little more in depth of that day feel free to click the "Another Day At The Office" link above.

Here is the video that we shot for them in all of it's High Definition Glory.

Haka

I got to be part of something that was quit amazing today. I helped my friend Devin film a "Haka" (hawk-uh) performed by a group of men and women who are renown for their performances and even compete in Haka competitions.

They give nothing less than a 110%

Haka is a traditional dance form of the Māori (indigenous people of New Zealand). However, these are are unlike any dance you have ever seen. They are raw, intense, intimidating and beautiful. Many people are mistaken, and have been mislead to think that there is only one Haka, or that it is a war dance performed only by men. This however, is not true. They are performed by men, women, small groups, large groups, and sometimes children. They are performed for various reasons, all of which are designed to communicate. Whether it be for amusement, awareness, preparing for war, or to acknowledge achievement.

Who would have thought some of the most intimidating people, are also some of the nicest?

Haka is physically demanding. Especially when performing many times in a row.

Before today I had seen only two Haka's performed here in Hawaii. Both at a wedding that I filmed in Honolulu. The first was performed by a group of men hired specifically for the wedding. I did not know what message they were expressing because I don't speak Māori, the other Haka was performed by the father of the bride. He explained before his performance that it was a Haka he used to perform with his High School football team before games. The message was about becoming men, playing with dignity, and never giving up. Again, I don't know exactly what was said during his performance, but watching it you can feel the message. It comes to you in the form of loud chanting, the slapping of body parts, and feet stomping the ground. It dominates everything around it. It requires your attention, and stays with you long after the performance ends. They do not need music to guide the rhythem of the performance. Instead the perfect choreography of the body slapping, yelling and movement, that when combined creates sound waves that are nothing short of musical.

The very definition of intense.

Now that you have an idea of what Haka is, watch this video below of the New Zealand rugby team the "All Blacks" (no, that's not a racial slur, that's their name) as they perform their specific Haka before a game.

Pretty intense right? This is not what I would want to see my opponent doing before a match started. Definitely a great way to start the game off with a bit of an edge. I'm surprised the other team is able to refrain from laying in the fetal position sucking their own thumbs.

Preparing for the next shot.

The Haka that we filmed today was brilliant in every way. The location we shot at is the beautiful Kua'loa ranch on Oahu. This ranch has been used as the back drop for several films and tv shows such as Pearl Harbor, Jurrasic Park, LOST, Godzilla and many others. Luckily we get to film there for free. We shot it on top of a hill, and I'm very excited to see the final edit.

Small price to pay for an awesome an amazing time, and eventually a great video.

If you ever get the chance to see a Haka be performed I highly recommend watching it. You'll be glad you did! Just don't be surprised if you find yourself shaking after it's over.

Crouching Lion

This post is a bit different from what most people are used to. It's not a long article with photos, but it's also not a VLOG Episode. I went on a hike with some good friends and shot some video while we embarked on our journey. This is just a quick video documenting the experience.

People in the video include my home state friends Adam (has a camera on his head) and Sam (dark shirt, and sunglasses), both from Emery County Utah where we all grew up. They flew out here for a few days to take on the island life for a while. The other two people are my friends and current roommates out here in Hawaii. Jimmy (the beautiful Asian) and Devin (the person you don't see because he wandered off).

I think this is what life is all about. Sharing experiences with those we care about. We learn about ourselves, and it enables us to become better people. I think it's easy for us to fall into daily routines where we cease to experience anything new. I challenge you to make a list of things you have not done or have not done in a long time and do them, no matter how small or grand they may be. Break free from the daily grind. Also, take time to enjoy the experiences. Even bad experiences have many things to learn from which can in turn make them seem not so bad at all, but rather worth it in the end.

[VLOG] EP: 05

"Where I live"

Learn Something New

You've come to know people throughout your life. Some pass through without hardly any impact at all. Others become good friends, while a select few become part of your life. Everyone around you has knowledge. Their skills, talents, and abilities might be right out in the open, but you may be surprised in the things that have slipped your attention.

A wonderful playground.

 I feel like I am quite proficient in many areas. Over the years I have become pretty good at a handful of sports, my skills in film making and photography have skyrocketed, I have composed music, created paintings on canvas, hunted big game animals, graduated from college, built computers, worked in tire shops, and most recently learned how to (somewhat) surf.

My arms were too tired to paddle.

 So, I sound pretty amazing don't I? Well I wish I could say that's true, but the truth is that I owe my abilities, talents and knowledge to all those who have been kind enough to teach me and share with me what they know. My parents and brother, teachers, friends and even strangers. I owe everything to them. It's because of them that I have been able to become good at anything. The only thing I've done is take advantage of these resources which makes me sound kind of like a jerk actually.

My pal Nate. He's no rookie.

We've all ran into someone who "knows it all". These people frustrate me because generally they are too prideful to share their knowledge, and they act like they owe nothing to anyone almost as if they came across all this knowledge by themselves.  Luckily I don't run into these types of people very often. It's quite the opposite in fact. I'm lucky to have so many people in my life willing to teach me. I'm glad I've never been too prideful to listen.

When the Mozo family offered me the chance to go to Waikiki and surf with them, I was honored. I mean that in every sense of the word. They have only known me for five short weeks, but that's not how they treat me. They have literally given me shelter and food since the day I arrived. A clear reflection of Jon Mozo, the man who's life is being made into a documentary. I was a bit nervous to do something new, but that was drown out by the excitement.

What you don't know, is that he is making airplane noises in this picture.

The next morning we piled into some vehicles, surf boards in tow and headed out. When we arrived it was an absolutely beautiful day. I couldn't wait. We all grabbed a board and walked to the edge of the water. My roommate Nate showed me which leg to attach the leash to. Just like a snowboard the leash is basically a cord which has two ends, one tethered to the board and the other to your ankle. This keeps the board from getting too far away from you in the event you get drilled by a wave. With my board in the water and my leash on, I was ready. 

 The very talented Amber Mozo and her sister Yani. Great teachers by the way.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why waves even exist or what causes them? I know I never did. Let me take this chance to explain it to you as I understand it. Basically a shore-break occurs at any beach where the depth of the ocean floor changes dramatically. Swells traveling in deep water remain intact until they come in contact with shallow water near the shore. This water then unleashes all it's energy in a short distance. That's how waves are born more or less. Every beach will have different breaks, some will have huge waves, while others will be much more friendly to someone such as myself.

It actually took some time to learn how to do this without falling off.

The first thing you have to do when you get in the water is lay on your board and begin paddling out to the break that you plan on surfing. I quickly learned that surfing is no chump when it comes to strenuous activity. I was winded just paddling out. As we approached the break, the oldest daughter of the Mozo family, Amber, was gracious enough to donate her surf knowledge to me. She quickly taught me how to deal with paddling through waves, how to sit up on my board, turn myself around in the water with my feet, and most importantly how to catch a wave. Getting my brain to actually process this information and send the correct signals to my limbs was a bit challenging however. I spent the first hour in the water falling off my board, getting tossed by waves, and trying to blow the salt water out of my nose. I found that as long as I listened to Amber, and did exactly what she said, I was going to benefit from it. Finally I got into position, as a wave approached Amber instructed me to paddle as hard as I could. My arms violently tore through the water. I could feel the energy of the wave building under my board. Then it happens, the moment where the wave takes control of you, and it owns you in every way. You become nothing more than a visitor to it's power. My hands grip the edge of the board tightly as I push my self up. I hesitate for a moment, and then stand up. A rush of endorphins are released from my brain as I realize I am actually surfing. It doesn't last long before I lose my balance and awkwardly spill into the ocean, but when I surface all I have is a smile on my face and my ears hear the sound of clapping coming from my own personal support group. I quickly hop back onto my board, because I just want to do it again and again.

See that joyous look on my face? Like a child.

Party wave!

Surfing is unlike any sport I've ever taken part of. I think it's because the ocean is so alive. You can't help but feel a connection with it. It's both terrifying and beautiful at the same time. The power that it's able to conjure up is beyond belief. It requires your attention and respect. Anything you do in the Ocean, is only because it lets you.

By the end of the day I was proud of myself for trying something new, but more importantly I was again thankful to Amber, the Mozo family, and my friends for helping me along every step of the way. It's because of them I had the opportunity in the first place. Take every chance you have to learn from others, If those chances don't come organically, then make them happen, and more importantly do everything you can to share that knowledge once you attain it.

A big beautiful mess.

I haven't been in Hawaii very long. Just over a month to be exact. So naturally each day feels incredibly new and fresh. Even when I stay in all day editing on my computer, the sound of the ocean and swaying palm trees out my windows are still very much foreign to me. Each day feels like an adventure, but adventures come in different sizes and last night's adventure was a big, beautiful mess. 

Around 3:00pm my roommate Devin suggested that we go camping. The location sounded amazing. A lighthouse perched at the point of the rocky coast complete with WWII bunkers on top. The catch, is that nobody is supposed to be there after dark, and cops check the nearby parking lot for vehicles. This led to the decision to travel by bus.

Our destination

So we packed lightly. A little food, some water, small blankets, a tarp, and most importantly our camera gear. We headed out the door and down to the nearest bus stop. This is when things stopped going our way, and everything that could go wrong did.

Little did they know the adventure that awaited us.

Our camera gear... complete with "Nate".

Cameras make good pillows. 

Our first bus wasn't much of an issue in the beginning. It seemed simple enough. Take the bus down the coast, get off at a particular stop, transfer onto another bus, and head to our destination. Not quite. What happened is that we missed our stop and ended up going clear over the mountain to the other side. We promptly got off, and caught a bus back from where we had just come from. We got back to the original transfer stop and waited again for the next bus. Here we met a nice lady named Judy, she was from New York and in her 60's. She has lived on the island for 44 years. Why do I know such things about Judy? Because my friend Devin decided it was his obligation to interrogate the poor lady. Waving his arms, talking loudly and being downright crazy he carried on a conversation with Judy. Oh, and did I mention I filmed the whole thing? Yeah, I totally did.

Finally our next bus pulled up, we boarded and though we were running out of daylight, we were on the right path, at least we thought. The bus got us within a few miles of where we wanted to be, but still far from walking distance. We tried to hitchhike, but I guess nobody had room because we watched as car after car passed on the opportunity to pick up three strapping lads.

I guess my huge biceps were intimidating people?

With the power of Google Maps on our phone we found another bus stop that would FINALLY get us to where we were trying to get, and to our surprise it did! We arrived at "Sea Life Park", which is just a couple miles from the Lighthouse.

So up the hill we trekked. We arrived at the parking lot that sits at the base of cliffs. There is a paved trail that goes all the way around the cliff side and eventually leads to the Lighthouse, but we had little to no daylight left, so we decided going up and over was the best idea. We were both right and wrong. The daylight disappeared faster than we anticipated, halfway up a cop car had pulled into the parking lot with the lights flashing. Did he know we were there? Was he calling for backup? We didn't care, and it only motivated us to move faster.

Still a long way from the top it began to rain, and the wind was blowing violently. Through the dark we staggered our way up over the rocks and through the cactus and bushes. Finally we reached the top, but the lighthouse was at the base of the other side. We had hit the halfway mark. By this time the rain was relentless and showed no signs of slowing down, so we took refuge in one of the WWII bunkers. It's good enough for soldiers, should be fine for us we figured. As we scoped out the concrete floor for a spot to sleep with the lights on our phones I began to see movement. Upon closer examination I discovered some fun friends that we were about to have a slumber party with. A handful of scorpions and a very menacing looking centipede. Suddenly the rain and wind didn't seem so bad. We grabbed our gear, climbed out of the bunker and decided we would walk down to the lighthouse. It was dark, raining, and dangerous but by this point we really didn't care.

We stumbled, fell, and slid down to the path that led to the lighthouse. Hooray! That wasn't so hard now was it? The lighthouse was finally within sight. We finished the remaining last steps that led us to a lookout point. This point consisted of some concrete stairs leading to a concrete slab with a small fence around it to prevent people from falling to their death I suppose. This looked like a perfect spot to sleep for the night.

Best suite on the island.

 This is when all the hurdles that we had just spent hours jumping over suddenly seemed so worth it. Looking out over the ocean the nearly full moon was so bright I had to squint to look at it. I'd never seen the moon look so powerful. It hung up there in the clouds, and all I could imagine was the force it has pulling our oceans around like rag dolls raising and lowering the tides. We could see another storm approaching as it dumped rain back into the ocean, but all I wanted to do is take photos.

Only in Hawaii does the moon shine like a sun.

 Finally my pal Nate talked us into getting our "campsite" set up. This consisted of putting a tarp up against the face facing the wind. Not much of a tent, but I was grateful for it. It kept everything dry, and shielded us from the intense wind. After the storm passed what I saw next was not only a first for me, but one of the most surreal moments of my life. A lunar rainbow.

Dear Planet Earth. You are stupid cool. That is all.

 I didn't even know it was possible, but there it was, staring me in the face. I scrambled to get my tripod set up and my camera primed to expose. Unfortunately at night the only way to take photos is using long exposure, and subtle movement during the exposure causes blurry images. So, long exposure combined with wicked nasty wind equals less than focused shots. I did the best that mother nature would allow. Nothing will compare to being there in person and witnessing such an event. We had a little more fun with long exposures as well.

Nate wins the circle game. Devin gets bronze.

My handwriting looks better when I write backwards using my phone. That's strange to me.

As the night wore on we eventually wrapped up in blankets and attempted to sleep. I don't think any of  us got much. The combination of multiple rainstorms, and coastal wind throughout the evening mad it tough to doze off. Eventually morning arrived and we were greeted with a gorgeous sunrise. I'm beginning to think Hawaii doesn't know how to have any other kind of sunrise.

Insert 1000 words here

Me shooting the "lighthouse"

My shoes have never been so scared.

Even though we didn't face ideal conditions during our venture, what we received in the end was priceless. A memory that will never be pulled from our minds. A memory that we had to earn. The difficulties of this trip were what made it worth having.

This adventure ends, to make room for the next.