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| Plantation Resort in southern Kauai |
Jennifer and I went to Kauai to celebrate our twentieth anniversary. We chose Kauai based on its reputation for great hiking and adventures. One day we rented a kayak near the mouth of the Wailua River. After towing the thing down the street and around the corner to the boat ramp, we set off upstream. We decided to do this sans guided trip as it was half the cost. We did get a dry bag and a small cooler.
After paddling upstream and into the wind fo about two miles we turned into a small side stream. We paddles up that for several hunderd yards and pulled up next to the 50-60 kayaks from guided trips on the shore.
We hiked in about a mile to Secret Falls. The hike included a pretty good stream crossing holding onto a rope and passing many tourists in guided groups. The guides are all barefoot and the people all move so slowly. Anyway the falls were beautifully adorned with about 100 tourist hikers.
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| Secret (not) Falls |
We had lunch and headed back to our kayak. Returning to the Wailua River we continued upstream past the Fern Grotto (the only shore parking was taken by 2 kayaks). We went upstream about a half mile and found a ropeswing! About that we also witnessed a fish chasing a fish? or a frog or something seemingly above the surface of the water. Our paddle back included a stop at the grotto ( we tied off to the big dock and climbed up the tires) and a head wind. What a great all around workout.
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| trail above Ke`e Beach |
Another day we drove up to Ke`e Beach. We then hiked the Kalalau trail 2 miles to Hanakapi`ai Beach. This is a well used barely maintained trail. It is very slippery throughout and gives you a great core workout.
At Hanakapi`ai Beach we headed inland 2 miles to100' Hanakapi`ai Falls. Half way up that trail we got rained on for about 10 minutes and I am sure that in that time more than an inch of rain fell. This part of the Island got 700+ inches of rain! I see how. On the return trip the trail was swamped with red clay puddles. This was perhaps the most exhausting 8 miles I have hiked!
Our final long hike for the island was up at Alakai Swamp Trail in Koke`e State Park. The drive is long and the hike is as well but well worth it and all beautiful. Interstingly this swamp is the highest elevation swamp known in the world. The trail we would follow at least roughly followed the traditional native route for the natives to get to neighbors and relatives on the North coast.The trail begins down a ridgeline where there are spectacular views on one side of the Na Pali coast and the other side down the inland valleys of Koke`e State Park. It should be noted that these views are subject to cloud cover, a constant visitor to Kauai. We were fortunate indeed.
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alot of hiking in Kauai comes with challenging muddy ascents and descents
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So the trail is primitive, well used but primitive for about a mile. Then it turns into boardwlk of sorts...miles of it.
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boardwalks
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Interestingly there are several very short telephone poles scattered from one end of this hike to another, most falling down. These were installed to relay communications from the North coast during WW2. Eventually the trail delivers you to a small overlook where the views are stunning of the North coast. This is the Kilohana lookout. I couldn't help but speculate how rough the hike down from here would have been for the natives. It is a drop off.
We had lunch and headed back to our kayak. Returning to the Wailua River we continued upstream past the Fern Grotto (the only shore parking was taken by 2 kayaks). We went upstream about a half mile and found a ropeswing! About that we also witnessed a fish chasing a fish? or a frog or something seemingly above the surface of the water. Our paddle back included a stop at the grotto ( we tied off to the big dock and climbed up the tires) and a head wind. What a great all around workout.
Another day we drove up to Ke`e Beach. We then hiked the Kalalau trail 2 miles to Hanakapi`ai Beach. This is a well used barely maintained trail. It is very slippery throughout and gives you a great core workout.
At Hanakapi`ai Beach we headed inland 2 miles to100' Hanakapi`ai Falls. Half way up that trail we got rained on for about 10 minutes and I am sure that in that time more than an inch of rain fell. This part of the Island got 700+ inches of rain! I see how. On the return trip the trail was swamped with red clay puddles. This was perhaps the most exhausting 8 miles I have hiked!
Our final long hike for the island was up at Alakai Swamp Trail in Koke`e State Park. The drive is long and the hike is as well but well worth it and all beautiful. Interstingly this swamp is the highest elevation swamp known in the world. The trail we would follow at least roughly followed the traditional native route for the natives to get to neighbors and relatives on the North coast.The trail begins down a ridgeline where there are spectacular views on one side of the Na Pali coast and the other side down the inland valleys of Koke`e State Park. It should be noted that these views are subject to cloud cover, a constant visitor to Kauai. We were fortunate indeed. 
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