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.