Hawaii

November 5-28, 2011

hawaii - november 12

Kipahulu and the Pipiwai Trail

Pipiwai Trail - Part 1

The Pipiwai Trail (almost 2 miles one-way) was touted as one Hawaii's must-do trails in almost every guide book so today we had an early start. Here's the trail description from Frommer's "Best Hiking Trips in Hawaii":

At .5 miles, there's a marked overlook to Makahiku Falls, a 200m drop waterfall. Rocky cliffs and folded mountains serve as a backdrop to the skinny ribbon of silvery water that tubles down the lush mountain slopes.
Pass through a gate (it's 1.5 miles to Makahiku Falls from here). Shortly you get to a giant banyan tree with its aerial roots. A short side trail leads you to a stream overlook and a rocky path to a further cool gaze at frothy cascades. The two-tiered cascades drop to a broad ledge and pool and then tumbles again to a deeper hole. Hanging stone cliffs, carpeted in vines, form a cathedral over the pool. After a couple of pretty waterfalls crossed by two bridges you get to a dense and dark stand of bamboo. A wooden boardwalk takes you through the bamboo forest.
The trail gets wetter and the surrounding foliage turns greener, a tangle of ferns and a carpet of mosses.

After a night of rain, the sun rises over the ocean at the Kipahulu camp site.

Of course as soon as we get out to have breakfast, it starts to rain again.

Our campsite.

Christopher is happy with his breakfast of champions... Rice Krispies and Luigi's tower of doughnuts (leftover from our trip to the Komodo bakery).

With all this rain interspersed with sun, the rainbows are a-plenty!

And we're back to rain... we try to wait out the cloud burst at the Visitor Center. At 8:30am it isn't open yet for the day.

The trail map shows Kipahulu campsite, the Pipiwai Trail and, stretching all the way up the mountain to Haleakala Crater,
the Kipahulu Gap which has been designated a biological reserve.

Deciding that the rain is not likely to end soon, we head out in our rain gear.

Hale Ku'ai - A house for storing, displaying, and trading. "Now we are going forth with our power, our mana'o, and our determination. They have picked up rocks, built the foundation, planted the posts, lashed everything firmly together and thatched with layer upon layer of loulu to make it comfortable."
Kumu Palani Sinenci, master hale builder.

The kids take shelter shortly to check out the traditional hale and the palm fronds hanging to dry.

Our first lookout on the trail does not give the greatest view... just warnings of steep cliffs.

This grove of of trees with cinnamon coloured trunks remind us of Argentina.

The view from the Makahiku Overlook.

The Makahiku falls drops about 200m. The guidebook described it as a 'skinny ribbon of silvery water'... not so skinny today with all the rain!

Lots of signs warning people about flash flooding and dangerous conditions.
In the guidebooks I'd also read about dangerous bacteria in many of the streams.

I presume the gate is part of a system to keep feral animals such as pigs out of the biological reserve.

At the Makahiku falls. Supposedly when there is not so much water, people like to go for a dip in the "infinity pool" at the top of the falls.
No wonder they warn about flash flooding!

The rain has stopped but the trail is pretty mucky. Luckily this section has been 'paved' with stone stairs.

We get to the giant banyan tree.

Christopher liked the aerial roots holding up the branches of the tree.

The trail follows along the Pipiwai stream and in places you can see where the stream has warn caves into the sides of the cliffs.
There are lots of smaller falls along the way that you can discover on little side trails.