Memorial Park hike

Yesterday, Matt and I headed over to one of our favorite redwood groves in Memorial Park.  We did a short 2.5 mile loop along Pomponio trail.  We started out in a redwood grove full of wet mosses, ferns, newts, and banana slugs (we counted 225 this time).  Then we climbed gently into the drier chaparral and skirted a ridge before coming back down to the trailhead.

 

 

Kauai, part 3

For our last campsite, we headed to Haena Beach park, which was west of Anini Beach by about 10 miles or so.  Haena Beach is located at the very end of the main road on the island, and is close to the starting point for the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali coast.

We set up camp, took a long walk on the beach to explore, and then went snorkeling. Tunnels Beach, one of the best snorkeling beaches on the island, just next door to Haena Beach, so we decided to check it out. We saw tons of tropical fish of all different shapes, sizes and colors.  With the help of a handy fish identification guide given to us at the snorkel rental, we identified Threadfin Butterflyfish, Yellow Tang, Hawaiian Spotted Toby, Redlip Parrotfish, Reef Triggerfish, Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, Bicolored Anthias, giant urchins, Bluestripe Butterflyfish, and to top it all off, a green sea turtle!  We swam with the turtle for a few minutes before it dove down into deep water.

 

We were lucky to get a great spot next to these palms for some hammock time

Beach treasures

The reef at Tunnels

Standing at Tunnels Beach, looking back at our campsite at Haena Beach (at the base of the tallest peak)

The next morning we woke at dawn, made coconut pancakes, loaded up our hiking packs, and set off for the start of the Kalalau trail, one mile down the road from our campsite. We planned to hike two miles along the trail to the first beach, Hanakapa'ai Beach, and then take a side trail two more miles into the Na Pali coast to see the Hanakapa'ai falls. The trail was steep and slick in places, but it afforded several breathtaking views of the Na Pali coastline as we hiked. We reached Hanakapa'ai Beach in about an hour.

Glimpses of the Na Pali coast from the Kalalau Trail

More stunning scenery

Hanakapa'ai Beach with hundreds (thousands?) of cairns in the foreground

Hanakapa'ai Beach was wide and sandy, and the ocean was pure turquoise. To the left, hundreds if not thousands of cairns built by hikers over the years. We discovered that there were several other people already making themselves at home on the beach with towels and snacks. Not a bad spot for lunch!

We turned inland here on a side trail up to the falls. The trail became a gentle uphill climb that crossed a stream several times.  We wound our way though lush, jungle terrain of bamboo, guava trees, and coffee trees, occasionally losing sight of where the trail was supposed to be, but always finding it within a few yards.

Heading inland from the beach

Gigantic bamboo thickets along the Trail

 Hanakapa'ai stream, which we crossed several times to get to the falls

After a couple of steep scrambles over muddy rocks, we finally arrived at the falls.  They seem to just pour out of the rock about 1,600 ft above a small pool.  There were several other hikers already enjoying the view, so we climbed over to a secluded spot for lunch.

 

Hanakapa'ai Falls

Our lunch spot was just a little to the right of where this image was taken

During lunch, Matt noticed a small ledge in the rock face about 100 ft up and to the left of the falls.  We decided to climb up to investigate the view from there.  As I was snapping pictures, Matt got down on one knee and proposed!  Of course the answer was yes.  We sat on the ledge for a little while and enjoyed the view of hikers and swimmers below.

The view from the ledge, two swimmers give a good idea of scale


We're engaged!

After climbing back down to the main pool, we paused for a few more pictures before heading back to the trailhead.  We paused at Hanakapa'ai beach once more for a quick snack, and to say hello to the family of cats that was making quite a good living off of passing hikers with snacks. 

Napping beach kitties

After getting back to camp, we celebrated the day with a bowl of mac and cheese and an early bedtime.  The next day, we took one last look at the Na Pali coast from Ke'e beach, just a few yards from the trailhead.  We vowed to come back again soon and backpack the entire Kalalau Trail.

The Na Pali coast from Ke'e Beach

After camping for 7 nights, we treated ourselves to a stay at the Westin in Princeville for two more nights on the island.  We put the hotel's many pools and hot tubs to good use on our last full day.  We did something similar when we went to Maui three years ago - camping for the most part but joining civilization again toward the end -- it's definitely a great way to come home rested and completely relaxed.

Even though we packed our 9 days on Kauai full of sights, there was still plenty left to explore.  We'll have to plan a trip back so that we can do some backpacking along the Na Pali coast.  We also want to try out sea kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding next time.  We can't wait to go back!

Kauai, Part 2

The South Shore of Kauai is arid and dry, almost an entirely different landscape than the lush jungles in the north.   We set up camp at Salt Pond, a local beach known for its adjacent pond where islanders historically harvested salt.  Some families still have rights to harvest salt here, but we didn't see much of that while we were there -- mostly just what looked like a dry pond bed next to the parking lot.  The camp sites here were fairly exposed compared to Anini, but luckily the trade winds weren't as strong on this side of the island.

Our site at Salt Pond

The main feature of the south side of the island is Waimea canyon, a huge crevasse in the landscape that resembles a smaller Grand Canyon.  It was formed over millions of years as the ancient volcano on the island slowly erodes.  To get our bearings on the first day, we drove along the winding road that skirts the edge of the canyon, stopping at several viewpoints.  The road follows Waimea Canyon, then eventually heads north into Koke'e State Park and dead-ends at the southern-most tip of the Na Pali Coast. 

Standing in Waimea Canyon and looking south toward the ocean

The color and striations of the rocks resemble the Grand Canyon

Another majestic view

Our first glimpse of the Na Pali coast

On the second day, we picked several hikes in Waimea canyon and Koke'e State Park. Our first hike of the day in Waimea Canyon was the Kukui Trail.  It was very steep but provided us with more stunning views of the canyon and lots of orange dust on our shoes. The second and third hikes were in Koke'e State Park, which was surprisingly more lush and tropical. Our trail book was massively inaccurate and the trail junctions were mostly unsigned, but we managed to make it back in one piece.

Our first hike in Koke'e was perhaps the most difficult to navigate.  We started off on the wrong road, since the trail book neglected to mention there would be 4 different roads to choose from, instead of 3.  After turning around, we managed to find the correct road, and we were treated to a variety of different tropical plants and flowers as we walked.

Flowers along what we think was Mohihi Road

Next we somehow managed to find Discovery Trail as it was called in the book, except the only trail sign we ever saw called it Water Tank trail.  This trail climbed gently into a forest of trees all only about an inch or less in diameter and so thick you could hardly see a foot or two into the thicket.  The only way we knew we were on the right path was because of a description of an Ohia tree that looks as if it is on stilts.  Hard to miss that!

A forest of skinny trees

The Ohia tree on Discovery Trail or Water Tank Trail

The second hike in Koke'e State Park was along Kaluapuhi trail, which was lush with ferns, mosses, and strawberry guavas.  It was an easy out-and-back route and a nice way to see the upland forest in Koke'e.

On the way back from the hikes, we stopped at our new favorite fruit stand in Waimea for some shave ice. Matt quickly became a shave ice connoisseur while we were on the island.

Enjoying coconut shave ice


Lots of tropical fruits for sale

After only two nights at Salt Pond, we once again packed up our gear and headed back up north for our third and final camping destination in Haena beach. Click over to Part 3 for more!

Kauai, part 1

We're back from Kauai with lots of stories and photos to share!

For the first part of the trip, we camped at Anini beach on the North Shore of the island. We arrived shortly after sundown on a Thursday, so it was a challenge to pick out a good site in the dark, especially when it seemed like a lot of the good sites had been taken. But we found a nice sandy spot right on the beach and set up camp. Matt baked some bread and we had a quick dinner before collapsing into our sleeping bags. We woke the next morning to check out our surroundings.

We pitched our tent underneath a large false almond tree, which had a few low-hanging branches that were perfect for a hammock (or just sitting, as Matt demonstrates below). There was unfortunately no picnic bench, but we had the foresight to buy a couple reed beach mats when we landed. The mats provided a good place for us to cook and eat without worrying too much about the sand.

Matt and our Anini campsite -- I'm standing on the beach here.

Anini Beach was a beautiful stretch of beach completely protected by a large reef about 200 - 300 ft off shore. The waves broke over the outer edge of this reef, and as a result, the beach was always very calm with almost no waves. This made snorkeling pretty easy, although there was still a fairly strong current to fight against. The beach itself was made mostly of little bits of coral, probably evidence for how strong the waves hit that outer reef edge. We woke at dawn each morning to gorgeous skies.

Sunrise over Anini

The view from our campsite

A lone SUP'er in the morning

Coral finds on Anini Beach

One of our first excursions on the North Shore was to Secret Beach and the Secret Lava Pools. These pools are usually very accessible in the summer, but in the winter, the high surf can make the trek a little  less safe. We climbed along the lava rocks as far as we felt comfortable going, then sat for a while and enjoyed the view. The sea was literally stirring itself before our eyes.

Waves churning over a sandbar at Secret Beach

The eastern part of Secret Beach follows a high cliff wall teaming with plant life.  Closer inspection revealed that there was fresh water literally pouring over virtually all parts of the cliff. It seemed like a great place to be a plant.

A living wall

Constant watering

Later that day, we decided to head over to the town of Hanalei for some shave ice.  We made it a priority to sample the local treats around the island, shave ice being one of the most popular.  We also enjoyed fresh coconuts, pineapples, and several ridiculously good coconut brownies from a local farmer's market in Kapa'a.  En route to Hanalei, we passed the famous Hanalei Lookout, where you can see the taro fields and surrounding mountains in a breathtaking view of the landscape.

Hanalei Lookout

We also wanted to check out some of the famous waterfalls on the North Shore of the island. We hiked about a mile or so to Ho'opi'i falls, a favorite among the locals. The views of the falls were somewhat obstructed, but we enjoyed the pretty hike nonetheless.

Hiking to Ho'opi'i

A forest of white trees

We also stopped to check out a view of the Wailua River, where lots of kayak tours converge. If you squint, you can see several kayaks on the river, below. Next we stopped at Wailua falls, which you can see from the roadside.

Another excellent day for kayaking on the Wailua River

Wailua Falls

After three days on the North Shore, we packed up our tent and moved to the South Shore for 2 nights. Stay tuned for Part 2!