Coffee Trail

To take advantage of last week's Coffee Trail Run, we decide to hike the same trail this Sunday. This trail is on private properties and open for the race only once a year. We hope the trail markers are still up so we don't get confused and lost. Since the race course is quite long and ends with a hot and grueling run/walk down Isa Road, Pale Arnold Road, and meander through American Memorial Park near the pavilion. we decide to skip that portion of the walk, and do a round trip. We will park at the hospital parking lot, up Navy Hill near the top and turn toward the farm. At 6:15 a.m. Chops, Thor, Peppy, and CC meet at the parking lot. With the boys absent, it's girls only hike. Just as we are ready to take off, Giggles joins us. 

While waiting to start, everyone turns on their walking software, Thor and CC with RunKeeper, Peppy with Strava, and Chops with Nanopod. This is the new electronic way to measure our hiking trips.

Up Navy Hill we go, the sky is slowly brightening. Giggles and Peppy lead the way, while Thor and Chops follow up hill. This is a pretty tough start going up continuously for nearly a mile. Fortunately it's early and the temperature is cool.

Part way up the road, we see this strange palm tree laden with numerous tiny "coconuts". It doesn't look like a normal coconut tree with just a few normal size nuts. These nuts don't appear to have a chance to ripen into a normal size coconut.

Continuing on the unpaved portion of Navy Hill Road, Thor and Chops near the turn off onto the trail to the coffee farm. A little puppy walks ahead of them.

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This cute little puppy follows us for a short distance before running back to the mommy dog.

On the road to the farm. Giggles and Peppy stop to look at the valley between Navy Hill and Mt. Tapochao.

A young pandanus fruit looks so fresh and perfect.

From the road we can see the entire Russian housing compound on Mt. Tapochau Road.

A batch of mangos appears on this tree. We are surprised to see them showing up so early in the year. Maybe we will have a good crop this year.

Nearing the coffee farm, Giggles stops to double check her snacks, Thor, Chops and Peppy enjoy the scenery.

We are welcomed into an open field with tree canopy and a little shack to rest our tired legs and sore feet!

A tidy little shack for the coffee pickers. Giggles, Thor, Chops and Peppy look ready for some hard labor! Although we are a bit hungry and are tempted to have our snacks right here, we decide to wait until we reach the turnaround point.

This group of coffee trees are healthy looking and growing up fast. We are now in the coffee farm proper, so we have to be very careful in walking through the farm so as not to disturb the young trees.

The trail is marked with the yellow tape so we follow the trail, winding through the farm, enjoy seeing that the trees are growing up so well. 

Three different mushrooms growing on the rock and log.

After passing the coffee farm, we reach the bamboo forest with towering bamboo trees and a thick carpet of golden bamboo leaves. Chops, Thor and Giggles carefully make their way down the hill.

 Chops, CC, Giggles, and Peppy peeking through the bamboo grill.

After the bamboo forest, the trail begins to be more rocky and uneven, following a stream bed down the hill. The forest is full of large trees, beautiful birds nest and other ferns. We have to stop occasionally just so we can look around and soak in the natural beauty.

A cluster of tiny white helmeted mushrooms growing on this dead tree trunk.

Bamboo trunk with hula skirts swaying in the wind. 

Giggles the tree-hugger is very happy to have found her tree friend!

More mushrooms...

The woodsy trail leads us to this private ranch with lush ground covers and a variety of trees and bushes. Although very near the main roads, this peaceful acreage seems a world away.

 A close-up look at these coffee beans nearly ready for picking, roasting, brewing, and drinking!

We find a nice spot under the big tree for snack time. The road behind us leads to the main thoroughfare not far away. We have taken a stroll up this road and turned around before we reach the main road. From here we retrace our step back up along the stream bed, the birds nest fern forest, the bamboo forest and back to the coffee farm.

Back at the first coffee farm shack, we have our group photo taken with CC, Thor, Giggles, Peppy, and Chops. On the way back it's downhill all the way to our cars. Although it is already after 10:00 a.m. there is enough of a breeze to keep us cool under the sun.

Peppy's Strava shows a 6.5-mile distance, and a three-hour walking time. It is one of the most enjoyable hikes through the coffee trees, and the lush forest.