A Few Days on Kauai

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I went to Hawaii for an oral argument in a case and stayed four extra days. The argument was in Honolulu, then I flew over to Kauai for the vacation. It was a nice laid back vacation, with only one story of note. My first full day on Kauai I planned to go for a hike. I woke up early to leave, as the hike was about an hour drive from my hotel, but it was raining. After a couple of hours of wondering what to do, it let up a bit, and it looked ok to the west, so I set out to drive to the trail head and see if conditions were ok. By the time I got there, it was perfectly clear and a beautiful day. There is a museum at the trailhead, and the woman working the museum said that conditions were a little muddy but should be ok. So I set out on the hike.

It was muddy indeed. Even with my hiking poles I fell about two miles into the hike. A mile later I realized that I'd lost half of my water, most likely when I fell. By the time I got to the trail leading to the first viewpoint, the clouds had returned. I decided not to do the extra mile required to get to the viewpoint since it was so cloudy, and set off on the second leg of the hike, across the Nualolo Cliff Trail. Almost immediately was a sign saying "Caution, Narrow and Washed Out Trail Ahead, Proceed at Your Own Risk." But the hike I had already done was so muddy and steep that there was no way I was going back that way in the rain, so I kept going.

My guidebook described the part of the trail this way: "it rounds a fearsome bend over a colossal drop. The ground is just loose red gravel, the trail a narrow slanting groove scuffed against the hillside. Dislodged pebbles tumble thousands of feet into the abyss, and the wayside rock, clutched for support, crumbles to dust in your hand." I figured that was exaggerated so that no one could say the guidebook underestimated the danger. But no. It was exactly like the guidebook said. Luckily it was so cloudy that I couldn't see the colossal drop very well.

After clearing that danger zone, I lost the trail a couple of times in a grass field where the grasses had grown over my head and the trail was no more than a foot wide, the grasses hanging over the trail wet with the rain. But I managed to find the trail, and even helped a nice couple who were also lost find it themselves. Eventually the way cleared, it stopped raining, and cleared up long enough for me to grab a quick bite to eat at a nice overlook. Then I had a three mile hike, up 1200 feet or so, with only half the water I had planned to have. By the time I got back to the car I was completely exhausted and soaked to the bone, not having seen either of the viewpoints advertised as two of the most spectacular on the island. I stuck to sights I could drive to after that, except for my helicopter tour of the island on the last day of the trip. Unfortunately, because of the rain and a faulty zipper, I have no pictures from the hike. But I took plenty on the rest of the trip, which I hope you enjoy.

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Photos

Na Pali Coast
This is basically where I was hiking

Na Pali Coast
From the sea-side, you can see the 3000 foot drop I faced on the hike.

Rooster
There are wild roosters everywhere on Kauai.

Trail
I took this short trail up to a nice lookout and an ancient hula training ground.

Princeville
The Princeville resort, on the north end of the island.

Canyon
The clouds were literally forming before my eyes.

Spouting Horn
There is a hole in a flat rock, and as the waves crash below the water is forced up through the hole.

Sleeping Giant
See him?

Lighthouse
The lighthouse on the northernmost point of the island. The area around it is now a wildlife preserve.