Ascent

I was hiking a long loop from Mānoa Middle toward Mount Olympus. The air was still, and a bluish haze hung over the ridges. Along the way I came upon an ʻōhiʻa lehua bush covered in red blossoms.

I remember stopping because of how dramatic it looked. The lehua stood vivid against the haze, with Mount Olympus rising beyond it. I still had a long way to go, but for a moment I felt no pull to keep moving. I just wanted to take in how beautiful it was.