Hiking Trails on Oahu

Kauai Hiking 2018 We  had the sole intention of hiking The Kalalau Trail. We scheduled our flights, bought permits, and planned like heck. However, the hiking gods gave a grim forecast and in the end Kauai got the worst flooding in years, so much so that a lost Buffalo ended up in the ocean and someone had to save it.  picture from civil beat Kilauea Lighthouse - March 22, 2018 With the road closure and the Kalalau trail closed, we needed to regroup. Close by was the Kilauea Lighthouse. This place is a refuge for native flora and fauna.  It was freezing cold when we got out of the car. My goal was to identify as many native plants as possible. The mood was not the best as everyone knew Kalalau was a no go and probably a no go for the entire trip as bad weather was forecast. Daniel had to fork over Michelle and I's $5 per person fee as we didn't have any cash. A huge akoko grove was in the parking lot and we took pictures of the healthy plant. akoko There was one plant we ...

  Haleakala National Park Haleakala is known as one of those "epic" hiking treks in the state of Hawaii. It is said to be an awesome backpacking experience by many hikers in the Oahu hiking community. To plan a trip to Haleakala takes extensive research and planning.  In Hawaiian Mythology, Haleakala is the place where demi-god Maui resided. Maui was considered a prankster and loved to play jokes on others. One day he had a complaint from his mother,  goddess  Hina who said that her kapa didn't dry because the sun moved too fast across the sky. To solve this problem Maui ran up to the summit of Haleakala, lassoed the sun and moved it around the horizon slowly, so Hina's kapa would dry. It is said that Haleakala gets at least 15 minutes more sunlight in the summer than any other place in the state of Hawaii.  I digress, Ed usually goes to Haleakala once a year and asked me if I wanted to go this year. Ed claimed that this would be his 20th time. For me I jum...