We flew to the island where a 6.0 magnitude earthquake had shook the Hawaiian archipelago the night before. What a way to start our Memorial Day weekend.

Ken’s House of Pancakes

Matt and Roger picked us up at the airport and drove straight to the old school diner with a massive menu. Some of us had omelets. Some of us had eggs-n-things. Some of us had pancakes. Some of us snorted Diamox with a rolled up Benjamin. Ballin’.

Two Ladies Kitchen

We stopped at the go-to-mochi shop but long lines exacerbated by graduation and holiday weekend appetites and Hilo rain showers resulted in no-go-to-mochi. KTA became the backup. Just as good, but not as fresh?

Ainapo Road

Thanks to Roger for getting the combination to the gate that allowed us to pass through.

Ainapo Road

Some of us stopped to use the last flushing toilet on the trail.

Ainapo Road

Thumbing a ride.

Ainapo Road

Closing the gates behind us and civilization.

Ainapo Road

A gaggle of Hawaiian geese roaming the grounds.

Ainapo Road

Passing through a herd of cows grazing on Kapapala Ranch that sprawls over 34,000 acres and was founded back in 1860.

Ainapo Road

It was slow going up the road that was in rough shape from the storm that battered the area in March 2026.

Ainapo Trail

We arrived at the trailhead after a little over two hours of 4×4 driving through the Kapapala Forest Reserve on the slopes of Mauna Loa.

Ainapo Trail

Matt explaining his meal schedule with the group.

Ainapo Trail

Stepping foot on the historic trail that originally began at the village of Kapapala at 2,000′ elevation. Thanks to our motorized vehicles, we were starting at 5,650′ elevation.

Ainapo Trail

Somebody said that tree looks familiar.

Ainapo Trail

That’s one big buggah that begat so much bowel movement.

Ainapo Trail

Somebody said that stack of rocks looks familiar.

Ainapo Trail

That somebody standing in the middle of a tree that was rent asunder by lightning or termites.

Ainapo Trail

Why carry your own water bottle when you can have somebody else carry it for you?

Ainapo Trail

Are we there yet?

Ainapo Trail

Somebody said we were getting close as he recognized the clouds.

Ainapo Trail

The trail marker that signaled the end of our hike for today at 7,750′ elevation. Official distance stated 2.7 miles, but mostly everybody else recorded a little north of three miles.

Halewai Cabin

Making ourselves comfortable in the cabin that was constructed in 1994 as we filtered water, shared our dinner meals, read amusing log commentary, played a couple of card games where Matt was crowned the OnlyFans Shithead and raced to discard all our cards in Speed.

Halewai Cabin

Group photo in the solid cabin that sleeps six, well it sleeps seven tonight. Thanks to Roger for taking the floor.

Halewai Cabin

Less light pollution results in clearer, darker and sharper night skies.

Halewai Cabin

When you have to empty your bladder late at night and catch the Milky Way. Is that the Milky Way?

Halewai Cabin

Day 2

Early birds caught the breaking sunrise.

Halewai Cabin

Leaving the cabin for our long hike on the long mountain. Turns out it would be a short hike on the long mountain.

Ainapo Trail

Passing patches of ice on the trail.

Ainapo Trail

We left the tree line behind us as we stepped foot on the “darkened land” with the Halema’uma’u pit crater and her steady sulfur dioxide plume in the background.

Ainapo Trail

One of many ohi’a trees with its scarlet lehua blossoms, they are one of the first plants to grow on lava flows.

Ainapo Trail

Privatization of the lower lands for ranching and hunting and the creation of the Mauna Loa trail in 1915, resulted in this trail falling out of favor.

Ainapo Trail

Matt taking care of business and building his own MAHU.

Ainapo Trail

Trail maintenance or old age.

Ainapo Trail

Slowly gaining elevation and we weren’t even near the altitude where the air gets progressively thinner.

Ainapo Trail

Nobody caught the bag depressurization. Too fast. Too slow.

Ainapo Trail

Leaving the oasis of pahoehoe lava rock for the crunchy lava fields of a’a rocks.

Ainapo Trail

Mari next to a “baked potato” or “burrito” stacked on an ahu, which are rocks wrapped in reflective aluminum foil to help hikers navigate the trail.

Ainapo Trail

Passing one of many lava tubes.

Ainapo Trail

Group photo at 9,939′ as we contemplated the realistic chances of reaching the cabin before nightfall at the current pace and the even more grim chances of making our flight back home tomorrow. The unfortunate decision was made to turn around given the situation. Some were disappointed. Some were pleased as punch.

Ainapo Trail

Drone views of the vast volcanic landscape. They don’t call this place long mountain for nothing.

Ainapo Trail

Dragging dead weight off the mountain.

Ainapo Trail

Heading back down the same way we had come from, give or take.

Ainapo Trail

A lone hiker with no time for small talk and wearing fashionable crocs passed us on her way down to the bottom of the jeep road. It seems that she had hiked up a day earlier from the highway to the Mauna Loa cabin and now was going back down. Talk about racking up some mileage in two days.

Ainapo Trail

Passing through a lava trench.

Ainapo Trail

Exploring a lava tube.

Ainapo Trail

It was a very short exploration.

Ainapo Trail

Leaving the ankle twisting a’a fields behind us as we descended towards the cabin.

Halewai Cabin

Matt squeezing the last of his peanut butter shot as we retrieved our rubbish and belongings and cleaned up the cabin.

Ainapo Trail

Passing by the articulated arthritic tree.

Ainapo Trail

Thigh bone connected to the hip bone.

Ainapo Trail

Back to our cars as the trail finally ended.

Ainapo Road

Traffic jam on the way down the road.

Ainapo Road

Aileen closing the gate for us as we approached the highway.

All pau

Looking back at Mauna Loa as the sun set over her long mountain. We ended up having our dinner at Kurtistown Cafe and retired for the night at Marilyn’s friends house. No staying at an unfinished restaurant this time.

GPS Tracks

Our weekend hike of 10.68 miles didn’t quite materialize as planned as we fell short 3,311 feet of elevation, but it was still a good experience for the group and fun times.

Steam Vents

Day 3
Thanks again to Toni for allowing us to stay overnight at her guest house, we had breakfast at Countryside Cafe, where the steak and lobster was out. Our last day on the Big Island was spent at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where we warmed ourselves in the chilly morning air by standing next to the heated steam escaping from the natural openings.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

This is how Ohio people reserve parking stalls.

Crater Rim Trail

Our plan was to hike to Bryon Ledge Trail and hopefully catch Episode #48.

Crater Rim Trail

Looking out at the Kilauea Caldera that has been the most active of the five volcanoes that make up the islands.

Crater Rim Trail

Passing through Wahinekapu (steaming bluffs) and Ha’akulamanu (sulfur banks), both areas represent the divine manifestation of Ku and Pele.

Crater Rim Trail

Pseudo trail running.

Crater Rim Trail

Some people need to respect other people’s personal space.

Halema’uma’u Trail

Keeping to the right.

Halema’uma’u Trail

Sharing personal space.

Halema’uma’u Trail

Walking through a corridor of moss encrusted lava rock.

Halema’uma’u Trail

Descending down the steps to Kilauea Caldera.

Kilauea Caldera

Group photo with the expansive Kaluapele behind us.

Kilauea Caldera

Walking across the volcanic depression that was created circa 1790, populated mainly by ohi’a trees.

Kilauea Caldera

Straddling a linear crack that could track underlying magma pathways.

Kilauea Caldera

Looking across to the degassing plumes coming from the Halema’uma’u pit.

Byron Ledge Trail

Climbing our way out of the caldera floor.

Byron Ledge Trail

Scenic view of Halema’umau’u degassing in the distance. There is a better spot to view the pending eruption?

Byron Ledge Trail

Lead the way.

Byron Ledge Trail

One of the larger examples of tephra scattered on the ground from prior eruptions. This particular one was called reticulite, a highly porous sponge like rock that weighed almost nothing as it was made up of interconnected gas bubbles.

Byron Ledge Trail

Matt found out the hard way that when you crush tephra with your bare hands, that it breaks easily into sharp slivers that behave exactly like fiberglass. Got tweezers?

Byron Ledge Trail

A certain amateur volcanologist assured us that the eruption would occur at 1300hrs. We waited with bated breath. Should have listened to the other amateur volcanologist.

Bryon Ledge Trail

We all settled in as the plumes shimmered with red and brown hues, or it probably was just our eyes playing tricks on us.

Bryon Ledge Trail

The ascending blue line indicated inflation while the descending green line indicated deflation, all positive signs that should have meant an eruption. Should’ve. Could’ve. Would’ve.

Bryon Ledge Trail

Maybe some cheering will help? V-O-L-C-A-N-O! L-A-V-A! P-E-L-E! E-R-U-P-T! F-A-I-L.

Bryon Ledge Trail

Our last group photo as we decided to throw in the towel after waiting over two hours for the anticipated episode #48. It was a bust. You can’t control Madam Pele.

Bryon Ledge Trail

Looking back to see if she would blow. Nope. Happy birthday to me.

Devastation Trail

We left the viewing area devastated.

Devastation Trail

The trail living up to its name.

Devastation Trail

Somebody used the bathroom, took the wrong turn and had to jog her way back down.

All pau

We left the park that was filling up with visitors hoping to catch a view of the pending eruption. Better luck than we had. Dinner at Van Vietnamese Cuisine in Hilo. Broke da mouth. Matt decided to stay another night in hopes of witnessing what we failed to witness.

GPS Tracks

Our promised hike of six miles delivered a little more than half. No complaints. While we didn’t summit or see fountaining lava, I guess we have to come back with Crocs and better cheering, it was still an amazing weekend with fun friends. Thanks to Roger to getting ranch access, cabin permits and driving the jeep around this weekend. Mahalo to Marilyn for borrowing her friends truck and securing overnight accommodations.

Photos/Crew taken by Aileen Agustin, Allison Banks, Mari Saito, Marilyn Bermudez, Matt Vidaurri, Roger Schiffman, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

We woke up to a slightly chilly morning at 4,000′ elevation hoping that all our bodies were properly acclimatized for our high altitude trek ahead of us. Wishful thinking.

Cabin #29

The group stretching for what they thought was going to be a three day hike and in the end it turned out to be for a five minute walk to breakfast.

Crater Rim Cafe

Early birds get to wait for Hawaiian time. Sugar and cream in your coffee? Nah. Locals use shoyu. Kikkoman.

Cabin #29

The bathroom had a vacancy that Narissa wanted to fill. Calisthenics wasn’t helping matters much.

Backcountry Office

New York jive got us the combination to the gate. Plan A was back into effect. Everybody was too busy repacking to be jumping for joy. Photos by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Road

Quan opening the gate to the 11.2 mile road. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Road

Driving along the narrow road that cut through the verdant forest life that was filled with pheasants and the odd stray cat. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Road

Leaving behind the dog walkers and bicyclists as we gained elevation. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Silversword

These ahinahina found at the 6,662′ lookout are quite distinct from their cousins on Mauna Kea and Haleakala. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Road

We pulled off the road going back down to enjoy the views and take a group photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Ke Amoku Flow

Levitating around the old lava flow. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Mauna Loa Road

The tree of life and death.

Mauna Loa Road

Earthquake driving. Thanks Matt. Payback is a Kenji. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Mauna Kea Forest Reserve

The start of our 17 mile drive through the narrow ribbon of asphalt that cut through the lava fields that we shared with other cars and bicyclists.

Mauna Loa Observatory Road

One of the descendants of the original invasive animals introduced to the islands in the late 1700’s by European explorers. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Mauna Loa Observatory Road

The drone pilot in the back seemed to be more droning than flying. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Mauna Loa Observatory Road

Looking at the different colorations and textures of lava that made up the lunar like landscape; pahoehoe (smooth) and a’a (rough), chocolate fudge and chocolate thunder.

Mauna Loa Observatory Road

Driving down the road of last temptation. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Mauna Kea

Looking towards the white mountain with her observatories sparkling in the sunlight. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Mauna Loa Observatory Road

We snagged the last parking stall as a bicyclist blocked us in with her “photo ransom.”

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Nothing beats a rubber slippah tripod to take your group photo at the start of our 11,140′ elevation hike. Matt also grabbed the bag of musubi’s that Justin had stashed for us.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Walking down a solitary path. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

The group took the shorter and steeper route. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

I caught up with Justin’s group as they had took the jeep route which would eventually reconnect back to the trail. I needed the extra exercise anyway.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Following the ahu or stacks of rocks as we navigated our way on the trail. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Hiking through the lava fields. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Our two groups met at 11,680′ elevation and the reduced atmospheric pressure had taken its toll on some of the group. Less oxygen to the lungs resulted in headaches, lightheadedness, nausea and poor judgment. Some had it worse than others. As a result, the group separated into the ascenders and descenders.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

We took a parting group photo left to right: Aida, Lilyn, Quan, Kurry, Matt, Anissa, Narissa, myself, Justin and Ken. Photo by Kurry Wong.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Resuming our hike to the summit. Only 1,998′ more to go. So close, yet so far. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

It soon become obvious that high altitude sickness had claimed another member in our group. Faced with a dwindling group and time, we decided to turn back and throw in the towel at 12,305’elevation. We called ahead to make sure our rides didn’t leave without us. No bueno to be walking another 17 miles down to sea level.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Our attempted hike up the long mountain became abbreviated into a short climb up and down.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

We decided to make the most of our limited time on the mountain and spent some of it at the cavernous lava tube marked by two large stacks of rocks. Photo by Kurry Wong.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Poking around the lava cave.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Stupid human tricks. Or what passes for entertainment at high elevation.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Making our way back down the trail. The only remedy for altitude sickness is to descend back down to a lower elevation where the symptoms will eventually subside.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Rolling clouds diffused the views of the Mauna Loa Observatory which monitors and collects data on atmospheric changes. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Meeting back up with the gravel road and leaving the lava fields behind us.

Mauna Loa Observatory Trail

Back to our trucks and cold beer for those with a taste for it. Post hike meal at Hawaiian Style Cafe where the wait was long but tolerable.

All pau

We returned to our five star accommodations for the night, Matt even got a late night dish of noodles and real shrimp. All joking aside, much appreciation to Quan’s cousins, Binh and Huy, for putting us up at such short notice and letting us borrow their truck.

GPS Tracks

Our hike up to an active volcano clocked in under six miles. While it fell short of our intended goal, we all got down safely and had a good time and lived to hike another day.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers.

We had lofty intentions on flying to the Big Island but instead came away being well grounded with good intentions and fun times. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

HA 132

I had overslept and had to catch a later flight to join Aida, Lilyn, Narissa and Quan in the old sugar town of Hilo. We had breakfast at the highly recommended Café 100 and ate our food in the back of our truck.

Mauna Kea Access Road

Stopping at the reminders of the TMT protests that had shut down the mountain a few years back. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Mauna Kea Visitor Center

Waiting for the bathrooms to get cleaned at 9,200′ elevation. There is now a Park Ranger checkpoint that will only allow 4×4 vehicles to continue to the summit. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Mauna Kea Access Road

Looking to see how far we had gained in elevation as we struggled to stay in the zipper lane going up without getting run off the road by a non-observant heavy machine operator.

Mauna Kea Access Road

Testing out my high altitude hurdling abilities. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Mauna Kea Observatories

Closer. Closer. Closer. Photos by Grant Matsushige.

Mauna Kea Observatories

Quan with our eye in the sky cameraman.

Mauna Kea Observatories

Enjoying the views from the tallest mountain on Earth, if measured from base to peak, it tops out at over 33,500′. Or one can settle for the more commonly accepted elevation of 13,803′. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Lake Waiau Trail

Let’s take our gender group photo! Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Lake Waiau Trail

Setting foot on the volcanic terrain that was to be a small test to see how the group would fare at high elevation.

Lake Waiau Trail

Leaving the 13 observatories behind us. We’ll be back. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Lake Waiau Trail

Aida above the clouds. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Lake Waiau Trail

Looking down at the Humu’ula Trail as it winds its way through the cinder cone dotted landscape. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Lake Waiau Trail

Descending down to one of the highest lakes in the country. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Lake Waiau Trail

The heart shaped lake is located inside the Pu’u Waiau cinder cone. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Lake Waiau

The clouds briefly drifted across the perched body of water at 13,020′ elevation. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Lake Waiau

The alpine lake surface area fluctuates between 5,000 to 7,000 square meters and is fed by rainfall and snowmelt. The waters are retained by what many think are a combination of permafrost and compressed ash layers.

Lake Waiau Waterfall

A rare sighting of the Thai Yellow Curry Fall. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Lake Waiau

Group photo from across the far side of the lake. Can you see the group for the volcanic rocks?

Lake Waiau

Looking across the swirling waters to the other side. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Lake Waiau Trail

Leaving the sacred waters behind us as we hiked back up the hill. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Lake Waiau Trail

Of all the places to park, we blocked the porta potties. We won’t do it again. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

GPS Tracks

Our hike to this sacred body of water covered less than two miles. We drove down the mountain where we picked up Quan’s cousins truck and got Matt at the airport and had dinner at Tetsumen. My first choice was not available. Shades of Greek Marina.

Mauna Loa Road

Somebody needs to get with the program of looking sad as our plan of staging a truck at the Mauna Loa Lookout had been stopped dead in its tracks due to a locked gate. Plans B, C and D were being tossed around for consideration. Matt was still hedging on Plan A.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Enjoying the open sauna fed by bills and coins. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Kilauea Millitary Camp

Checking into Cabin #29 which was going to be the future home of my GoPro, played Jan Ken Po to determine who would get the couch or the beds and Narissa gave Matt advice as to what hole she wanted her little friend in.

Crater Rim Trail

We went for a late night stroll hoping to catch some lava fireworks and caught red tinted steam instead.

Crater Rim Trail

The group peering into Kilauea Caldera. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Crater Rim Trail

Keeping warm over one of numerous steam cracks in the ground.

Crater Rim Trail

Matt checking out another steam vent further down the trail.

Crater Rim Trail

Taking an impromptu astronomy class.

All pau

To all a good night and don’t let the coqui frogs bite. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers.

I managed to squeeze in a short stroll on the Big Island during a quick visit.

Trailhead

Entrance fee was $20 for 7 days or $25 for an annual pass to enter the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Guess which one I picked?

Trail

The railings tipped me off this was going to be a rough trail. Glad I packed water and wore my hiking shoes.

Trail

Looking across the solidified lava lake that once was a boiling lava lake that covered the once thriving forest. Cycle of life.

Trail

The main vent at the base of Pu’u Pua’i where 71 million cubic meters of lava gushed forth back in 1959, eventually 63 million cubic meters drained back into the magma core, leaving 8 million cubic meters to cool and solidify into the floor we see today.

Bench

A place to sit in case the strenuous stroll takes the better of you.

Junction

The short way or the long way. I took the short way today.

Trail

The trail started to switch back down into the crater floor.

Trail

Looking across the barren landscape, fringed with a lush forest of trees.

Trail

Standing on the rocky ledge, known as the “bathtub ring”, the highest level that the lava reached before draining back into the vent.

Ohia Lehua

The first plants to grow on lava fields, they have uniquely adapted to thrive in the harsh volcanic environment.

Trail

One of the numerous cracks and fissures that ran throughout the lava floor.

Trail

Ferns. The good ones. Not the uluhell ones.

Trail

Folds of lava flows, with volcanic rubble and ohia trees sprinkled throughout.

Trail

Following the volcanic breadcrumbs, ahu or lava rock cairns, as I made my way through the crater floor.

Trail

Panoramic view from the middle of the crater, with pockets of scalding steam coming from cracks in the lava floor.

Trail

Walking back up to the other side of the “bathtub ring.”

Trail

Looking back at the crater floor as I made my way back to the forested trail.

Trail

Switch backing up to the parking lot.

Trail

Before I knew it, the hike was over.

All pau

I walked back up the road to the parking lot and caught a brief glimpse of the summit lookout before leaving the park.

Note: I have been made aware the some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers.