Okolehao Trail

Let's get muddy!

We headed north to the other side of the island, and first stopped to visit the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

The dots of white speckling the hillside on the far side of the cove are not flowers, but birds. Thousands of nesting shorebirds.

A stately nene took a break from dabbling in the dirt, perhaps to admire the view.

Lured by curious noises near the parking lot, I spied a couple of juvenile birds in their nest—wedge-tailed shearwaters, I think.

The Okolehao Trail is part of another National Wildlife Refuge (Hanalei). We were fortunate to arrive as another hiker was exiting. “Take a stick,” she advised. There was an ample supply at the trailhead.

We wouldn't have gotten far without them. The trail was steep and slick; for some stretches, a mesh “carpet” afforded just enough traction.

Something rustled in the brush and paused to peer out at me—an immature gold dust day gecko.

We met a few hikers on the trail, including one barefoot guy with a baby. I marveled at those without walking sticks. (The guy with the baby finally turned back when he reached a particularly gnarly stretch.)

We did climb high enough for a clear view of Hanalei Bay, but not high enough to reach the summit (much to the regret of my hiking companion). But I'm in it for the sights, so I was happy.

Not many flowers, but this fungus was a lovely color.

It all comes out in the wash.

We managed to cover a little over two miles, round trip.

Waimea Canyon

Let's go exploring!

A friend was keen to show me the first part of a route he'd planned, having judiciously stepped back from his intended pilgrimage to the summit of Kauaikini. A key skill for off-roading, I learned, is to tilt forward a bit and let your body sway freely as the vehicle bumps and bounces along.

We made it as far as the Kauaikoi Stream, and stopped; although he'd driven through yesterday, rain had since swollen the creek considerably.

Lots of greenery, lots of mud, very few flowers.

Back to the main road, we enjoyed sweeping vistas of Waimea Canyon.

Clouds blocked our view at the Kalalau Lookout, but we were rewarded after waiting out the rain. (Flood damage has closed the Kalalau Trail.)

The foraging bird in the foreground is a (non-native) Erckel's francolin. But you had your eye on the sea, didn't you?

There are only so many roads here, so of course we headed down Makaha Ridge for a look-see.

I'll never forget a local's reaction to a spectacular rainbow the first time I visited Hawaii: “Well, it rains in the hills in the afternoon, and the sun is in the west, so ...”

“Oh, wow!” Should I pull over? “Yes!”

There's a double rainbow here, if you look hard enough.

Waimea Canyon, a waterfall, and a rainbow. Kauai.