Flashback to September of 2013. At the spur of the moment, we decided to catch a flight to the island of Kauai for a micro adventure around Koke'e State Park. Both of us have been to the park many times before but we never really took the trouble to hike any of the trails. We packed just the essentials for a weekend trip; which included a brand new chest mounted new go pro black and a new Sony NEX mirrorless camera.
The drive up Koke'e Road was as usual very pleasant. Beforehand, we tried to do some research about the trail but we couldn't find much info written about it. As far as we knew, it is an unmarked trail and definitely not maintained regularly like the other state-sanctioned trails.
We pulled in to an unmarked spot after passing Awa'awa'puhi Trailhead. There were two cars parked alongside the road; giving us an indication that this had to be the start of the unmarked 'trail'. The slightly bald patch on the grassy side meant that there had to be some hiking activity in this area. We reassured ourselves that this had to be the way to Honopu Ridge; as every adventure only begins when you are lost.
The air was cool and slightly breezy as we started off an at elevation of about 4,000 feet. We passed swaths of Kahili ginger plants right from the get go. The very pretty Kahili ginger is a highly invasive species as it is known to choke out other endemic plants and to also clog up streams and creeks.
The path was a bit of a mess with many debris blocking and slowing us down. At some point, we lost the trail altogether and had to rely on following the spine of the ridge towards the ocean. There were sporadic tapes, doubling as markers, possibly placed by a hunter once upon a time. You can also tell they weren't from the same person as the markers came in many different shapes, colors and designs; with a few far and in between.
As we meandered down, losing elevation, we entered into a more woodsy section. It was here that we came across many dead trees, some felled and broken in pieces, while others still standing but looking petrified like it had made eye contact with Medusa herself. It was later that we realized that the entire coast of Na Pali, including Honopu, was not spared from the wrath of Hurricane Ewa in 1982 and Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Much of the forest was destroyed and the many of the trails around Koke'e State Park never recovered.
As we limbo, crawled, jumped and maneuvered our way around these fallen trees, we finally came to a more open area. The wooded section gave way to a very dense undergrowth of ferns, locally know as uluhe; a thorny fern that can wreak havoc to your skin if one is not properly attired for the occasion. Needless to say, the uluhe had grown to a great density that created fern tunnels and sections that loomed over our heads!
As we painstakingly plowed through the fern barricade, we eventually made it out to a more exposed section. The noon sun was hot, coupled with a windless day; it made the hike slightly unbearable. But all that was soon to be put aside, as we got closer to where we caught a glimpse of what's to come - the sheer walls of the Na Pali and the fluted cliffs that was formed, and still is, from millions of years ago.
The hike from this point on wards afforded us with views from both sides of the ridge. It is also here that we realized we lost quite a lot of elevation; which meant that we still had to slog our way back out on our return to our car(!) As we threaded cautiously on this very expose and narrow section, we admired the scenic views from the top of the ridge all the way to the bottom of the beach. We could see Honopu's hidden beach and rock arch, and in the distance, a partial view of the Na Pali coast.
As we slowly edged along the ridge, more of the views of Na Pali came into being. Much of the footing was on sandy soil; which was parched and hot. There were some grassy sections punctuated with an occasional tree or two but overall, it was completely barren.
Most of the hike was in complete silence with the occasional chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. However, as we approach the ocean, the silence was constantly interrupted by the buzzing of tour helicopters circling around the valley. It was evident that many chose to admire the beauty of these remote parts helped by the much easier and faster convenience of a helicopter.
Soon we arrived at our turnaround point. Here we were afforded the grand view of the Na Pali Coast as the spires of Kalalau came into view. This reward made even the thought of the up hill return worth doing.
It is no wonder why thousands of hikers make the hajj to Kalalau each year to witness firsthand the incredible work of nature.
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