Mahalo, 2013

It has been a very good year and I have been fortunate to have spent the majority of my time in 2013 on Kauaʻi. Mahalo to everyone who has made the time here so great, as well as to the mainlanders who supported my being here.

This morning the sunset in Kalaheo was gorgeous (the phone photo at right does not do it justice). Breakfast with friends was a great way to wind up this visit before I fly off today.

I will be back in January when the moving process really gets underway.

Finally, mahalo to those of you following my journey in cyberspace, I really do appreciate being able to share it and hope it is entertaining and even at times useful. The story continues in 2014 . . .

Alekoko fishpond

Yesterday for the first time I went to see the Alekoko fishpond (a.k.a. the misleading common name of Menehune Fishpond). There is a turnout (GPS 21.949437,-159.368489) that provides a fine view but no access to the fishpond itself which is on private property.

Situated a few miles outside Lihue in a sparsely populated area just behind the coastal mountain ridge that stretches from Nawiliwili to the west, it's a peaceful setting worth stopping by to see. You can get here by backroads (see map link above) either from Nawiliwili port or from the Kīpū turnoff from the highway west of Lihue. Expect to spend a few minutes soaking in the scenery on a slightly longer alternate route circumventing the mall area getting in or out of Lihue from the west.

The fishpond has unfortunately fallen into disrepair. In the view shown above you can see a ring of green overgrowth around the pond where plantlife has encroached into the pond edge. To the left it is easy to make out the dark gap running along the long straight edge of the pond where the river runs.

Awaawapuhi Trail

Saturday turned out to be a great day to hike Awaawapuhi trail from up in Kokeʻe out to an overlook of the Napali coast. This trail begins at 4000 feet descending through forest then opening up affording views of the wooded valleys on either side and entering drier terrain as it approaches the pali (cliffs) that dominate the shoreline on this side of the island.

Details: Six miles round trip going from 4000 to 2500 feet elevation and back. About five hours at moderate pace. Drive to Waimea and head mauka (to the mountains) on 550, 1.7 miles past the Kokeʻe Lodge parking lot. Trailhead parking is at GPS 22.141386,-159.648606.

I suggest starting early for this hike as it is often hot in the afternoon for the climb back up and out. Not recommended in the rain, when significant rain is forecast, or following heavy rains as the sloping trail can be slippery when it gets muddy. Check the weather for Kokeʻe ahead or you can ask at the Kokeʻe Museum if they are open. See seasonal and other Kokeʻe weather info here. Also see earlier post for this trail: it is a favorite standby and never disappointing repeating.

Much of the trail meanders through forest providing a chance to see quite an impressive variety of plant life. Stop from time to time (when the helicopters aren't around) and listen to the birds - at times they provide rich birdsong. About half way out you come to the first break in the trees where a wash out gives you a view to the right of the Honopu valley right at a sheer drop-off next to the trail. Further on to the left throughout the last mile you will see the Nualolo valley on your left.

The most dramatic views are at trail's end overlooking the cliffs. The trail ends just a little past the three mile point. To your left is a grand view over Nualolo valley. To your right and ahead is your first view of the Awaawapuhi valley. Check out the near vertical cliff walls shown at right, but don't get close to the edge yourself as it is about half a mile straight down.

Cliff trail closure: This trail was the return leg of my favorite longer hike in Kokeʻe, the Nualolo Awaawapuhi loop, now closed. The connecting cliff trail washed out, due to overuse while wet the knowledgeable person at Kokeʻe Museum made a point of saying. Now an environmental impact study is required as the first step in a long process of creating a new trail through higher up the mountain. Sounds like it will be years before the loop reopens.

With the cliff trail closed now one much choose between the two out-and-back trails. The Awaawapuhi is the shorter and easier trail, starting about two miles further up 550. The Nualolo trail starts just a block before the Kokeʻe Lodge and Museum parking lot, and is longer and steeper but takes you further out over the pali. Both offer spectacular views of the Na Pali cliffs from their respective sides of Nualolo Aina valley, at Awaawapuhi this is on your left (from Nualolo trail it is on the right). Both of these side-by-side trails (with a good sized valley in between) are worth seeing, but choose one according to conditions and your hiking experience if time is limited, and perhaps the other on your next visit.

If it's Tuesday this must be Kauaʻi

Today the New York times travel section does Kauaʻi [warning: ads and/or paywall]. After the opening paragraph informs us of the island's "unspoiled natural splendor", that it is "arguably most beautiful of the major Hawaiian Islands", and that it "still feels like the world’s most stunning backwater" -- all of which I agree with -- for reasons unexplained that I cannot fathom, the article adopts a theme of trying to cram as many sights as possible into 36 hours.

Ideally you should be planning 36 days to properly experience this place fully, not 36 hours. Overall I found the article to be contrived, weak, and in places outright wrong: I wonder if they fact-checked it. For starters, the article's timeline begins at 6pm on a Friday and goes to 2pm Sunday: note to New York times, that's 44 hours.

I have in fact been back on the island a little over a leisurely 50 hours myself. I was in Hanapepe [1. Art and Literature] yesterday for breakfast. They are incorrect that the excellent Talk Story bookstore is the only dedicated bookstore on the island (also in Kapa'a we have the Blue House bookstore), at least by my definition of dedication.

For what it's worth, personally I avoid the touristy [2. Dinner With Sugar] location as well as the ultra-swank St. Regis.

This morning I had breakfast at Kalaheo Cafe mentioned in [3. Coffee at the Source]. Kauai is not generally considered competition with the high end coffee grown on the Big Island and Maui but  they do have over a dozen varieties available to sample hot brewed.

There is no way you can do the Cliff trail [4. Hikes With Views] at Kokeʻe - I hike up there frequently, there is a whole network of trails all over - and then get to the north shore all within 3 hours (as they have it, from 10:30 to 1:30) unless you charter a helicopter for transportation. The driving time alone is over two hours and arriving mid-day parking will be long gone -- making Keʻe [5. End of the Road] your first morning destination is always a good place.

Realistically, spend more time hiking Kokeʻe if you are going all the way up there and then hit the other end of the road (check road conditions, and terms of rental car) and see Polihale sunset would be my recommendation.

The best live music on the north shore is at Tahiti Nui and the show is over by 8:30 [8. Tipple in Tahiti] which is when their timeline takes you there - what a waste, just skip the other bar they mention.

Other different recommendations (for more see this blog's travel section):

• Best north shore coffee is the Hanalei Coffee Roasters which also has excellent baked goods and light fare.
• Banana Joe's is my favorite juice stand: though the drink selection is limited they sell a variety of produce too. The frosties are the best.

The writer of the New York Times article seems to have you staying in the south your first night and then relocating to stay in the north the second night, not very practical, otherwise if you stay in one place with this itinerary you have a lot of driving somewhere (unless of course your personal helicopter is taking you here and there). The lodging options they list struck me as ridiculously pricey and not representative of your real options ("rooms officially start at $1,100" ... seriously?).

Why in the world would someone visit Kaua'i and cut it so short? I have to say: if you only have 36 hours, just go have fun at Waikiki (you probably don't have the temperament to enjoy the island in the first place).

Update: After writing this last night this morning up at Kokeʻe I happened to meet not one but two couples touring Kauaʻi on short schedules. First couple said this was their last day and wanted to drive all the way around to the other end of the road and hike the Kalalau ... I assume they wanted to see it all in first going to the opposite end of the road? The second couple said time was short and asked what I suggested ... we talked as I walked them over to see the view while we talked. As I listed a few multi-mile hikes it became clear that was more than they were up for ... and indeed, he said, "We have about an hour before our flight."

So here is my recommendation for Kokeʻe in one hour that I gave them:

1. Drive to the end of 550 (Kokeʻe Road) overlook - unless it is rainy/misty in which case skip it - and see if you can get a look at Kalalau Valley.
2. On the way back stop at any trailhead you like the looks of and walk into the forest.
3. Stop at the Waimea Canyon Lookout [map] and see the view.

This isnʻt the first time I have chatted with people visiting and been surprised how little time they had for Kauaʻi. I guess that on the map it looks awfully small. One very nice couple I recall eventually explained that they were touring all the major islands in one week so they had about 24 hours on Kauaʻi. I must have looked a little surprised, no knowing what to recommend on such a tight schedule. He admitted, in the nicest way, "Yeah, we suck."

Shipping a car to Kauaʻi

Shipping a car from the west coast to Kauaʻi costs a little over $1000 and takes roughly three weeks. Arrangements can be handled via the web and the process is straightforward. If the car must arrive on a specific date that can be arranged for a higher rate.

We were recommended to ship via either Matson or Horizon Lines. The Matson web site is great, providing rates and details (the other web site by contrast I found unhelpful and hard to use) which for this consumer is all I needed to make my choice.

Cars must be clean, in good repair, and have less than 1/4 tank of gas. No personal belongings are allowed in the car at all. As with everything going to Hawaii it must pass agricultural inspection so there should be no mud, leaves, etc. inside or out. Matson car preparation details here. Note that the basic rate may not fully insure the value of your car and your car insurance may not cover shipping, so you may need supplemental coverage to be fully insured against damage or loss (consult your insurance agent and the shipper for details).

You will need to have valid registration of course and the owner must drop off and pick up the car or you will need notarized authorization paperwork for someone else. They also offer to pick up at your home for a considerable additional charge (over $200 for the ten miles from our house to the port) and it adds four business days to the transit time. Matson car delivery details here.

When we made arrangements they were running ships every two weeks so if you can deliver the car just in time for sailing it will speed up the process considerably. When the shipment arrives they contact you to come pick it up.

In Kauaʻi pick up the car at Matson in Nawiliwili, the main port not far from the Lihue airport. The give you a four business days to come get the car after which storage fees will apply. Pickup details for Matson are here. Remember that after arrival you have thirty days to get the vehicle inspected registered with the state of Hawaii (Kauai county DMV office which also issues Hawaii state driver's licenses).