After Hawaii baseball’s season was canceled, outfielder Scotty Scott decided to take his skills to the next level.
Scott has become an avid hiker, reaching new heights and distances through such trails as Mount Olympus, Kaau Crater and Moanalua Ridge.
Last week, he did two separate hikes totaling 16 miles during a 23-hour span.
This week, he plans to hike to Likeke Falls.
“It’s awesome,” Scott said. “It’s something I wouldn’t be able to do during the season. But it’s a great way to stay in shape. I’m doing it for exercise. I also found a new appreciation that I already had for the island. Being able to be at the top and see the island’s view from all these different points is really amazing.”
With the Rainbow Warriors shutting down baseball-related activities during the pandemic, Scott turned to running and agility drills to keep fit.
“I wasn’t allowed to sit on the beach,” Scott said. “I couldn’t enjoy those views. I already had an interest in hiking. Being from my area of Texas, there isn’t a lot of hiking. But there is in other parts of the state. Every time I would go to other parts of the state that were more mountainous, I would try to hike. I already liked hiking when I moved here. I kind of like hiking more than the beaches. I started to utilize that passion because I couldn’t fulfill my first passion, which is on the baseball field.”
While maintaining social distancing, Scott usually is accompanied by Rainbow Wahine softball player Ashley Murphy and beach volleyball player Kylin Loker. “It’s a nice bonding between the sports,” Scott said.
Scott said he uses a GoPro to record his hikes. For a night hike, he bought a head lamp, which he affixed to his chest. He said the 5-mile descent from Moanalua Ridge was the most challenging, and the Kaau Crater hike the most draining. “Some of these hikes test your abilities and will,” Scott said.
He said he also wears a heart monitor and calorie counter. “I burn over 1,000 calories every single time I go,” Scott said.
He said he burned between 3, 000 and 4, 000 calories during the back-to-back hikes.
“I’m staying in great shape for all those out there thinking baseball players are just sitting on their beds playing ‘MLB The Show,’” Scott said, referencing the popular video game.
And while several UH players returned to the mainland for the remainder of the semester, Scott opted to stay on Oahu. He also plans to spend the summer here.
“Why quarantine in the beautiful Lone Star State where I can sit with my family when I can quarantine in paradise?” Scott said. “I love my family. They would be quarantining with me in paradise if my dad didn’t have to work. I love the island. It’s definitely a second home to me.”
