The Death March

The Kamole Death March 

By Cascade Mayer

July 28th, 2023

Affectionately named “The Death March”, the trek across Kamole (Laysan Island) is not for the faint of heart. Here, you must dig deep, literally, to ensure your soles are planted firmly into the sandy dunes of despair. One foot in front of the other, the journey is a measure of your mental endurance. Oh land debris, you are truly one of a kind. 

Before embarking on the 2ish-mile journey, you must pick your poison:

MECHANISM: Some choose the over-the-shoulder strategy, yet have to deal with the bruises and repercussions of balancing mangled nets and heavy Hawser atop oneself. Others choose the buoy drag, stringing all shapes and sizes of these ocean floaters along an ice line, then fighting the friction of soft sand with every step back to the pickup point. 

ALLIANCE: One must choose wisely when it comes to your alliance out on this remote island. The group strategy, most commonly used, allows a sense of community and solidarity. Whether that be marching in a straight line like a colony of ants, or shoulder-to-shoulder like a pack of sled dogs…The group strategy uses each other’s energy to feed off of once the caffeine from morning coffee and Red Bulls have faded. Others like to pursue the trek solo, with only their meditative thoughts and internal dialogue to get them through the pain. I praise these individuals, since I do not possess the same mental strength as them. 

MOTIVATION: The most varying, and arguably most important factor, is each individual’s motivation for this work. Perhaps this is the same path your ancestors took, and the desire to take care of this sacred place is flowing through your bloodstream. Perhaps the wildlife drew you in, and you feel the need to clean up this densely polluted area from human impacts. Or perhaps, simply, you’re trying to burn off enough calories to guiltlessly eat an ice cream bar for dinner. Whatever the case, the motivation to get from point A to point B must burn brightly in your soul. 

At the expense of your muscles, and a little bit of athletic pride, one successfully completes The Death March. And at the end of the day, it does not matter what path you choose. It’s about the bond created between you and the team, between you and the island, and the greater good of our ancestral island: Kamole. 

Meet the Author

Cascade Mayer