hiking Archives | a quiet girl in a noisy city

A Fascinating Kayak Adventure Through Ancient Kauai

On our last full day in Kauai, Eric and I booked a kayaking & hiking trip along the Wailua River with Kayak Adventures. It was the activity I’d been looking the most forward to during our week-long trip to Kauai.

We arrived early in the morning at the company’s office in Kapa’a, where we met our guide, Andy, and our fellow kayakers. Each of us was given a dry bag in which to pack our belongings, two bottles of water, and a few snacks. Then we piled into a van and made our way to the Wailua River Marina at the mouth of the Wailua River.

After securing our dry bag to the kayak and lugging it down the dock and into the water, we were on our way! The trip began with a two-mile kayak down the river, deep into the heart of Kauai. Andy was impressively knowledgeable about the details of Kauai’s history and paused to mention fun facts along the trip.

The Wailua River is the largest river in all of Hawaii. It is fed by numerous streams stemming from the crater of Mount Wai’ale’ale in the island’s center. The world wailua means “two waters,” and refers to the two forks of the river. The north fork leads to a stunning, secluded area of jungle, which was home to the ancient kings of Kauai. It became a sacred religious and political hub for the Hawaiian people. Here, they were protected from outside invasion.

I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t being on an island protect them from invasion? Sure. But these people weren’t taking any chances. Besides, it’s beautiful here, and when you’re a king you can pretty much live wherever you want.

Just before turning up the north branch of the river, we passed by Kamokila Village, best known for its appearance in the movie Outbreak. This historical village aims to embody 17th-century Hawaiian life. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to stop here on our tour.

Vibrant green shrubbery dipped lazily into the water, shading us as we paddled up the right fork. Yellow hibiscus, the state flower of Hawaii, grew all around us. Red hibiscus floated on the river’s surface as we paddled past. Andy told us that these flowers turn from yellow to red within a day, falling from their vines as their color slowly transitioned.

The river gradually narrowed until we could no longer paddle with ease. We harbored our kayaks by the riverside and continued on foot through the jungle.

We hiked another mile into the heart of Kauai, alongside the now shallow riverbed. At the time of our tour, a lack of recent rainfall meant that the creek was only about knee-deep. Andy told us that just a few years earlier, we would have been completely submerged where we stood. Kauai is one of the rainiest islands in Hawaii, and we were actually lucky to have had such perfect weather throughout our stay.

Kauai, besides being the oldest of the Hawaiian islands to form, was also the first of the islands to become inhabited. It is estimated that the earliest Polynesian settlers reached Kauai sometime between 200 and 600 AD. Kauai operated independently of its neighbors until 1810, when the Kingdom of Hawaii was established.

Hawaii’s remained isolated until the 19th century when the pineapple and sugar industries began flourishing. South American travelers first brought the pineapple to Hawaii when stopping on the islands to restock supplies. The fruit took naturally to the Hawaiian environment and began growing rapidly.

Sugar cane was already an abundant resource on the island, having been imported by the original Polynesian settlers for medicinal use. Yet it wasn’t until 1835 that the first sugar cane plantation was founded. Andy pointed out a number of ancient water ducts that had been created in this valley to move water from the river into neighboring sugar cane fields.

Andy also introduced us to the kukui trees — the state tree of Hawaii. These trees grow big, round nuts which produce an oil that had many uses for early Hawaiians. They burned the oil for light. It worked excellently as a shampoo. And, when ingested, it behaved as a laxative, making it useful to treat an upset stomach. Today, these nuts are best recognized for their use in Kukui Nut Leis, the popular leis of Kauai.

Minutes later, we reached the grand finale of our excursion: Uluwehi Waterfall. Commonly known as the “Secret Waterfall,” this was once the private bathing pool of the kings of Kauai.

Several tour groups make the trek out to Uluwehi Waterfall, so the area was quite crowded by the time we showed up. We explored the falls, a mere drizzle of their usual grandeur. Despite the lack of water flowing, I appreciated the beauty and tranquility of the location. I could definitely see why this was a favorite spot of the Hawaiian kings! I closed my eyes and tried to imagine it without all the tourists splashing around. Yep. Pretty perfect.

When we’d finished exploring, we met back up with our group for lunch. Andy had brought along sandwiches for us, and I devoured mine, hungry after our journey to this gorgeous site. While we ate, Andy put together a small offering of Hawaiian flowers to the sacred spirits of this place, thanking them for allowing us to spend time there.

Eventually, it was time to return home. I didn’t want to go back to reality, but I had to. It had been a thrilling adventure, stepping into the past and learning a little about Kauai’s fascinating history, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who visits the island.

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Posted on September 14, 2015 by Erika

An Adventure in Kauai: Waimea Canyon and Island Taco

We had big plans for day five of our stay in Kauai. That morning, we’d scheduled our much-anticipated scuba dive along the Poipu coast. And that afternoon, we would head to Kapa’a and our headquarters for the next few days. Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan.

We woke up early to begin packing up our room; we’d be checking out before our 11 AM dive. At 9:30, we heard from our divemaster. He had hoped conditions would improve near the coast, but, sadly, they hadn’t. In fact, they had worsened. We had to cancel our dive.

That meant that we suddenly had four hours free in the middle of our day. Since we’d already planned to leave our bags with the hotel, we left them with the bellhop upon check-out, hopped in our Jeep, and drove west to seek out Waimea Canyon.

Kauai is the fourth smallest of the main Hawaiian islands. As a result, it only took us an hour to drive from our hotel on the southeast side of the island to Waimea Canyon State Park in the northwest. We followed the beautiful southern coastline through Koloa, Hanapepe, and Waimea before turning north up the narrow highway 550 towards Waimea Canyon.

The canyon is 3,000 feet deep and approximately 10 miles long, and is known as “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” The world waimea is Hawaiian for “reddish water,” referring to the red color of the water running through the canyon, caused by the red soil.

The Hawaiian islands were formed by enormous volcanoes rising up from the bottom of the ocean. They are some of the tallest mountain ranges in the world — if you measure from the peaks to the ocean floor. Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands; the volcano that shaped it broke the surface some six million years ago. Lava flowed for another two million years until the volcano collapsed in on itself and created a depression — which began the formation of Waimea Canyon. Millions of years of rainwater and erosion weathered the basalt from volcanic black to red and developed the canyon as we see it today.

The primary access point for Waimea Canyon is easy to reach. Drive north from the town of Waimea in southwest Kauai up highway 550, a narrow highway which winds uphill into the rocky northern part of the island. About 13 miles up the road, you’ll come to the Waimea Canyon lookout point — notated by a small state park sign on the right side of the highway. There were several dozen cars parked by the roadside when we arrived in the early afternoon.

There are a few ways to explore Waimea Canyon from the lookout point. Because we had limited time to visit, we stuck to the Iliau Nature Loop, a simple 0.3-mile walk that takes you up to the edge of the canyon. You can walk the loop in about ten minutes, but I’d recommend taking your time — and lots of photographs! You’ll see some remarkable views of the canyon from this trail.

If you have more time to spend exploring, you can hike the Kukui trail, which descends 2.5 miles into the canyon itself, with an elevation drop of over 2,000 feet. Be sure to bring plenty of water and your good hiking gear! The Waimea Canyon Parks website cautions that this trail is difficult.

After enjoying the view and taking several dozen photographs, we drove back into Waimea to grab lunch at Island Taco. Located right off the main road to Poipu, this little taco stand may seem unremarkable. This assumption would be incorrect.

My husband and I overzealously ordered four tacos to share. What we received were four giant, handmade soft tacos stuffed to the brim with freshly grilled local meats and crispy veggies. We indulged in the Kalua Pork, Seasoned Mahi Mahi, Papaya Seed Shrimp, and Seared Wasabi Ahi tacos. Each came with a side of thick, crunchy tortilla chips and salsa. Just one of these would have been more than enough for each of us, yet we managed to finish all four because they were that delicious. The Kalua Pork and Wasabi Ahi stood out as personal favorites, but I would eagerly recommend all the flavors we tried.

Once we’d eaten more than our fill of island-crafted tacos, we headed down the road towards Poipu and on to our next adventure!

If you liked this post, you’ll also enjoy Hugo’s Tacos and The Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail.

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Erika

A Photographer’s Dream: The Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail

What’s the greatest reason to visit Hawaii? The outstanding ocean views, of course! And the best way to view the coastline of Kauai is a hike on the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail: a beautiful four-mile route along the island’s southeast coast. When I say it’s the best, I’m not exaggerating; it’s the number one thing to do in Poipu on TripAdvisor with 308 reviews — only 4 of which are “poor” (and written by people who seem to have gotten lost looking for the trailhead).

The trail begins at Shipwrecks Beach, to the east of the Grand Hyatt. It’s a little tricky to find the trailhead because it can be accessed in a variety of ways. Just north of Shipwrecks Beach, you’ll see a small parking lot next to the hotel and a sparsely wooded area. Start the hike by walking east along the path — you should be able to easily see the beach. You’ll soon come to a rocky hill. Climb uphill towards the rough cliff faces and continue to walk along the coastline. A few different paths lead up the hill; some are steeper than others. We opted to stay close to the cliffs for a better view.

Let me be upfront here: this post is not going to be a full trail walk-through. While the complete hike is four miles, we completed roughly a quarter of a mile in two hours. The views were so astonishing that we were stopping constantly to take photographs. By noon, the temperatures were rising rapidly, we’d drank most of our water, and we hadn’t packed lunches, so we headed back early. Despite all this, the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail is so remarkable, it’s worth a visit no matter far you go.

This is an excellent place to begin an exploration into the amazing natural beauty of Kauai. In the time we spent on the trail, we discovered impressive cliffsides and hidden caves. We found ourselves out of view of civilization, surrounded by nature. We encountered few people during our trek, making this hike feel all the more intimate. I can hardly imagine what the remaining 3.75 miles had in store!

If you’re curious to know more, check out Adina’s Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail experience. She completed the entire hike and describes the changing terrain and landscape in great detail.

If you liked this post, you’ll also enjoy How to Plan a Last-Minute Trip to Hawaii and Simple Tools that Will Make You a Better Photographer.

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Erika

Hike to the MAS*H Site & See a Part of Television History

Malibu Creek State Park is a beautiful 8,000-acre park nestled in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. It may well be the most beautiful area in the area: hilly plains stretch for miles, dotted with oak and sycamore, overrun with colorful wildflowers, and surrounded by stunning mountain peaks. And, as if all this isn’t more than enough, this park contains something extra special.

Forty years ago, this gorgeous estate was home to 20th Century Fox’s location ranch, where they filmed dozens of films and television shows. The most notable of these was the hugely popular show M*A*S*H, which ran from 1972 until 1983, and generally considered one of the best television shows of all time. In this beautiful park that is now open to the public every day from dawn until dusk, a few choice set pieces from this iconic show remain.

The famous wooden signpost from the show still stands to mark the site’s location, along with a pair of rusting vehicles: a military ambulance and the remains of a jeep. While the medical tent was removed with the show’s wrap, its location is clearly marked, and numerous informational signs and photographs posted there give you an idea of what the area was like during production.

A small shed containing a variety of Korean War memorabilia has been added to the site, as well as a small picnic area. And of course, there is the famous hill that acted as the show’s helicopter landing pad.

The hike out to the M*A*S*H site is just over two miles from the parking lot. The path is fairly flat and reasonably shaded until you get close to the site and lose the tree cover. There are dozens of other beautiful hiking paths in the park as well, so I highly recommend that you stay and explore!

Quick facts about Malibu Creek State Park & the MAS*H Site:

Open daily, from dawn until dusk.

Best time to go: Anytime, but try for a cooler day. There are large areas without shade, which can be brutal in the summer heat.

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 4.75 miles round-trip (but longer if you explore the other trails)

Time: 2 hours

Elevation gain: 200 feet

Cleanliness:

What to bring: Snacks, lunch, and plenty of water.

Dogs are allowed the parking lot and campground only; they are not allowed on the hiking trails.

Address: 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Cornell, CA, 91301

Parking: $12 (covers same day parking to any California State Park and/or Beach)

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Posted on July 2, 2015 by Erika

Hiking to Sandstone Peak

After last month’s disappointing hike to Eaton Falls, I decided to make it up by sharing one of my favorite hikes in the LA area: Sandstone Peak.

Soon after I moved to Los Angeles, my husband (who was then merely a classmate and newfound friend) and I began searching for fun activities in the area to become more familiar with the city. This was how we discovered the “100 Things to Try in LA Before You Die” bucket list from popular LA-based blogger Caroline on Crack. Both of us being adventurous, we decided to attempt to complete as many items from the list as possible. This hike was one of our earliest excursions. We loved it so much, we’ve been back several times.

A handful of eager classmates joined us in our first attempt to complete this 6.25-mile loop. Unfortunately, we arrived later than intended, found the temperature to be warmer than expected, and realized we were in worse shape than we had thought. We hiked 1.5 miles up the steep hill to the peak, enjoyed the beautiful views, and signed the register to announce to the world that we had succeeded in reaching the Santa Monica Mountains’ highest point. Then we turned back for the parking lot.

Not to be discouraged, we planned a second attempt a few months later, this time determined to finish the loop. A larger group of our classmates joined us for round two. This time we began in the opposite direction, heading downhill along the Mishe Mokwa trail to Split Rock. We stopped for a picnic lunch and enjoyed the shade before continuing towards the peak. The path between the parking area and Split Rock is the nicest part of the trail due to the abundance of shade, greenery, and the occasional creek. You won’t have much shade after this area, so be prepared.

As you hike gradually uphill towards the peak, you’ll see some beautiful views. Unlike Eaton Falls, this trail is well-cared-for and better appreciated by its hikers. I can’t recall seeing trash or any kind of graffiti on our three visits to the trail. As a result, I was able to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings and the company of my friends. The added difficulty of this hike is completely worthwhile.

When we reached Sandstone Peak for our second time, we felt a true sense of accomplishment. I felt it mainly in my legs and feet, but also in my heart. We had hiked almost five miles to get to this point, and we basked in this as we took a few minutes to look out over the sunlit mountains. We felt miles away from the bustling city of Los Angeles and from our impending film school assignments. We each signed the register once more, then began our descent.

Quick facts about the Sandstone Peak hiking trail:

Open daily, most parking lots open 8AM to sunset, year-round.

Best time to go: We went on weekends, but did not find the hike particularly crowded. We occasionally passed other hikers on the trail and were the only ones in the picnic area when we stopped for lunch.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Distance: 6.25 miles round-trip (loop)

Time: Several hours.

Elevation gain: 1075 feet

Cleanliness:

What to bring: Snacks, lunch, and plenty of water.

Dogs allowed on leashes.

Trailhead located one mile north of Circle X Ranch. Parking lot across the street.

Circle X Ranch address: 12896 Yerba Buena Road, Malibu, CA, 90265

Parking is free.