A spontaneous trip to Kauai?  Yes Please!  You know what I want to do; hike and explore. Haena State Park has been closed since the flooding that occurred in April 2018.  My prior attempt to hike along this route was thwarted by a father-son fire throwing ceremony to celebrate the arrival of Hokulea to the Hanalei harbor that resulted in the park being shut down due to forest fire on the exact days that my permit allowed.  No matter, that was another fun adventure!  I’m so grateful to get a new opportunity to see this beautiful stretch of the Na Pali Coast.

Wednesday was my day to go.  It was pouring in Poipu.  Determined, and knowing how quickly HI weather can change, I set out anyway.  I did stop at the store to buy an extra parka, just in case!  It seemed to take FOREVER to get to the park.  The entry to this park has changed, thank goodness, and the humongous cluster of tourists and crazily parked cars were gone!  Day Use out of state residents must have a parking permit to visit Ke’e Beach, Hanikapiai Beach and Falls; HI residents just show their ID.  All Kalalau trail campers must have a permit and only can use the shuttle; no overnight parking.  This made for a very pleasant arrival to the trail AND it stopped raining when I got there!

The Hanakapiai and Kalalau are the same route along the Na Pali coast until you reach the beach. Here the trail splits; up and continuing along the coast is the Kalalau and up and into the valley is the Hanakapiai.  The trail is pretty easy from Ke’e beach to Hanakapiai Beach.  It is approximately 2 miles and travels over a hilly but solid trail.  This is a great day hike, especially if you’re short on time.  The biggest challenge on this stretch of the trail is crossing the river once you reach the destination.  I spent a fair amount of time here taking pictures, of course, and chatting with the ranger.  He seemed rather concerned that I watch out for flooding for it had started raining again.  I reassured him that I had a bit of experience with floods and would high-tail it out of there if the river rose!  Off to the trail, wait where is it?  Is this the trail; next to a sign with “do not enter, helicopter site”?  So I went up the Kalalau, fortunately I had the wherewithal to turn back around a try again.  Found the trail and finally on my way.

The trail is quite lovely.  Scented Jasmine, bamboo groves, bubbling waters, mossy green, tropical flowers.  Slippery rocks, uneven ground, stream crossings, humidity.  Most people probably don’t think that’s a good time.  However, you must enjoy the journey as well as the destination!  Okay, I’ve made three stream crossings, it should be soon.  “Jaw Dropping”  Wow.  At 300 feet, it’s incredible even from a distance.  The trail opens up into a watery wonderland as you get to the valley.  Mini waterfalls are everywhere, and all you hear is the sound of the falls and the wind rushing through the valley.  Surprisingly, I encountered only 6 people on the falls trail!  Honestly, I’d much rather appreciate nature without the crowds!

I really have a hard time putting into words how I felt when I arrived to the falls.  I immediately started crying.  It seemed that my heart would bust out of my chest.  I was shaking and quite euphoric.  I relaxed a bit & started shooting.  This was a huge challenge, for the mist from the falls was so powerful, I had to keep wiping the lens and changing positions.  I never was able to find a spot completely mist free, so please forgive me of the final photos.  Magical, I’m in love.  I give thanks to the powers that be for allowing me to witness this beauty.  I remember the people before me who used this land to sustain life.  I am grateful to Mother Earth for keeping me safe and for granting my ability to use my body to explore this world.  Please enjoy the photos and contact me for collaborations or photoshoots!  Malama Aina.

Shannon

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