Munroidendron racemosum (pokalakala)

Today at NTBG nursery I cleaned up a full table of plants -- weeding and organizing everything.
Unless you are very interested in rare tropical plants, gardening, etc. this may be exceedingly boring.

Started before 8am and finished about 3:30pm with a short lunch break. It was a not quite as repetitive as the fern cleanup, and thanks to some cloud cover the hot tropical sun was only full on for a couple of hours. A pair of ultra-light planes cruised overhead at least a couple of times. You can see exactly where I was working over at Google Maps (N 21.898677, W 159.502497).

The table held varieties of Munroidendron racemosum a.k.a. Polyscias racemosa or in Hawaiian pokalakala, an endangered plant that is endemic to Kauai. According to one source known specimens number in the hundreds. These were all young plants, just a few feet tall and none were flowering; grown trees can exceed twenty feet. Good thing I didn't know how rare these were at the time as they were a handful.
Fortunately, I managed not to damage any of them which was actually quite tricky. The plants are well established and tough, but range 2, 3, some 4 feet tall yet many are planted in tiny (3 or 4 inch) containers, so they are extremely "tippy". The plant is a long and slender round trunk with a bunch of thin branches of leaves developing toward the top. For some reason, the trunks tend not to grow straight but at odd twisted wavy bowed shapes which do not balance. Several were leaning against or bound to jury-rigged supporting twine tied between poles extending up from the table which I also repaired and rearranged as best I could. 

To stabilize a tray of plants was challenging. Packing the tray of 3 inch containers with a five-by-five array was a stable base, but the plants were bushy enough that it was a chaotic snarl of branches, and the branches had a way of entangling themselves that was difficult to separate. Fewer plants to the tray was much more workable, but then each plant's base was wobbly and when one would tip the domino effect would cause others to lean or fall over as well. The off-balance branches could be aligned to lean together to the center (getting tangled) or turned to reach out away from the tray (entangling the next tray) -- nothing really seemed to work so I ended up with a little of all these techniques.

Some plants were identified by a numbered metal tag -- a six digit code for the species with a three digit unique number for each specimen. The majority just had plastic tags stuck in the container as are seen in commercial nurseries listing just the six digit number and name. I ordered the plants on the table in numerical order while weeding each pot. Given the unstable plants and support twine traipsing over the table it was quite a process shifting everything around into order.

It's good doing work totally unlike one's "real work" and while this isn't a "fun" job, at the end of the day the value of the effort is certainly clear. Since the roots of these plants are exposed and entangled with the weed roots this was all done by hand: no tools allowed. 

One thing I'm curious about is why so much variation in the weeds -- some containers were solid weeds, others a few, and some had virtually no weeds. Same plants, potting, and other conditions. Actually, many of the weed-infested plants were easy to do -- just pulling out the tops the roots and everything came cleanly out. The really time-consuming ones were where there were many tiny weeds just sprouting, pairs of pinhead-sized leaves covering the exposed earth that had to be nipped out one by one.

Waimea Canyon Trail (II)

Today I did the Canyon Trail through to the end (3 miles one way) and then some with a nice early start at the trail head a little after seven. I did blow a lot of time going off trail and wandering in the woods but recovered and was back in town by 3pm.

On the right is the canyon view from the parking lot where the trail head is - the hike itself is all on the left side. After crossing a side valley (out of view) the Canyon Trail heads out over the dry cliffs at the very left - lighter color with horizontal dark bands - proceeding along the top of that and then down over the far edge to cross over the Waipo'o waterfall (not much water, and can't see the big drop from the trail anyway). From there the trail leads around and up to the ridge atop the second darker mass (Ka'ou) on the left there coming out on the peak there are proceeding left off camera. 

Pink Tape

Near the water there was a spiny-back Asian spider on the trail - with an early start, I hit the webs all the way. I made the mistake of crossing the stream that feels the waterfall upstream and then took a really sketchy looking trail - the best I could find - and proceeded up what became a steep ascent. I was just about to turn around when I saw pink tape trail markers so I continued on. Eventually the pink tape no longer appeared and I was clearly on animal trails, if that. The GPS track was useful (a) determining I was well off the trail, and (b) back-tracking to the water which I managed more easily than expected. The very steep parts were trickier going down of course, and actually I never saw the pink tape on the way back. No idea why someone marked that as a trail, but that pink tape should be removed!

In the murky water I spied a fresh water shrimp.

The actual Canyon Trail

Back at the water I went back to the trail and crossed downstream, just above where the water goes over the cliff (but not so close as to be dangerous at all). The area where the trail crosses the water has several paths that are hard to figure out - I recall being turned around there before.

I also recall from a previous hike a section of trail that really is only passable on foot. Earlier out hiking I have seen 4WD get surprisingly far on a trail, and ATV really cover ground that looks impassible, but this place I think motorized vehicles would be stymied. The photo at right is a little hard to tell, but the trail is rain-carved chute about shoulder width across and from two to four feet high on the sides. Maybe you could straddle that with ATV but it would not be easy. Then for good measure a good sized tree has fallen over this path, so you have to duck under the tree as it lies over the chute. Short of a tank, I don't think you can get through any other way.

Speaking of tanks, the helicopters in the canyon were nearly as load it seemed. I don't know if they were out in number for some reason or what but from 8am nearly all day long they were buzzing the canyon one after another. This one if the angle was better I could have read the tail number - which I think means it was way too low. The quiet of this remote place is an important part of the experience. In the woods you hear a buzz of insects, bird songs, the wind in the trees ... all completely drowned out by engine noise.

At the turn around was a nice grassy glade so I took a break, rested, and did yoga - it fits with hiking surprisingly well and is much nicer outside that on a mat.

Audrey Sutherland

I first heard of Audrey Sutherland from an interview in the Hawaiian Air in-flight magazine.  This week I finished reading her wonder first book and was thoroughly impressed in every way. Well written, it's part travel diary, part Hawaiiana, part philosophy and lighter musings, and overall a small window into her world of solo adventure to the very most remote remaining parts of the islands. Her treks are all the more amazing and insightful because she does it solo, with her own gear and supplies and entirely self-powered (except for getting to and from the island). She's an original and absolutely heroic.

Sutherland, Audrey, 1921- Padding my own canoe / Audrey Sutherland. -- Honolulu : University Press of Hawaii, c1978. 136 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. (A Kolowalu Book) Autobiographical. ISBN 0-8248-0618-2 1. Hawaii--Description and travel--1951- 2. Sutherland, Audrey, 1921- I. Title. DU623.2.S87   919.69'04'4

Aud (as she calls herself throughout the book: solo travel books are by necessity monologues) is a lady who relishes a challenge. On an inter-island flight she spies the uninhabited north coast of Moloka'i, replete with sea cliffs and waterfalls, and is particularly drawn to explore it herself because there are so many hula'ana. As she explains, a hula'ana is a Hawaiian term for an impassible section of coastline, such as where there is only a cliff along the coast line.

Long story short, she shows up next summer on the island with a make-shift floating backpack rig -- this was before REI and high-tech gear was made, in the 1960s. "I scrounged a new rubber meteorological weather balloon, wrapped the camera, food, and clothing in it, rolled it inside a shoer curtain, put the bundle into an army clothing bag, and lashed it all to a lightweight aluminum pack frame..." I won't spoil the fun of telling how splendidly that worked out for her, in waters known to have plenty of sharks no less, but she did survive to write the book obviously.

Over the years she returns over and over again to this territory for time alone, to luxuriate in the exquisite natural beauty, and in no small part to test herself out there. She discovers an abandoned shack and over the years renovates it (carrying in and out everything herself) to because what she calls "Pelekunu Plaza". It's a quick read and chock full of her unique wisdom and creativity.

A beautiful quote near the end of the book encapsulates the lesson she has lived and narrated throughout. To me this rings so true, yet is so counter to the conventional wisdom, and the entire book is full of examples of exactly what she means.

"The only real security is not insurance or money or a job, not a house and furniture paid for, or a retirement fund, and never is it another person. It is the skill and humor and courage within, the ability to build your own fires and find your own peace." -- Audrey Sutherland

Microlepia strigosa var. strigosa

Today I volunteered at the NTBG McBryde garden nursery, cleaning out the overgrown ferns (palapalai in Hawaiian, a.k.a. Microlepia strigosa var. strigosa). I don't know if intentional, but this is a great job for a beginner as the live plants are extremely hardy so it's hard to do much damage.

The gardens are very exotic and beautiful and the nursery is home to all kinds of strange and unusual plants (though the ferns I worked on are quite common).  The nursery includes a hot house, and cold (slightly cooler) house, a mist room, shade and sun areas.

These small ornate feathery ferns are used extensively as ground cover in the Limahuli garden so the nursery is always producing lots of it. Working from 8am to 3:30pm (when they closed) with another volunteer we almost got through three tables or approximately 500 containers. There was a lot of variance in the effort to do one container: about half we fast (half a minute) but many took more time, probably the ones that had gone the longest. A few were so overgrown there was hardly any new growth at all in them. Counting the trays of 25 completed in the time I was there it works out to about two minutes each: I guess time flies when you are having fun.

Each container held a clump of plants in various stages of life: my job was to pull out the old dead stalks to make way for new growth, along with cleaning out any rubbish that had accumulated or, rarely, weeds. In the nursery everything is grown on crushed lava rock gravel (not in dirt) in an effort to avoid soil bacteria infections. Ferns of course bind tenaciously to the rock base and hold it in a tight mass usually. Any fern more than half shriveled went -- while many dead ones broke loose easily so required more effort or in some cases cutting with pruning shears.

One nice practice at the nursery is that all tools are cleaned and disinfected without water with each use. The pruning shears I used were in great condition to show for it. Here's the procedure:

1. Brush off any loose dirt.
2. Spray the tool with alcohol mist.
3. Scrub with a rough sponge.
4. Wipe off alcohol with a clean rage.
5. Lightly spray with WD-40.

Palapalai is indigenous to Hawaii but can grow aggressively; last week at Limahuli I was ripping the stuff out of a rock walled garden feature it had taken over. I expect when I close my eyes to go to sleep I will see clumps of fern after a good seven hours.

One Month Here

It's been a month that I've been on Kauai having my sabbatical/adventure/experience. This afternoon I took a long walk down the beach from Waimea to Kikialoa harbor, about halfway to Kekaha to the west.

The beach stretches for miles from the Waimea River west. Here the sand is dark reddish, not surprising as the place name "Waimea" means red water and the dirt up the mountain is strikingly reddish as well. Walking along the edge of the reach of the surf the sand is firm and supports weight, but one sinks into the the dry sand making it much harder to walk in.

My time here has definitely gone beyond "vacation" and this daily life has become normal. So far I have made some connections and learned some things, but am still getting started. Definitely I need more something to keep me busy, though I have been enjoying the leisurely pace of life with no impending commitments.

So far no great insights or deep realizations. Since I didn't plan this very much I can't say that it is or is not according to plan. I will say that this is definitely the right thing for me to be doing now, and the right place for me to be now. You can't ask for more than that.  Happy Holidays!

HDR

I'm playing around with HDR photography just a bit. It's a digital post-processing technique that uses multiple exposures of the same scene (ideally, tripod mounted identical shots) taken at different exposures. Essentially, for shadows it uses the over-exposed image, for highlights the under-exposed, effectively extending the dynamic range of the camera sensors.

The technique first requires that the shots be aligned precisely - or if not identical, manually lined up. With my little tripod I was able to take some good sequences that align well. Next there are a bunch of different algorithms each with a number of settings that I don't understand yet at all.

For now I just chose a few that look interesting, in full original 6M pixel resolution. Neither looks like the actual scene. I like the sky in the first one especially. The second one looks like it was shot at night in a full moon perhaps.

Christmas Ohana Dinner

Tonight I was invited to a family Christmas dinner in the neighborhood here in Waimea. Very informal gathering of twenty-some extended family. Everyone introduced themselves and I chatted with many different local folks. Aletha from the visitor center was very kind to invite me. The spread was impressive, my favorite was grilled fish, but included salads, potatoes, rice, several meat dishes, pickled beans, cole slaw, and several desserts. Everything was delicious, I had seconds and took home a plate.

Among the guests I met Helen who used to run the Hanapepe Cafe. She mentioned several bakers she has helped start businesses after closing the cafe. One was Midnight Bear Breads who she says make very good breads in her kitchen at the cafe. We talked about break baking and she was interested in the yeast starter that I use, so I gave her some. She will take it to the bread bakers and I will look for them next Friday at Hanapepe.

Waimea Christmas Parade

Given the distinct lack of snowy winter weather, folks here make up for it by going all out Hawaiian style for Christmas. On Kauai, Waimea may well have the biggest celebration of all. All afternoon, chairs appeared along the main drag (Kuhio Highway) parade route but by late afternoon the police had shut down traffic, and in the town center they began a community raffle ($10 topped the bidding for the First Place Gingerbread House).

Over forty parade entries featured mostly electrically lit floats of varying size and shapes, along with bands, marching ROTC, baton twirlers, Santas, and more.

Big presences were the PMRF (Pacific Missle Range Facility military installation out past Kekaha) and Pioneer (high tech plant genetics) both of which are well-funded and want very much to engender good will with the local populace. Many churches, community groups, and local businesses turned out with in some cases quite elaborate floats. The parade began just as dark fell so my efforts to shoot photos were largely doomed: I was able to shoot some later as the entire parade lineup was parked and available for viewing at the other end of town later on. Some notables:

• PMRF drove their very high tech fire and rescue vehicles in the parade.
• Grove Farm mounted their small gauge steam locomotive on a truck trailer for the parade [video, 0:30].
• A fancy Angry Birds themed float (no moving parts though I'm sure they considered it).
• "Hogs vs. Dogs" a.k.a. the Annual Island-wide Dog and Knife Tournament.

Riding on the back of the last parade vehicle were my friends from the West Kauai Visitor Center, Aletha and Carrie. They had helped organize launching the parade vehicles in an orderly fashion from the west end of town and managed a ride back to town.

After the parade there was a musical performance on a nice big stage trucked in for the occasion. Mostly Hawaiian music of course, with some Christmas music and some eclectic selections as well. Throughout the show, kids had congregated in the open area in front of the stage, running around, jumping at the bubbles (from machines set up there), dancing and what have you.

Benjamin at far end of the stage

The highlight of the night - and did I ever miss a YouTube chance not video taping it - was when the band invited one kid up on stage. "Warriors #30, you've been tearing it up on the asphalt there. Come up on stage and dance this next number for us." Benjamin (8) came up looking a little wary at first, but when the music started he began to do his thing and the audience loved it. Encouraged he showed us his moves, the band loved it and was having a hard time not cracking up, but kept on playing. A lady ran up and gave Benjamin a dollar, and then more people followed suit, and by the end he got a tremendous ovation. The band thanked him, joking, "You count that money, Benjamin, and later you tell Uncle how much we made."

Waimea Canyon Hike

After a late start and to be back for the Christmas parade in town ahead of them closing the roads, I did a short hike on the Canyon Trail in Waimea Canyon [map]. The canyon roughly is Y-shaped with the two main top branches merging and flowing south as the Waimea river, meeting the ocean at the east edge of town. This hike is along the back of the valley on the top-left branch of the "Y" and leading out a ridge to overlook where the two branches meet above the center of the "Y".

Park at Puu Hinahina lookout (well signed, right off the 550 highway) and take the trail from the back of the parking lot heading off to the left into the trees. This leads through light forest down into a valley - a ditch system runs through here, surprisingly - passing an open ditch where water flows between two underground channels. Climbing out of the valley you reach a junction with several other trails back here in the area "above the top of the Y".

Taking Canyon Trail you slowly descend - passing the vista branch to the right, and taking the next right branch - leading out to a ridge overlooking the valley. The trail continues out and down over crumbly ground: thankfully, there is no "end of trail" sign, but you have to judge for yourself as it gets increasingly steep and easy to slide out on loose rock. Great views both up and down the valley surround you.

To the left looking down the valley toward the ocean (miles away) are stone arches that look like they must be man-made, yet are located in what appears to be an extremely inaccessible location -- I have no idea the actual story.

On the return, I took the side branch (right) to the vista, just a short distance and hardly any climb off the main trail. Goats were there as I approached so I gave them room; the three of them sauntered out of the woods and under the railings down into the canyon. Immediately I went over to the stop they were last seen and looked for them, but just say the very steep precipice - they must be somewhere below that, incredible that they could negotiate the terrain so quickly down in a place like that.

Earlier that day

I had breakfast at six and left for Koke'e before full daylight heading up the mountain. I was feeling quite sleepy (though I awoke without an alarm) and it became an effort to keep my eyes open, but I made it to the lookout at the end of the road by 7:30am. I took a little nap in the car before heading out ... and awoke at 9:30am to my surprise. Now a late start for the Pihea Trail, I headed out and found the trail immediately muddier than I had expected. Within 1/4 mile I decided to change plans: I was tired, time was short, and the trail condition was sub-par. I was however rewarded with some amazing Kalalau Valley rainbows I will post soon.

Kauai Man Hunt

In a very un-Kauai-like unfortunate incident, a tourist was forcibly thrown from a 15 foot cliff by a crazy man out at Kalalau earlier this week. I don't want to post his mug shot here - it's a disturbing photo - but you can read the news article here if you want to see his picture. I haven't seen or heard a detailed story that makes any sense as to why this happened. The woman is recovering in hospital and family is here now.

The Kauai police are out in force looking for this creep. Ke'e beach and the Kalalau Trail are now closed to the public. (My Hanakapi'ai Falls hike on Saturday was, fortunately, the day before this happened.) Today working at Limahuli garden I saw the blockade just past the garden, and while working we heard low-flying helicopters (not tour copters) presumably part of the man hunt.

At Hanalei Pizza, Shawn the pizza chef said they had seen the suspect in there many times previous to the incident. Even then he stood out as a creepy character and emanated a scary demeanor. Midday several police units were visible in town (very unusual) and one went through with sirens on (presumably related but don't know).

Also overheard that the authorities were crawling all over Kalalau and in the process writing tickets to the many people out there without proper permits. I wonder actually how often them manage to collect penalties on those tickets, or what good it does. They try to control against overcrowding out there but it's so inaccessible it's very challenging; I'm not sure that anyone complains about it though who's actually out there.

Limahuli Gardening II

This morning I worked in the Limahuli Garden again, an excellent volunteer activity I recommend. (Also see earlier post, Limahuli Gardening.) Today there were three other volunteers and under the direction of gardener Nicole we cleaned out some rock-enclosed sections of the upper garden that had for years been overgrown with ferns.

Before

After

 

In two mornings at the garden now I have almost entirely been working to kill (unwanted) plants, but that just shows that you don't need a "green thumb" to volunteer there. The ferns we removed were a native species but so aggressive that they needed to be excised. It made a huge difference: for the first time you could see the outlines of the rock enclosures clearly. Now that these areas are visible, the garden staff will figure out what to do with them: leave them as is, plant them out, or something else. Nicole had a great idea of planting with native grasses, but in any case now they can make an informed decision. We removed a bunch of overgrown grass from the rock-enclosed area on the left and down over the embankment (out of view of these shots), again revealing the terrain so they can figure out what to do there.

Surprisingly, the garden has very little in the way of utensils and supplies, for such a lavish collection of plans. We did not have rakes, or tarps to carry the ripped out plant material. Later I helped Nicole re-stake some plants that had been blown over in this weeks winds and we had to scavenge previously used gardening tape strips, never material not being available. Assuming I can regularly work in the south shore garden I may buy a few things and attempt to donate them so we have decent equipment to work with.

The End of the World at Hanalei Pizza

Tomorrow is the infamous Mayan End of the World Day but I trust you will have time to read this. When I dropped by Hanalei Pizza today for a late lunch, the pizza chef Shawn remembered me (from last visit when we discussed the finer points of pizza preparation) and told me that tomorrow they were featuring a special end-of-the-world menu, including: Sun Spots (pineapple on cheese pizza), Asteroid collision (I can't recall), and a few more themed special pizzas. I suggested they list their business hours as "from 11am until the world ends" and consider Alien Invasion (peperoni UFOs) and Nuclear Winter (mushrooms with feta cheese "snow") additions to the menu.

I also had a seriously good pizza for lunch, the Veg-Head Deluxe = Mozzarella cheese, Olives, Maui Sweet Onions, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers & Mushrooms, Caramelized onions, Roasted Garlic, Artichoke Hearts, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Pesto, Feta Cheese (and after its cooked they offer garlic butter brushed on the crush and chopped basil sprinkled on top, both of which I recommend). The pizza dough is very good: made with coconut water and including hemp seed, flax seed, chia seed, and a bunch of such additives (see the blackboard in the restaurant which also mentions they are not known for being speedy).

The full menu (except for tomorrow's special) is at hanaleipizza.com and with any luck the world will continue to exist and you can check it out next time you are in Hanalei.


For pizza cooks: a few little tricks Shawn shared with me about pizza-making.

• use a dough docker before rolling out pizza dough
• every day they make a new batch of dough and add the leftover dough from the previous day into the mix (so a tiny amount of today's dough is from years ago, hypothetically)
• use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to scoop pizza sauce onto the dough and then use the bottom to spread it out

Hole in the Mountain Farm

UPDATE: Now you can buy it online.

Several months ago I ordered Sugarloaf Pineapples from the Hole in the Mountain farm. Today I was fortunate to get to visit the farm and meet the farmers, Jude and Paul, and see their spread. They grow Sugarloaf Pineapples (and no other pineapples, "that other stuff" as Jude refers to the pineapple you know), rambutan, longan, mango, and have some plumeria as well.

Jude has an encyclopedic knowledge of pineapple and told me all about its lifecycle and the challenges of growing them, in particular, getting them to ripen steadily year round. Below you can see some of the developing stages of the plant (I won't attempt to repeat the detailed lecture I heard).

Sugarloaf pineapple is something special: sweet, low acid, nearly white colored, and very tender not fibrous, you can eat the core. It's a real treat, worth going out of the way for. However, it does make it hard to appreciate regular pineapple once you have had Sugarloaf.

More on Kauai pineapple here.

Beach Rain Walk

With showers rolling through all day long, rather than be cooped up here I put on swim trunks and a T and walked down the beach impervious to rain. I had the place to myself, and the rain wasn't that bad - it's almost warm - though with the wind up can be a little tedious.

I took the Go Pro camera (in its waterproof case) and shot some burst mode of the sea (10 rapid fire frames) and reviewing them one shot picked up something I can't figure out. The wind was blowing but there's a really long streak in just one shot, too long and not the right angle to be something flying by. My best guess is a little drop of water on the case window over the camera lens hit and blew by, but I don't think that's what it is.
Here is an animation of the three frames (with before & after) at approximately speed shot (ten frames per second) in a loop. To slow it down hover the mouse over the animated image; moving left and right you can see the frames slowly. Any ideas what this is?

---

Here are the three consecutive frames:

Rainy days continue

Rainy days continue here (see arrow at right): this morning it's really pouring, one band of rain after another. It's rare that so much of the island is getting hit at once. It's been quite windy for a few days and expected to continue. Usually rainfall is just on the side of the island that gets it first, but the high winds are pushing the moisture over the mountains before it is spent. According to the radar images, all this precipitation is hitting Kauai square on - even Ni'ihau is getting some rainfall - with Oahu and the other islands untouched.

As in the Pacific Northwest, we need the rain in order to have all this luscious green everywhere.Looks like a good morning to stay inside. The cottage is screened but quite dry if chilly.

Hanakapi'ai Falls hike

Yesterday I hiked the Kalalau Trail as far as the first beach and then up the valley to the waterfall. See a map of the hike for a sense of the route. (There are a couple GPS glitches near the waterfall: I did not scale the steep walls of the valley as indicated). Total distance is about eight miles with some elevation ups and downs but most taxing is the trail up the valley which is narrow and muddy and crosses the river several times.

Hike to the beach

The first segment of this hike is a start of the Kalalau Trail that everybody sees. It starts with an unrelenting climb up the largely stony path for over half a mile with a great view back to Ke'e beach where the path reaches out nearly over the ocean. Climbing and dropping as it weaves into valleys and out over the ocean, eventually descending steeply (slippery on the well worn clay) into the Hanakapi'ai valley.

Hanakapi'ai beach

Short stop at the beach (after crossing the river) for a snack, there is a striking field of stones, many piled high with carefully balanced hand-placed stones. Last February I was here but do not recall these, or certainly not so extensively. After visiting the falls I spent more time on the beach on both sides of the river that dumps out into the ocean here mixing fresh water with salt water.

Hanakapi'ai Valley

Heading up the valley, the much less well traveled path becomes more challenging, largely due to mud. I should write about Kauai mud in depth, but suffice to say it was a messy journey up the valley. The several river crossings are tricky if you want to keep your feet dry by boulder-hopping, or very easy if you simply wade through.
The mud can be intense at times [TO DO: write up on mud] but the trail rewards. Climbing up the valley on the far side of the river you pass through a few clearings with large clumps of bamboo bending every which way (sadly, graffiti-covered). About a mile up you cross first to a small island in the river and then again to the bank back of the near side of the river as the trail head.
From here the trail narrows further (and at points you get a view up the valley to the cliffs around the falls, but not the waterfall itself) as you move upriver, until a steep rocky cliff blocks that side. Here you must cross back to the far side, climb up a steep embankment, the trail increasingly going over rocky outcrops, eventually delivering you down to the river bank for the last crossing once again to the near side. From here you can see partial views of the falls here and there and it's perhaps a quarter mile, over more rock (slippery when wet but not exposed) and then opening up into the falls.

Hanakapi'ai Falls

Sheer cliff faces surround the large pond at the base of the falls on three sides with the waterfall centered at the back. Water tumbles down the rocky face nearly 100 feet at top hitting a ledge and then sprays out and down the remained perhaps 300 feet in freefall. The face of the cliff is covered in green in places, bare rock in others. Rocks have accumulated around the pond that drains to feed the river just hiked up.

Having come this far can gotten wet and muddy anyway, I went for a swim in the pond - a very cold and brief swim it must be said. The water is murky from much accumulated silt and constant churning of the waterfall, and the pond is filled with the same rocks that surround it, it's quite shallow and not very swimmable. Drying on a rock (the valley is so deeply carved here there is no direct sun) I heard a sharp crack near the cliff area - a loose stone must have fallen - and was glad I didn't venture too far in there: even a small stone falling a few hundred feet would be a serious impact. A couple ventured up and went for the swim as well, even shorter than mine.

It rained a bit while I was up there and about half the time wind was blowing over the top of the valley downriver, filling the entire area with horizontal mist. I might have gotten as wet even not having gone swimming. There are a few spots just a little downriver that afford good views of the falls but far enough back that the blown water doesn't reach that are good for photography. I've been up here when it was really blowing and rainy - no photos from that visit.

When: This hike should be avoided after or during significant rainfall unless you like mud. A local told me if from Hanalei you see waterfalls in the mountains wider than hairline of white that you can expect elevated river level and a very muddy trail on the Kalalau near section.

• At times the river level is elevated and crossings may be dangerous. 
• Wind and rain can make the anticipated view of the falls disappointing so watch the weather, though it can change unpredictably. 
• Allow plenty of time - start no later than 10am I would recommend. 
• Some sections of the trail require slow going and you will want to spend time at the beautiful beach as well. 
• You definitely want to be back before dark in any case.

Bring: insect repellent for the valley segment; plenty of water; hiking poles recommended for water crossings and negotiating the mud.

Keli’i Kāneali’i Live

When in Hanalei on Friday evening I always drop by the Tahiti Nui to see Keli’i Kāneali’i perform. Last night did not disappoint. He does two sets, nearly an hour each, mixing original compositions, other Hawaiian music including songs from his days with Hapa, and other pop/jazz in the mix;
all 12 string guitar with vocals.

The bar venue is not ideal for the performance - it's somewhat noisy - and I get the impression few people there know who he is or know the music beyond the familiar pop selections.

The Nui is a great bar, very relaxed and authentic. It's lively without becoming overwhelmingly loud and raucous. I recommend the Caesar Salad though last nights was a little off from what I have had in past, hope it was just an aberration and not a decline.

Glory at Kalalau

Do you know what a glory is?

I saw one for the first time on my last day up at Koke'e earlier this week. Showing you the photograph instantly explains it: that's the shadow of my head and arms sticking out as I shoot the photo with legs below.

While taking pictures once it started the phenomenon is unmistakable. First though is, "There must be a name for this." Moving my head and arms clearly confirmed that that really was my shadow projecting on the mountain side a few thousand feet away. The rainbow-like circles centered around my head, presumably because my eyes are there.

Exactly how these occur seems to be not as well understood by science as rainbows are. Some references I found, the first being simple, and the latter way more mathematical.

• Glory description by the Hong Kong Weather bureau 
• The Mathematical Physics of Rainbows and Glories

It lasted for about three minutes and was quite a sight to see, then just ended and the usual view returned. No, I was not playing around with Photoshop (the photo is unretouched). It was incredible and I wonder if I will ever see another glory or not.

Rainbows are fairly routine around here on the north shore. Saw one driving out here in late afternoon and then again yesterday on a short stroll to the beach. The house I am staying in is on a side street set back a few houses from the ocean, but in less than five minutes I can walk out to the surf.

Yesterday's rainbow was nearly 180 degrees horizon to horizon: it petered out on the left into the clouds hanging over the horizon but was strong extending down on the right all the way to the trees to the east. A bit of rain was blowing so I had to take cover behind a large tree trunk and work to get an angle to shoot without water blowing into the lens.
(The pair of photos should be "book ends" but I didn't think to align them. They are shot just seconds apart.)

It happens that these two sightings are at the two ends of the highway that runs around the island (here in Haena is about three miles from the very end of the road - I should work on finding a rainbow out at Ke'e beach).

Hawaiian Guacamole

Quarter illustrates how big these avocado are.

My guacamole recipe throws in all the herbs and spices I have available that make sense and to always have avocado dominate the mix; that is, minimal fillers like mayonnaise, onion, tomato, etc.

Patti gave me some avocado, one of which was dinner tonight.

Hawaiian avocado are large and creamy: ideal for guacamole.

Mix:

• Hawaiian avocado, mashed
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 small pearl onions, diced
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• (optional, to taste) Chipotle Cholula sauce
• (optional, to taste) Hawaiian Habenero Heat hot sauce

 

Limahuli Gardening

This morning I volunteered working in the forest garden at Limahuli, the north shore gardens of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. From 8 to noon I worked with the gardener responsible for the forest garden up in the Limahuli valley, prominently flanked by Makana mountains, a.k.a. "Bali Hai" the fictional setting of the musical South Pacific which was filmed in this area and features these dramatic mountains.

Much of the morning we cut down and ripped out invasive trees, hauling the branches out of the garden. The trees were not very large and easy to saw, but the hardest part was felling them without hitting any of the collection plants. Many neighboring plants were still immature, small, and not even staked. A few of these are endangered and if I recall correctly there are about fifty specimens remaining (in the world, not in the garden) so stepping on one of these or smashing it with a fallen branch was not an option. Next we did some weeding and ripping out a lot of ferns (even though native species they were overgrowing some parts of the garden and are not endangered) and ginger. Several times we were slammed by some serious rain as fronts moved through the valley, one downpour in particular was intense and we had to suspend work and take cover in the trees. With one area cleared of unwanted plants we then planted a tray full of new plantings carried up from the nursery below. With time to spare we weeded a different section of the garden and called it quits.

Heading up and on the return I got a personal tour by the gardener as we walked the full length of the gardens. The garden is all about preserving Hawaiian flora but does include a section of just invasive plants as an illustration of what they look like and how the forest looks once taken over (quite sparse). One never section of the garden is available to the public to take plant material so I grabbed some leaves of a tree related to the nettles said to make good tea.

In return for working today I have a free pass to see the garden any time and I plan to go photograph it on a sunny day. It was great to spend time out in the garden, learn about the plants, and just experience that place for several hours, not to mention the insider's tour.

North shore days

Last night I relocated from the south side, driving the one main highway back around:

• Lihue: where the big airport is, the county seat;
• Wailua: over the Wailua river, past the remains of the Coco Palms;
• Kapaa: lots of shops and restaurants along the Coconut Coast;
• Anahola: rural, lots of farms;
• Kilauea: the lighthouse, some shopping, also rural;
• Princeville: the Beverly Hills of Kauai, complete with golf course and fancy hotel;
• Hanalei: laid back surfer style town set on a gorgeous half moon white sand bay;
• Haena: residences with one small resort and a couple of shops;
• and then the end of the road a few miles down, where the Kalalau Trail begins.

About forty miles, takes a little over an hour.

Descending into Hanalei is a very special transition - at the bottom of the hill from Princeville is the first one lane bridge and crossing it always feels like entering a different environment, which you are. Hanalei and Haena are very quiet and private places way out here on the north shore. Civilization is only minimally allowed to encroach here. There are very few hotels out here and vacation rentals do exist for visitors but this is not a Visitor Designated Area which means they need permits to operate, though it seems many owners operate anyway and as long as they pay the taxes it seems to be allowed. It's Kauai's way of holding down and cordoning off the influx of tourists like me.

Both Hanalei and Haena have a mix of old and new, both modest and opulent residences. One sees very elegant multi-million dollar places mixed in here especially at Haena along the ocean side. Many Haena homes have parking underneath with the living area above as one sees a fair amount here, but they are very high here (local building code) some look like the building starts on the third floor. Other than the rich you have locals and a fair portion of surfer and hippie types out here. Signs along the road say Slow Down and a not exactly welcoming to tourists, but on the street here off the highway people are very friendly.

Tsunami are a real threat here: the beach here looks out over the ocean with nothing between here and Asia. For example when the Japan earthquake hit this area was evacuated.

It's been windy here since arriving and several squalls have moved through dropping rain quickly.

I'll explore and write more over the next ten days I have here but wanted to capture the feel of the area.

Mermaids Cafe

Today at Kapaa's Mermaids Cafe for lunch I had another excellent meal: I'm going to reprint an earlier mention as a full review of the place. The place is real hole-in-the-wall next door to the Java Kai a few shops down from the Hawaiian Bank. A couple of tables out front and a bar with a row of stools along the side. Food is simple but good, no table service, run by twenty-somethings, very very island casual.

• Ahi Cilantra Wrap ($12) was terrific, with plenty of Sriracha hot sauce. "Seared ahi with our homemade cilantro sauce, rice, cucumber and soy sauce wrapped in our green tortilla. "
• Tropical tacos ($12) were chunks of white fish cooked succulent in a rich green sauce served with rice on corn tortillas. The two tacos flank the plate with a serving of black beans - cheese topped - and a chopped tomato salad/salsa side.

Two people cook in the tiny kitchen, take orders, and run the cash register. Friendly but busy, with a loud reggae music backing all the action.

I plan to try all the non-meat dishes they have and will be very surprised if they all aren't excellent as I'm sure the meat dishes are as well.

Foodland

Staying out at Haena I am within a few miles of the end of the road on the north shore and a few miles beyond the last town of any size, Hanalei, so I have stocked up on provisions and plan to eat my own food for a while. Grocery prices on the island are notoriously high -- what alternative do people have to whatever the supermarket prices may be? As of recently, Foodland has started a "frequent shopper" loyalty program (Maikai Savings!) -- anyway you look at it, if you don't become a "member" you are over-paying; for my phone number, they gave me over 30% off -- or should I say for not giving my phone number they charged an extra 30%?

I think the tab will be instructive to show the cost of living here, and my frugal provisions, 22 items:

$ 5.94 pineapple
$24.99 Koloa Dark Rum (a splurge, made on Kauai)
$ 6.09 coconut syrup (for baking)
$13.16 (4) Anahola granola bars (for snacks hiking)
$ 4.29 tortilla yellow corn chips (cheapest choice)
$ 1.89 Noh coconut milk powder (for baking)
$ 4.79 (18) eggs (mainland, extra large)
$ 3.39 frozen pineapple juice concentrate (for baking)
$ 2.59 frozen orange-passion fruit concentrate (for drinks)
$ 2.59 frozen orange-mango fruit concentrate (for baking)
$ 3.19 Mexican tomato salsa (canned)
$ 2.39 Tapatio hot sauce
$ 3.42 (1 lb.) mango
$ 4.80 (1/2 lb.) local sun-dried tomatoes
$ 4.89 (quart) yogurt
$ 1.69 (1 lb.) carrots
$ 3.99 (1 lb.) butter
$ 1.99 (1 lb.) fettuccine pasta
$ 2.49 (1 pint) sour cream
$ 4.11 tax
------
$102.68 total

We'll see how long I survive on this and a fair amount of groceries I have already. I do think I will go into town Friday for live music in any case.

Earlier on the way here I picked up some excellent Java Kai 100% Kona coffee ($29.99 for 1 lb.) I've had it before, it's totally worth it. Also some sesame-ahi poke and lomi-lomi salmon at the Pono Market in Kapaa bringing the total to just under $150.




Public Service Announcement: avoid 10% Kona coffee -- by law 10% is the minimum amount to put the designation "Kona" on the label, so you know it's just for the name and therefore the cheapest beans available actually grown in the Kona region of the Big Island. Much of this is mercifully "flavored coffee" which at least is being honest that it isn't about the taste of Kona coffee, just the name.

Mineo

Today I heard that Uncle Mineo passed away; he had been sick and in and out of the hospital from September when I was in Japan and saw him last. In fact he wasn't an uncle but my wife's cousin, she always called him Older Brother Mineo. Mineo had a tough childhood and quite an adventurous past I hear, but the Mineo that I have known some twenty years was the kindest most modest and gentle fellow.

Mineo ran an udon shop for years located way off the main road it's a miracle he got any customers at all tucked in an obscure corner nobody would ever find except if they were lost or happened to live in that particular part of Kiryu. Your typical udon shop, it had a big open cement floor kitchen in back with an area with just a few tables and chairs, and zashiki seating on tatami, two tables of four if I recall correctly. Since he only got a few local regulars at the shop he would also drive his truck around and sell boiled noodles by the bag (500 grams each?) in the nearby neighborhood -- you add your own trimmings and sauce. 500 yen bought you a generous portion of firm, delicious, hand-cut noodles.

A few years ago I asked Mineo to teach me how he made udon and he was more than happy to. Of course he makes it look so easy but it isn't easy at all. I had his recipe for udon broth written down at home in original form, huge proportions that makes several liters of the concentrate that you dilute and use.

The noodles themselves are just flour (udon-ko is very finely ground and I expect high protein white flour) with salt and enough water to knead. You mix it, knead it, let it sit for hours, knead some more, sit, knead and roll out and cut. Most of the kneading is done with bare feet: put the dough in a plastic bag and stand on it left-right-left-right back and forth for awhile. even well kneaded, it's rolled flat with a long wooden dowel about an inch thick on a floured wooden surface. The technique rolls up the flattened dough around the dowel and then by rolling stretching the dough to the desired thickness. Finally you pile up the sheet of dough folding it back and forth and back and forth and then cut it evenly into noodles.

Mineo showed me a few batches and also how he boils the noodles in big vats of hot water in the shop, but I never attempted to follow his method. He has so much experience that he makes it look easy yet of course it isn't easy at all.

Mineo was always happy to drop off some noodles for dinner when my mother-in-law ordered some. And almost every day while he was healthy he dropped by an had tea and spent time mostly just listening to her talk because he knew she needed company and that somebody should be looking in on her. He hardly ever said anything about himself, preferring to sit and have tea and just listen to others who always had plenty to say.

I hope Mineo has found peace and tonight I am thinking of all that he gave so unselfishly.

Hale Ikena Nui

This morning I am in Kalaheo at Hale Ikena Nui sitting in the large room looking south over the Pacific. I had a gap in my bookings of one night and the owner Patti was kind to let me stay just one night on short notice before I drive around to the north side of the island this afternoon to Haena. Minutes ago a small front moved through bringing wind-driven rain but already the sun is out and the deck is drying quickly.

Patti gracefully and generously shares her beautiful home in a completely relaxed and comfortable manner. I'm in the guest room which is a large bedroom with king size bed, plenty of room including walk-in closet, a huge wall of books, and a private bathroom with shower tub. Everything is clean and in good repair, well stocked. With full access to the large room and full kitchen it's a terrific deal well under $100 (with tax). Her library of books is terrific: plenty of up-to-date local guide and history books with a great number of cookbooks and plenty of general fiction and reading thrown in as well.

For breakfast Patti prepared cut papaya with blueberries and lime, Anahola granola, English muffins, watermelon, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and still more fruit if I wanted it. She gave me some Hawaiian avocados from her garden to take.

Highly recommended: book well ahead (she's booked up most of the rest of my time on the island but I may visit again schedule permitting.

Kauai Hiking

Powerline
Trail

Kauai is hiking at its best for me: great exercise and a great experience with just a little adventure always in the mix. I've been taking it easy, not overdoing it given the luxury of plenty of time. Up at Koke'e I was right there at the trailhead of so many great hikes it was easy to do three days in a row and it felt like I could have hiked day after day.

10	Nualolo-Awaawa'puhi 11/27
8	Kilohana Vista 11/30
8	Powerline Trail 12/2
6	Halemanu Loop 12/7
8	Nualolo-Awaawa'puhi 12/8
10	Ditch Trail 12/9
50	miles total

Water: For a day hike 3 liters is just right: I always come back with a liter to spare so far, but haven't done an absolute scorcher yet. Water sterilization pills are my ultimate backup. And most of the other "essentials": first aid kit, bug repellent, rain gear, trail snacks.

Foot wear: When relatively dry I hike in the Five Fingers; if it might be muddy, then the Chacos; if really muddy (no need, yet), then the Chacos with Seal Skinz waterproof socks.

Getting to the trail head: "4WD" signs are on a number of roads that lead to trail heads, and this can designate anything from a smooth but unpaved road to a bumpy nightmare. Trying to go gentle on my rental I haven't deployed 4WD mode, yet, and have been walking the off-road access to trailheads.

Koke'e Sky

Disclaimer:
Not an actual shot from that night,
this is a recent full mood:
I was unable to shoot anything decent that night.

First night at Koke'e was spectacularly clear and the stars were out in numbers. The Milky Way was clearly visible and the entire sky was like a dome of stars. Virtually zero light pollution out here in the middle of the ocean and over 3000 feet altitude, with a clear sky conditions are ideal.

I think it was the first time that I saw satellites moving quickly across the star field. One shooting star, at least, as well. At least one jet judging from the speed and that the light intensity varied, as expected as the angle to the head lights changes. One object I didn't know what it was: moving slowly but noticeably though not as distant as a satellite it flashed on and off. Perhaps it was due to the flashing, as the mind's eye tries to imagine the object still moving in its path while dark, but it seemed to be moving in a wiggly path, not a straight line. The Pacific Missile Range Facility is out here so it's conceivable it was something military.

It was a wonderful night for star gazing and I hope to have many more here.

Koke'e Cabin

Stayed the last four nights up at the cabins at Koke'e, the state park up above Waimea Canyon. I believe the polite term would be rustic: luxury accommodations compared to camping out, but very basic no-frills and frankly not exactly clean even by cheap hotel standards. Compared to a tent on the ground, you have real floors and walls, a full kitchen, hot water, shower, toilet, and a wood-burning stove. Sheets and towels come in a big plastic bag, self-service. To complete the picture it must be said the cabins are old and it shows, minimally repaired, mattresses and blankets showing their age, all with a distinct smell of mildew. By the third day you get used to it.

Now the good part: it's absolutely quiet, few guests, and you are in the middle of miles and miles of natural forest. No TV in the rooms! If this were developed as a resort with swimming pool, full restaurants and bars, the works, it would absolutely ruin it. Things are much the way they were when this is built and I think that's best.

The lodge has a restaurant open for breakfast and lunch (9 to 3) with a small shop. The hours are inconvenient for hiking - breakfast at 9 makes a late start, and getting back before (last order) 2:30 makes for a short day. Presumably the staff makes the trek up here daily from two (about 30 minutes one way) bringing supplies so it's understandable the hours are limited. Staff is friendly, service is a little slow; the food is home cooked but nothing special, service is on paper plates with plastic utensils, quite adequate for such a remote location. Here you could do meals in the cabin kitchen or walk to the restaurant and have it all done for you.

If you plan to stay here, a few tips:

• bring soap and shampoo (not provided, very expensive at the gift shop)
• dress warmly (it can get very chilly over night)
• plan meals (restaurant hours are limited and the menu is limited, too)
• bring a reading light if you can (the interior lighting is minimal)

Come here to disconnect and get away, and as long as you compare it to camping out then it's pure luxury. By the way up here there is no cell reception, no internet access (just a pay phone up by the lodge). Wouldn't have it any other way.

Nualolo to Awaawa'puhi Hike

This hike was so great the first time, I hiked it again and it was even better. Thinking I will do this one regularly to make it my own, see it in different conditions, as each time will be familiar yet different I'm sure.

One new aspect this time was that I set a time to be out at the trail head: a local friend offered to pick me up at the other end of the trail (almost two miles up the road from the start) and save me the walk back. Leaving at 11am I said I would be there at 5pm; while it wasn't essential I be there exactly on time, I was determined to be on time, and realized I had never hiked with a specific return time before (just vaguely always made sure I was back before dark). This turned out to be a good challenge.

Update: unfortunately, the connecting cliff trail is now closed indefinitely.

Heading out late morning it was sunny and dry, perfect for the descent from the Nualolo trail head which is fairly steep in places and the clay can be slippery. Uphill the first 1/4 mile, from there it's  steadily down hill through forest, with occasional meadows and clearings, leading out to the ridge on the west side of the Nualolo valley. Today I decided to shoot "interesting" sights, rather than beautiful, and the trail was full of things that caught my attention. I stopped and shot quite frequently as I moved down the trail.

Continuing out past the cliff trail junction leading across the back of the valley, I went directly to the Lolo Vista overlooking the valley with views up and down the coastline in both directions. Spent perhaps half an hour out there, mostly shooting pictures, and realized that I'd used up over half the planned time and I was about one third of the way. I could skip taking the Awaawa'puhi out to the lookout to save over a mile, but still I had over five miles with a lot of climbing to go.

Moving quickly and shooting a lot less frequently, returning back up the ridge to the cliff trail, I headed across. The exposed washed-out section (less than 1/4 mile) is near the Nualolo side so I encountered that quickly and crossed it uneventfully. The rest of the trail winds in and out of the valleys through forest and an area of tall grasses. In a couple of spots the trail is tricky to discern.

At last I crossed connecting with the Awaawa'puhi trail (a parallel of the Nualolo that I had descended) at 3:30pm giving me 90 minutes to go 2.75 miles back up nearly 2000 feet. I didn't think I could make 5pm but measured myself on the first quarter mile to see what pace I actually could sustain. Pushing myself to keep moving at a good pace without overdoing it, to my surprise, I set a pace that would get me back on time but with very little margin. The trail is marked every quarter mile with the distance from the trailhead so it was easy to pace myself: if I covered each quarter mile in 8 minutes I could make 5pm.  An 8 minute pace is about right (just under 2MPH) and I can sustain that pace, often with a minute to spare. When I did get ahead of schedule I rewarded myself with picture taking and water. At 4:56pm I reach the trailhead right on schedule. Perfect.

Blog Silence

The next few days I will be staying up at Koke'e, the mountain top above Waimea Canyon.
Most likely there will be no internet connect, probably no cell service either. Look for continued blog action by Tuesday.

Koke'e is the top of the west end of the island. Accessed from the west near the end of the highway on this side of the island it includes a number of very distinct geographic areas.

• Southern: the upper reaches of the Waimea Canyon including vistas looking down the canyon out to sea.
• Western: trails and ridges extending down with views down over the Na Pali coastline, but no access to the sea.
• Northern: overlooks Kalalau and other Na Pali coastal valleys.
• Eastern: trails into the Alakai swamp region.
• Central: a lodge restaurant, museum, cabins, and campsites around a beautiful central meadow.

Being the westernmost part of the westernmost island of the westernmost state there are several military/research outpost with radar and antenna and who-knows-what scattered in here as well.