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Aloha!
Kristen here. We are still in Honolulu and it has been a beautiful saturday. We're staying in the Polynesian Hostel in Waikiki, and it's the best place we've found on Oahu, mostly because of the people here. So many fun travellers from all around, full of helpful advice and great stories. Two days ago Mikey and I lodged our Australian Work and Holiday visa applications. Hopefully we will get the go-ahead on those in the next few days, and then we will be ready to buy our tickets to Fiji. Fijian Customs requires travellers who want a tourist visa to have an onward ticket when they land, so that is why we are waiting to hear from Australian Immigrations before heading to Fiji. I'm so excited to begin our international adventures!
Yesterday Mikey and I went sea kayaking with a group from the hostel, such fun! It wasn't very challenging; the sea was flat and looked more like a lake. We put in near Kailua and kayaked to one of the small islands off the Oahu shore, where we took a dip in the "Queen's Bath", a little pool fed by the ocean on the edge of the island. As the name indicates, the Hawaiian Queen supposedly used to bathe there. Most of that little island is a bird sanctuary, BIRDS ONLY, so after our dip we kayaked over to Lanikai beach and spent some time there on the white sand. Somebody brought a frisbee, and Mikey played a game he invented, called "dead body", which involves going completely limp in the water and allowing himself to be washed up on the beach repeatedly :)
I've been trying to organize my thoughts for the last few days, catching up my personal journal, so I can write the best account possible of our trip to Kalalau Valley on Kauai. So, here goes. Keep in mind that my powers of descriptive writing will never suffice in describing the beauty of that adventure. I'll do my best.
The Napali Coast and Kalalau Valley, Kauai, Hawaii!!!
When Mikey, Amy, and I left Maui for "the garden isle" of Kauai, Mikey and I knew we were going to hike the Napali Coast to Kalalau. Amy was unsure at first, but after speaking to lots of people on Kauai, she decided she couldn't miss out. As it turns out, I think she's still in Kalalau right now, so there you are. She loved it.
The Napali Coast is known as one of the premier hikes in the world, for it's beautiful views, sharp drop offs, and the challenge of the trail. I attempted the trail in 2009 and did not finish it that time. This time I was determined to take my time, really enjoy the steps, and to reach Kalalau.
The trail is 11 miles (one way). Napali means "the cliffs" in Hawaiian, and the name could not be more perfect. The trail follows the cliffs' edge, snaking in and out of smaller valleys along the way. The views are breathtaking, and sometimes the thin-ness of the trail, coupled with the exposure, literally took my breath away.
Our trip had a false start of sorts. We had our rental van, Homer, with us and there was some debate about where we could safely leave the car. It is a fairly common thing in Hawaii for cars to be broken into, and we surely didn't want to pay the rental company for a broken window or anything like that. The day we planned on leaving, Mikey, myself, Amy, and Hawk (a friend we made at Annini beach park, who took the trip with us) had our bags packed (as light as possible). We drove through Hanalei, and down to "the end of the road", which is Ke'e beach, and also the NaPali coast trailhead. Mikey and I tried to deliver the car to it's safe location and hitchike back to Ke'e, but we failed on our mission, to make a short story shorter.
We spent the night on Ke'e beach, covert camping. I played my ukelele and Amy played her violin, we played cards and made our usual fun. I didn't get much sleep, and we got a late start the next day.
Day 1: Ke'e beach to Hanakapiai Valley
When we'd secured the car and we were all present, we were FINALLY ready! Before we left, I walked over to the trailhead and found myself a stick. A stick is incredibly useful on the trail, good for more solid footing, etc. I kept my stick always on the cliff side as a brace. At the trailhead there are always sticks, perfect for hiking, that others have left at the end of their journey, for others to enjoy. The one I found was beautiful. The bark had been carefully stripped off with someone's careful hand and a pocket knife, so it felt smooth in my hand. I immediately started thinking of my stick as MY STAFF, MY MAGIC WAND, and such. (You will see, as my story continues, that my imagination ran wild for the entirety of our journey, and I imagined myself as a million different people as we walked, just as a small child does. Or an actress. Anyway...)
We're off!
The very start of the trail is all uphill, and packed with tourists who do the first 1/2 mile of the trail, just up to the first lookout. We had perfect weather, so the trail was as dry as one could hope for. When we got up to the 1/2 mile mark ourselves, we stopped briefly to feel the wind, and take a look down at Ke'e beach, below. The wind is so strong there at the lookout that sometimes you can lean into it and it will support your whole weight, almost. Similar to what flying must feel like, I thought.
From Ke'e beach to Hanakapiai valley is two miles, easy going towards Hanakapiai, and difficult when you're heading back towards Ke'e. The trail for this short segment is wide and safe. We got to Hanakapiai very quickly.
We knew we'd stop and camp in Hanakapiai valley, due to our late start, and our general attitudes. We all wanted to take our time and really see the trail, instead of powering through it. (It's the journey, not the destination, type of thing:) The first river crossing is there at Hanakapiai. When it rains the river swells quickly and can be quite dangerous, but we had it easy, and hopped rocks all the way across without ever getting wet.
On the other side, we took off our packs, went for a swim, watched people on the beach, played with (the first of many) tiny wild kittens, Mikey explored a sea cave, and Amy and I played a short game of hacky sack. What a rough life ;)
There is "no camping" at Hanakapiai, but it's a wonderful place to camp. We chose a nice spot away from the beach, a ways up the Falls Trail (which is 2miles and leads to the Hanakapiai waterfall). We made a fire and cooked dinner on it as the sun went down. I decorated my magical walking stick with seashells, for the next day's hike. It rained while we slept, but we stayed warm and dry (all except Hawk, who had no tent, but I think he might be used to it). I had vivid dreams that I forgot upon waking.
Day 2: Hanakapiai Valley (2 mile) to Hanakoa Valley (6 mile)
After Hanakapiai Valley, the NaPali trail changes in character. It grows very thin in places, and some of the steep exposures begin to show themselves. The trail goes in and out of valleys, up and down many a hill, through the woods, and out again onto the cliffs' edges.
We got up at our leisure, packed up camp, ate a little something, and took off, excited. At the three mile marker is a rock, known as Space Rock, which is supposedly the highest point in elevation on the trail. We stopped here for our first break, a mile into the day's hike. Space rock hangs out over the edge of the cliffside, where the wind blows so strong, and the dropoff down to the ocean must be a thousand feet or more. We took turns crawling out on the rock, laying on our bellies and looking over. What a rush! My heart raced. Mikey threw several rocks off, to watch them fall and count the seconds until they landed in the ocean below. From Space Rock the trail turns, going into a new valley, where a HUGE waterfall pours out of the peaks, a silky thread of white running through the lush green of the forrest. The peaks of the mountains are jagged, with pointy tops that remind me of the top of a pipe organ in a cathedral.
Moving on. Over the next few miles, Amy and I played imagination games. We stopped to wet our faces with the water from little jade pools that collect the water dripping out of the black rocks above. Helicopters are the only reminder of the "real world", and they fly over constantly, carrying tourists who've paid the big bucks to see the tops of those huge waterfalls from the air. We'd pretend that the helicopters were after us, we were fugitives on the run! So we'd duck when they flew over, under a tree if possible, and move on when they'd pass by. (Amy and I are always imagining things, I think, but the scenery of the NaPali coast could make any serious adult feel like they're in Jurassic Park.)
Around the four mile marker, Hawk, Amy, and I stopped at a river to take a swim. There were three or four perfect pools just off the trail. There I almost had a seriously BAD THING happen, for when I was climbing out of the pool, the boulder I stepped on moved, and fell towards me. My vision went into slow motion, as I dodged the first boulder, grabbing another to pull my legs out of harm's way, and then that one fell towards me too! These rocks were big enough to crush my feet and break my shin bones... somehow I dodged the second rock and hopped out of the pool. Amy and Hawk looked at me with their jaws open and I said to myself, well! I guess this pool done kicked me out :)
A mile or so later, we found ourselves in a beautiful valley, wooded, the sunshine filtering down through the treetops, the floor covered in broken kukui nut shells. All these valleys are full of ancient stone wall terraces, still standing strong, covered with soft green moss. On one of the flat places off to the left of the trail, there sat a sage-like young man with his legs in half-lotus. His name is Kokoleka, and when we found him there he was roasting coffee beans that he picked himself in the surrounding woods. He let us try the coffee he made from the beans, and he took us on a brief walk and showed us where to find the coffee beans, and how to use the kukui nuts as oil for the skin. Next to him was a rock, with a bowl-like indentation in it. He told us the rock was an artifact, and the bowl came from the repeated grinding done by the ancient Hawaiian peoples, to open nuts or crush things, as with a mortar and pestle. Kokoleka had come from a foreign country, and while in Hawaii was taken in by a native family, who showed him the ancient art of making shell leis. The shell lei's are intricate, made up of thousands of tiny shells. They come out looking like pink pearled rope, just flawless. He had one with him that he'd just made, his leilani, he called it (literally, lei is flower, and lani is heaven). It was stunning! So perfect. He told us he can sell one of those for thousands of dollars. We had seen some of his work in a store in Hanalei, called Hawaiki, which showcases art and artifacts from around the Pacific Islands. How wonderful to meet him here, in the woods, his natural habitat for sure.
Feeling good from the coffee, we hiked the last mile to Hanakoa valley. Camping is allowed at Hanakoa, and there are composting toilets and shelters there. We put our things down for the evening in the shelter, set up camp, and built a fire. One of our other Annini friends, Aaron from Washington State, was there at Hanakoa for the evening, and we also made friends with two young guys from Germany. We all ate dinner there. Aaron told us that a lot of people say Hanakoa valley is haunted, and sometimes you will hike through and there will be animal heads up on sticks. Perhaps so, but I felt comfortable there for the night. We made friends with little wild kitten, still so tiny! He was special, because unlike every other wild cat I've ever met, he loved to be petted, and he begged for food with cute little "mews". Mikey named him SalmonFingers. Haha.
Rains came through over the night, but this time we all got to stay dry. And I saw no ghosts, only huge cockroaches, and spiders.
Day 3: Hanakoa to Kalalau Valley (6 mile to 11 mile destination!)
Again we woke up at our leisure. Hanakoa Valley is shaded in the morning by the cliff walls, so it stays dark late into the morning. After a quick breakfast, we were hiking again.
We crossed the river still in the Hanakoa valley, and hiked for a half mile or so, until we reached the "cliff part".
I'd been asking people on Kauai about the trail, and they all had a little something to say about (what they'd called) the "Cliff Part". This is the part of the trail where the exposure becomes CRAZY, the trail is loose dirt and very skinny, and if you were to slip, there's really nothing to stop you from slipping all the way down to the sea.
We stopped at the sign that reads HAZARDOUS CLIFF, and waited for some people to pass us, this group of 5 or 6 guys who seemed really "frat-tastic". I had a hunch some of them had been drinking already. I thought to myself, good, we'll follow the frat boys on spring break, and if they can do it, I'm sure I can. Hehee.
As it turns out, I really enjoyed the cliff part on the way there. On my left was the rock wall, and on my right, the drop off. I can be easily rattled by heights when I'm not prepared, but my mind was totally geared up this time, and I liked it. The cliffs come on and off for about a mile, I'd say, and once you're through that part, you're at the 8 mile marker.
8 mile is a gorgeous spot. There is a pig hunter who sleeps here regularly. (Pig hunting is a way of life for some Hawaiians, and throughout the trail and the valleys there will be men and dogs hunting pigs in the middle of the night. Sometimes if you're lucky, a pig hunter will share his pork with you after he's done all the difficult work.) We took a break at 8 mile, and Amy and I said, "Gosh, that wasn't that bad, I had prepared myself for something really scary."
After a little rest, we were off again. The closer we got to Kalalau, the drier the environment became, and when we'd gone 2 and 1/2 more miles, we reached the od wooden sign, which read:
KALALAU
He (cannot read) keia, E malama, ho'ihi no ka pono o na hanauna. "This is Kalalau, (cannot read) give it your utmost care. Respect (cannot read) leave knowing you have preserved it for future generations."
Oh the excitement! (And my aching feet.) Just past the sign, we found ourselves descending a red-dirt hill. I can see how this hill would be nearly impossible in the rain. It would be a luge. Lucky for us it was dry, and we were stunned by our first view of the Kalalau valley.
I've visited Waipeo and Waimanu valleys on Big Island, so I guess I was expecting something like that. It was the size of Kalalau that surprised me most, at first. It's massive, it just goes back and back for miles. The way the peaks look there, and the shining ocean off to the right, it's the best ART I've ever witnessed.
Down, down, down, the red dirt hill, and through the woods, until we reached the river, where we took a break and a swim. "We've done it! We've really done it this time."
We found out by word of mouth (or, the coconut wireless as they say) that the Department of Land and Natural Resources had raided the valley in helicopters, just a few hours before we got there. They gave unpermited campers $500 tickets and summons to appear in court. They don't raid the valley very much, so this was big news. We thought, WHEW! Looks like our luck is intact! Knowing this, we decided to go ahead and camp on the beach. (If you are in Kalalau and you don't want to be found, most people camp up in the valley.) From what people told us, it seems the rangers don't inspire much respect for themselves. Apparently, when rangers find camps up valley, where people are living, they will often cut apart all the useful things, slashing bags of food and tents, ripping up tarps and hammocks, which they do not helicopter back out. They leave the pile of trash there in the valley, trash which was once a neat camp. Terrible. (I found several piles of trash in the valley when I was exploring, and Hanakoa is awfully dirty. I wonder, which part of "Pack it in, Pack it out" is so difficult?)
There are a lot of folks who live in Kalalau valley full time. I've never seen a better place to "disappear". As soon as we arrived at the river, we started seeing some of the Kalalau live-ins, coming to the water to wash their clothes and bathe. As we moved our things to the beach (and found the best camp spot EVER), we met more and more beautiful shiny people, adorned with natural jewelry, sparsely clothed, and barefoot. Glowing individuals.
We camped on a flat grassy patch between two little paths. One path led to the beach, the other ended on the heiau, or temple. I ran up to the heiau in my excitement just after we arrived, where a rainbow appeared over the back of the valley. On my other side, the ocean was starting to collect the colors from the evening sky. I sat stunned in gratitude.
And then I ran to the beach! Kalalau beach is wide and glowing. The sand is white and fine, and the waves were quite intimidating. One brave (naked) surfer was enjoying the waning daylight. I went for a swim, staying in close to the shore. Even there I could feel the massive undertow.
Back at camp, we set up our shelter and made some dinner. As the vivid sunset faded, we watched the SUPERMOON come up (it happened to be on this night that the moon was full and also at it's closest point to the earth, the Perigee). While we were sitting on the grass eating, I looked out to the ocean, and I saw my first real MOON-BOW! I always thought a moonbow was the ring of colors surrounding the moon. Actually, though, when the moon is very bright, you can see moonbows just like rainbows in the sky. I was so floored. The colors were the same as a rainbow, only they looked more neon, like everything had a bit more purple in it. (Those of you who know me well are aware of how I feel about purple. It's my favorite and I see it in everything.)
I went to bed early that night. I was in such a state of blissful overload, I think my brain just sorta shut down. I fell asleep thinking how I couldn't have imagined the day I'd just lived, not in my wildest dreams.
Day 4: Kalalau!
To be continued...
- comments
gabel o Aloha Mikey - Man o man! So much fun! dead body?!, salmon fingers?! awesome. have you ever thought of being one of the guys from BlueManGroup? Did yall see any creepy stuff? Kristen - beautiful!