Time for another update…this week I went into the back country for the first time. It was amazing, but also one of the most difficult hiking trips I’ve done. We ended up hiking twice as much as normal because of an meeting that we had to come out of the field for so it was especially difficult this time, but totally worth it!
The first day we hiked our gear into Apua Point, about 6 miles over lava. It was a rough hike because of the heat and the weight of the packs, but really not bad. The beach was great and we had it all to ourselves! Unfortunately we didn’t see any turtles this time, just tracks and some possible nesting sites one morning (she must have come up after 2am which is when we quite doing checks at night). We were there for 3 nights and then hiked out for the meeting. The next day we hiked into Halape…this one was rough. It was only 8 miles but the way there is all down hill and the way back is….you guessed it… all uphill. I was definitely hurting in places that I didn’t know I had after that hike ! Such an amazing feeling though when you finally make it to the top. Not to mention the fact that this beach is a freaking paradise and it’s so far out that no one was there either!
You literally hike through lava and barren fields for miles until you see about 15 palm trees way in the distance and then suddenly you arrive at clear water, white sandy beaches and snorkeling coves that you have all to yourself. 
Unfortunately, even though we camped out by a nest that was expected to start hatching, we didn’t see any hatchlings this trip (a little early for them anyways). We did get to do some snorkeling and swimming though, in the ocean and in a really neat fresh water area called “the crack” that’s near by which contains an indigenous species of shrimp! You can’t wear any deodorant or sunscreen in the crack, however, because the ecosystem is so fragile.
Overall it was a challenging, but worth it trip. Turtle activity is slow and I think I was spoiled on my last trip because I saw and did so much which apparently is not common. Hawksbills are critically endangered after all, not like the Honu (green sea turtles) which are everywhere. But babies should be hatching soon which will be incredibly exciting. Mostly on my days off I’ve been hanging out at the park, which is beautiful, lush and cool (a nice relief from hiking in the field), and going to the farmers market either in Volcano Village or Hilo to stock up on cheap fruits and veggies (6 papayas for $1!!). It’s really the only way to afford to eat around here. I did get to go to Kona for a day this time however, which was really great. We found a good snorkeling spot
where we actually saw Greens in the water and I also discovered Kona coffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or as I refer to it, heaven in a cup. So things are wonderful, although I miss you all! Please write to me when you get a chance, it’d be great to hear from each of you!
Sunset at Kona :)
It's hard to judge the distance, but this was about halfway on our hike from Halape, our site was just across from that small island you can see in the distance at the base of the large hill.
