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The air was warmer than usual the day we ascended Haleakala. It was thin at 6700 feet, where we’d camped the night before. We left our camping gear at the wilderness campground and pedalled up, observing the vegetation change and the clouds disappear below us. We paced ourselves, as we had on our route around the island, and within a few hours, we were at the top of the volcano, at 10,023 feet.

We looked into the crater. We walked around, and we ate the lunch we’d packed. We celebrated our journey together. And then we decended the volcano, stopping to pack our camping gear onto our bikes on the way down. We cycled past the clouds and all the way back to sea level.

Ken and I turned out to be excellent travelling partners, but finding out how we’d travel together was part of the adventure.

That ascent took place in February 2000. A few weeks earlier…

We’d chosen a café in the little Italy part of town to meet at because it was central to the four of us. After we all arrived, I announced, “Today is my birthday, and I expect good things to happen today.”

“Hey, today’s my birthday too,” said Ken.

Three of us cyclists belonged to the local bicycle club. Ken, whom I hadn’t met before, was a friend of someone in the club. We’d come together to talk about doing a bicycling trip in Hawaii together.

“Really? Then let’s make good things happen today.”

Over the hubub of Italian, the four of us talked about the various Hawaiian Islands. We decided on Maui in February. Coincidentally, a travel agency was almost next door to the café. The other two people wanted to wait, but Ken and I wanted to make something happen on our birthday, so we bought our tickets that day.

And then the other two people decided not to go on the trip.

I’d had a good feeling about Ken, and my intuition about people is usually right. Since our Maui bicycle tour, we’ve stayed friends. We get together on or around our birthday to celebrate it together.

This year, we went for a long drive in his new car. When we went uphill, we remembered climbing Maui hills together. We relived the rush of ascending a volcano by bicycle. We talked and played more easily now that we’ve known each other for years rather than weeks.

I also remember the little things. How easily we shared the responsibilities of shopping and cooking and carrying our gear. How we helped each other. How, as experienced travellers, we gave each other enough space that we didn’t irritate the other person, but we were bicycle touring partners for 10 days. Travelling by bicycle is work as well as fun, and sharing that work is part of the experience.

Happy belated birthday, Ken. It’s always good to see you again.

For memory’s sake, the first photo below was taken on the road from Hana, before we ascended Haleakala. The second one was taken when we drove out to Harrison together a couple of weeks ago.