Hardly a Mistake

Saturday, August 14th
Kasey, Katelyn and I were supposed to go skiing this weekend. But due to lack of funds, and the stress of trying to get our assignments done we opted to go another weekend. Instead we took the 3 bus all the way out to Sumner Beach and hiked Taylor's Mistake.

The weather couldn't decide if it wanted to be cloudy and grey or sunny and blue. One moment we rejoicing in the sun and then next hoping it wasn't going to start raining. Despite the bipolar weather we headed out anyway. While Kasey and Katelyn both had been to the beach before, it was my first time. Sometimes you get so caught up in how breathtaking the land is here, that you forget you're actually on a island. Seeing the waves crash against the sand was a a sharp reminder that there really was a rather large ocean separating us from home. It's very humbling to lookout over the blue-grey water, past the tiny surfers patiently waiting for the best waves, hearing the roar those waves make again the shore and know you are just one person in a huge world.

As much as I could have spent hours just watching the ocean, we bypassed the beach to follow a road that, almost literally, went STRAIGHT up the hill. Calves were screaming, breathing was ragged and we hadn't even begun our hike yet! After the road we had to climb far too many stairs to reach the top before we were even officially on the Taylor's Mistake hike. Brutal, yes, but we have definitely tackled much worse inclines in previous hikes and, as always, the view from the top was by far worth it.

Just a reminder; it is winter here, though you certainly can't tell it by looking at the vegetation!

                                               

                                                
Clearly they don't know their seasons, or at least what a real winter is supposed to look like.

We followed the path on, enjoying the cry of the seagulls, crash of the waves, so very far down  the cliff, and just enjoying the feeling of not being stuck inside pouring over text books. Eventually the path turned downhill, to far too many switch backs, at the top you could look out and see the corresponding switchbacks  on the hill next too it. While being able to see what we had to tackle next wasn't exactly a good motivator. The scenery was certainly pretty enough to make up for it.

Whoever lives along the path must have realized hikers would need some kind of reward for their climb for we found a treat at the very top.

After a little swing time, we were off again! This time passing through a gate the warned of livestock enclosed within-oh boy! Fairly certain the sign meant sheep, we were extremely surprised and pleased to see it was a donkey pasture instead!

After leaving the adorable donkeys to eat their grass, we needed our own snack break. Veering off the trail we followed a side path down on to some lava rocks that were right next to the water. 

After my granola bar I got a touch fidgety and had to climb down too the rocks right next too the water. After all most falling in, I made it to the very tip, only to have to jump back 10 seconds later because a massive wave crashed against the rock spraying everything with water. 

Can you find Kasey and Katelyn?

Lava rocks- many of them had these strange veins running through them

Finally done with the track we walk down to another beach and town. The town is pretty much entirely composed of little bitty surf shacks all along the coast.

I can totally move my llama and horses here, right?

Thus officially ends the Taylor's Mistake's track. Not wanting to tackle the switch backs again, we walked back to Sumner along the road. Which wasn't nearly as pretty, but was much easier on the body.