Sense of discovery restored by Kauai trail
My family and I have been vacationing on the Hawaiian island of Kauai for almost every summer for the past 20 years, staying in sunny Poipu, located on the island's south shore. Nicknamed the garden island because of its lush vegetation, scenic mountain views and diverse landscape, Kauai has a reputation of being the most beautiful of all the Hawaiian islands.
We have done a number of activities on the island from taking snorkelling trips on the Na Pali coast, to renting surfboards at Kalapaki Bay -- even to cliff-jumping at Wailea Falls. For years I have wanted to hike the Kalalau trail, however, I could never convince anyone from my family to hike it with me. I heard the usual excuses from family members, including "It's too hot today, maybe tomorrow" to "I don't want to get my shoes muddy." Eventually I gave up asking, resigned to the fact I would never get the chance.
The Kalalau trail is located on the island's north shore, at the end of Highway 56, and follows an ancient route that once linked earlier Hawaiian settlements along the coastline. Originally built in the late 1800s, the trail is 18 kilometres and rated by the Sierra Club as among the most difficult in the United States. However, the trail can be divided into sections. The first 3.2-kilometre section, which leads to Hanakapi'ai beach, is moderate in difficulty and is a popular day hike with tourists.
Last summer my aunt and uncle, along with my three cousins, joined us in vacationing on Kauai. Fortunately for me, my uncle and cousins shared my sense of adventure and enjoyment of hiking and we made plans to hike the first 3.2 kilometres.
It was recommended to us by a tour guide to leave early in order to avoid the crowds and the hot midday sun. On the day of the hike we pulled our rental car on to the highway at 6:30 in the morning, and even at that early time the sun was already shining bright.
The drive from Poipu north to K'ee Beach where the trail begins took around an hour and a half and was an incredibly scenic drive.
After stopping at the picturesque town of Hanalei for breakfast, we proceeded to make our way slowly along the two-way highway and series of seven one-way bridges that lead to Ke'e beach, where the trail begins.
After parking the car and changing into our hiking boots we set off along the trail. Hiking for just 15 minutes along a steep incline, we stopped at a lookout point that provided an amazing view of the beach below. As we peered into the distance we could make out the tiny figures sunbathing and snorkelling in the water.
As we continued on we received our first sight of the breathtaking Na Pali cliffs, which extend upwards of 300 metres from the turquoise blue water of the Pacific Ocean. As we continued on, we made our way up and down mountain valleys, through running creek beds, passing diverse vegetation, including banana, guava plant and orchids.
The trail is located in one of the wettest regions in the world; nearby Mount Waialeale receives on average more than 1,150 centimetres of rain a year. As a result, frequent rain showers can leave the trail muddy and slippery. We fell several times, which left our backsides covered in Kauai's famous red dirt mud.
After hiking for two hours we made it to Hanakapi'ai beach, where we stopped for lunch. The beach is one the most beautiful on the island, with its white sand and inviting water. However, it is recommended that you should not swim at the beach, as there is an extremely powerful undertow and currents.
On the way back to Ke'e beach, the trail was crowded with tourists going the opposite way. Some brave individuals were attempting the hike with only sandals on. After making it back to the lookout point we saw an unbelievable sight. A local hunter was carrying a wild boar on his back. He had caught the boar farther up the trail and was carrying it back to his car for dinner later that night.
After making it back to the car we went swimming at Ke'e Beach. After the four-hour hike it was great to jump into the 21 C water and cool down.
The hike was much more strenuous than we had anticipated, but was worth the spectacular views, and everyone felt a sense of accomplishment after completing it. The hike provided me with a sense of discovery on an island on which I had thought I had done everything. After showing my parents the pictures we had taken with the digital camera they were amazed by the sights.
Next year I might even try to convince them to try the full 18 kilometres with me."
We have done a number of activities on the island from taking snorkelling trips on the Na Pali coast, to renting surfboards at Kalapaki Bay -- even to cliff-jumping at Wailea Falls. For years I have wanted to hike the Kalalau trail, however, I could never convince anyone from my family to hike it with me. I heard the usual excuses from family members, including "It's too hot today, maybe tomorrow" to "I don't want to get my shoes muddy." Eventually I gave up asking, resigned to the fact I would never get the chance.
The Kalalau trail is located on the island's north shore, at the end of Highway 56, and follows an ancient route that once linked earlier Hawaiian settlements along the coastline. Originally built in the late 1800s, the trail is 18 kilometres and rated by the Sierra Club as among the most difficult in the United States. However, the trail can be divided into sections. The first 3.2-kilometre section, which leads to Hanakapi'ai beach, is moderate in difficulty and is a popular day hike with tourists.
Last summer my aunt and uncle, along with my three cousins, joined us in vacationing on Kauai. Fortunately for me, my uncle and cousins shared my sense of adventure and enjoyment of hiking and we made plans to hike the first 3.2 kilometres.
It was recommended to us by a tour guide to leave early in order to avoid the crowds and the hot midday sun. On the day of the hike we pulled our rental car on to the highway at 6:30 in the morning, and even at that early time the sun was already shining bright.
The drive from Poipu north to K'ee Beach where the trail begins took around an hour and a half and was an incredibly scenic drive.
After stopping at the picturesque town of Hanalei for breakfast, we proceeded to make our way slowly along the two-way highway and series of seven one-way bridges that lead to Ke'e beach, where the trail begins.
After parking the car and changing into our hiking boots we set off along the trail. Hiking for just 15 minutes along a steep incline, we stopped at a lookout point that provided an amazing view of the beach below. As we peered into the distance we could make out the tiny figures sunbathing and snorkelling in the water.
As we continued on we received our first sight of the breathtaking Na Pali cliffs, which extend upwards of 300 metres from the turquoise blue water of the Pacific Ocean. As we continued on, we made our way up and down mountain valleys, through running creek beds, passing diverse vegetation, including banana, guava plant and orchids.
The trail is located in one of the wettest regions in the world; nearby Mount Waialeale receives on average more than 1,150 centimetres of rain a year. As a result, frequent rain showers can leave the trail muddy and slippery. We fell several times, which left our backsides covered in Kauai's famous red dirt mud.
After hiking for two hours we made it to Hanakapi'ai beach, where we stopped for lunch. The beach is one the most beautiful on the island, with its white sand and inviting water. However, it is recommended that you should not swim at the beach, as there is an extremely powerful undertow and currents.
On the way back to Ke'e beach, the trail was crowded with tourists going the opposite way. Some brave individuals were attempting the hike with only sandals on. After making it back to the lookout point we saw an unbelievable sight. A local hunter was carrying a wild boar on his back. He had caught the boar farther up the trail and was carrying it back to his car for dinner later that night.
After making it back to the car we went swimming at Ke'e Beach. After the four-hour hike it was great to jump into the 21 C water and cool down.
The hike was much more strenuous than we had anticipated, but was worth the spectacular views, and everyone felt a sense of accomplishment after completing it. The hike provided me with a sense of discovery on an island on which I had thought I had done everything. After showing my parents the pictures we had taken with the digital camera they were amazed by the sights.
Next year I might even try to convince them to try the full 18 kilometres with me."
posted by ams at 2:13 PM
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