

Until.. I slipped on a boulder during a river crossing. Luckily there were two other boulders nearby that I landed on with my shin bone taking the brunt of the hit. (that’s a joke)
As the Kalalau Trail weaves in and out of Na Pali’s fins, the gets very narrow at times. The steep ledges scream danger as they dive into the ocean below. Lose your balance, trip or slip and it’s game over. Seeing how Kauai had seen a good amount of rain in the last few days it made the muddiest sections of the trail quite dangerous. Leaning my body and pack weight to my left into the cliff and grabbing at any exposed roots I could find, I walked very slowly on this 3 foot wide trail. With every step my foot slowly slid towards the edge of the trail as I put weight on it. (no pics of that folks, sorry) There are parts of the Kalalau Trail that made me feel alive.. this is the part that reminded me I wanted to stay that way.
Upon completing the 11 mile hike in to Kalalau Beach, the most remote beach in Hawaii BTW, I expected peace and quiet with a handful of other weary hikers camping there for the night. I soon found out that there appeared to be people temporarily living in the valley, that included nudists, hippies and Vietnam War veterans, who seek out the solitude and relief from civilization that the serene nature that the Kalalau Valley offers. Some have decorated make shift huts and go foraging bananas, coconuts, guavas and other fruits from the forest. Guessing none of them laid down the $22 for a one night camping permit like I did. Ugh.. This trail is pretty amazing. It’s got breath-taking coastal views, waterfalls, caves, wild looking vegetation, rivers, swimming pools and maybe even dinosaurs. It’s a strenuous muddy sometimes dangerous hike. But hey, I didn’t go all the way to Kauai for a walk in the park. Loved it! |