Kalalau Trail Kauai

According to the guide book a friend gave us, this is Hawaii's most famous trail.  It is the Kalalau Trail and goes deep into the Na Pali coast.  We wanted to day hike just four miles of it, making it eight miles round trip.  This trail is quite popular. Its a beautiful hike along the Na Pali coast through waterfalls and lush greenery. The views are spectacular, which is why it can get heavy foot traffic.

 We have been getting a lot of rain, which has made the trail quite muddy and slick. It was like playing a game of  "don't touch the lava" as you jumped from rock to rock.

 I just can't get over how blue the ocean is here. The occasional breeze was nice and cool, making the hike tolerable despite the high humidity.

 The foliage was so lush. The variety of plants and flowers was abundant everywhere we looked.

 We crossed many streams with little waterfalls. Each unique in beauty.

 So. Much. Mud.

 James and I are getting excited for our kayaking trip down this coast. The water and wind will be pushing us along which is helpful because the trip is 16 miles. I am sure the views will be spectacular.

 We made it to the beach which was two miles in. It was a perfect spot to have lunch.

 Back onto the trail to the falls.  Again with the mud.

 There were areas of huge bamboo clusters formed along the trail.

 Still on the trail. We had to cross this river three time. At this point there were pink tags in the trees to help guide you to the falls.

On our last crossing of the river, just my luck, I slipped and landed on a huge rock straight on my tailbone. The pain instantly shot up my spine and shook my brain. It hurt bad. I tried to stand and it hurt even more. Then my vision became blurry and the sounds around me dimmed. My vision was the worst. It was like an old fuzzy black an white TV, only red with white fuzz around the edges. I was struggling to stay focused and confused about why this was happening. My lips and hands became tingly and numb. Its was so bizarre. James sat and held me for a long while. I wanted to cry because we were so close and I wanted to reach my destination so badly but James insisted we turn back. The hike back was brutal enough, I couldn't add more to it. I tried to talk James into going the rest of the way without me to get some pictures, but he would not leave me.  Next time I am on a trail like this, I will embrace the water and mud instead of avoiding it. If I would have just crossed the river by wading through the water, we would have made it. So glad James was there with me to lift me through all the hard spots on our way back to the car. My bottom still hurts this morning, but I am thankful I can still enjoy Kauai.

Secret Falls Wailua Kayak Trip

 Renting a kayak to paddle the Waillua River was the best $60 I have ever spent. I am so glad James and I decided to explore on our own instead of doing a guided tour. For the last two nights it has been raining hard and water levels in the rivers have risen. The guided tours were not taking their tours up to Secret Falls. Too dangerous they said, which made it even more exciting to us. The weather was nice, and we took our time, hoping the water levels would fall.

 There were a couple little side rivers and streams that feed into the Wailua River. We decided to check them out. This one reminded us of the Little Spokane River, only more tropical.

 About half way to our destination, we stopped at this beautiful little garden area called Fern Grotto. It was a loop trail full of plants, fruit, and chickens.

 Papaya, one of my favorite fruits here. These are not quite ripe, if they were I probably would have sneaked some.

 These are called mountain apples. Not quite as tasty as an apple, more of a mild fruity flavor.

 And our journey continues up the river. The water is definitely becoming more difficult to paddle, but we are determined.

 The current in the river is to fast to paddle all the way to the falls.  There was an area to beach the kayaks and a path that lead to the falls that was made by foot.  We walked up a muddy path to this rope. The people we rented the kayaks from said that if the rope was above the water then it was possible to cross.  We saw the rope and decided to go for it.  We crossed the river here, holding on to the rope for dear life. The water was up to James' chest, which meant it was up to my shoulders.  The hardest part was knowing where to put my feet. the water was so muddy and flowing quite fast.

 The path was quite remarkable too. Streams with small waterfalls trickled down to meet the muddy river.

 These falls are only accessible by kayak and foot. There is no big parking lot by this beauty. We had the falls all to ourselves. Paradise

There were a couple places were flowers had been laid down as gifts to the Hawaiian gods. This was one of my favorites. So much beauty to behold, yes, thank you mother nature for your beauty.

Hiking Nualolo Trail on Kauai

 There is a reason they call this island The Garden Island of Hawaii. It is absolutely breath taking. There are no big towns here, leaving more of the island rich with beautiful and amazing vegetation. It is everywhere you look. This particular trail is located at the top of Waimea Canyon. James and I were the only ones on the trail, which was quite pleasant. It probably had something to do with this particular trail being rated "Strenuous", however, we were up for the challenge.

 Ah, here is where it all begins. Smiling faces, Camelbak full of water, and lunch awaiting us at our destination. And to top it off, some thoughtful hikers left some great walking sticks for our journey.

 Now if I could just make this picture come alive with the sounds of birds singing melodiously in the trees. Your heart cant help but sing along too. They sound so happy, so content.

 So many tropical flowers everywhere you turn. Their fragrance filling the air, my lungs, and my soul.

 This clearing made way for these lovely vines full of pink blossoms entangled in the bushes along the way. There were also ripe blackberries, not quite as large as the ones we have back home in Oregon, but tasty none the less.

 We are starting to see some really beautiful sights between the trees. We were sweaty and hungry, but eager to see what awaits around the bend.

 The humidity made the air thicker than I am used to. I am not in shape like I want to be, and this hike was not easy. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, we came to this muddy portion of the trail. I wasn't sure if I should walk or slide down, so I picked both. James snapped this picture halfway down. It was worth the mud. Just a couple yards further and we saw the beginnings of this canyon.

 James thought these where quite interesting. Some kind of pillow basalt formation?

 The Na Pali coast is massive. Do you see that little white blob in this photo? That's a helicopter. One right after another flying people into this deep massive canyon.

Those trees out at the tip provided an excellent spot to fill our tummies and feast our eyes. This is why we come to this island.