After returning home from Kaho`olawe, a group of us started trading e-mails and phone calls and continued discussing future adventures in the great outdoors. Once I figured out that Kalalau was a valley in Kauai rather than a ridge on Oahu, I started doing some research on the web, and talked to some people who have been there. Kalalau is an isolated valley on the undeveloped and ruggedly beautiful NaPali coast on the north shore of Kauai. Many tours go past or over the valley, by boat or by helicopter. There is also a lookout point far above the valley. One can reach the valley either by a difficult 11 mile hike, or by kayak. Adventurers writing about their excursions described exciting trips both by land and by sea. Kayaking provides great views of the rugged coast from the water. The coast is dotted by sea caves which can be explored by kayak when the conditions are right. When the seas are calm enough, one may land at Kalalau and other beaches along the coast to explore and/or camp. The hike was described as a challenging trek along a trail which is not in the best of conditions. The trail was also described as providing great views of the coast and valley, as well as access to side trails up the valleys to waterfalls and pools.
Early in our planning phase, there were 11 of us who were interested in
making the journey. 7 of us were friends from the Kaho`olawe trip, and another
4 were friends, or friends of friends. About half wanted to kayak, and half
wanted to hike. We were trying to figure out a way that we could do both.
Finally X took some initiative, and called the DLNR in Kauai to learn about
getting camping permits. In order to try to preserve the fragile environment
along the NaPali Coast, the state restricts access to the valley through
a permit process. Hiking beyond the 2 mile mark along the Kalalau trail (past
Hanakapi`ai) and camping along the coast requires a permit. Camping permits
are limited to a maximum of 5 consecutive nights and cost $10 a night. We
learned that the first available slot started September 12. I thought that
I read, or heard, that kayak trips ran through September. That combination
put the wheels in motion, and soon E, 
Gearhead, Speedy,
Matt, M, and C had permits for 5 nights. (Thanks E for doing the paperwork
and arranging the financing!) X and Ma also got permits. Ma needed
to get back to work, however, so they planned to leave early. Digging deeper,
I learned that one must obtain a light-craft landing permit addendum to your
camping permit in order to be able to rent a kayak. I also learned that kayak
landing season ends the first week in September. Hence, we would not be kayaking.
This was disappointing news, and in combination with the late date of the
permits caused 3 of the potential adventurers to back out.
Unpacking the sleeping bag when it arrived, Ann asked "where is the zipper?", "on the other side of the bag", I said. No it's not .... As it turns out, the 'lightweight backpacker bag' that I bought, saved weight by leaving out the zipper, ... Yes it said so right in the add, which I did not read carefully enough. This is no problem, except when it is warm. ...., like in Hawaii. With the equipment and permits in hand, I set out to get myself in shape.
C was visiting Maui occasionally to plant or pick onions. During one visit
we hiked with Gearhead, E and Makani in and out of Haleakala, going down
sliding sands and out the old Halemauu trail. We also did a day hike in Poli-Poli.
These w 
ere good
chances to get in shape, and talk about Kalalau plans. TTVC was very helpful,
giving me a lot of hints about backpacking, and cooking. He also put together
a backpacking trip into the crater along with Gearhead, primarily for me
to get a chance to try out my new equipment and break in my pack. An unexpected
opportunity came up to travel to Oregon to attend a reunion of Ann's family.
Some web browsing taught me about a variety of great backpacking trails in
the Portland area. I chose to try for the Timberline trail, a loop around
Mt. Hood. This trip turned out to be a great shakedown for my equipment and
one in which I learned that my cooking skills needed improvement. (Follow
me to a description of the Timberline
Trail hike) Not one to be under prepared, I also read Chris Townsend's
book on backpacking, and went through most of the backpacker magazines once
again. After the Timberline trail, I was feeling pretty confident going into
the crater with Gearhead and TTVC. Our original plan to hike to Paliku cabin
was changed when Gearhead was not able to get enough time off work. We did
spend a night in the crater, however, and had a chance to carry backpacks
up the old Halemauu trail.
About a month before the trip, we started trading more e-mails and phone calls to set up travel plans, cooking arrangements and equipment sharing. While it seems that it would be more efficient to cook as a group, most backpacking equipment is sized for only one or two people. So, we formed teams of M and C, E and R, X and Ma, and Matt on his own. When Ma dropped out, I ended up sharing with X, and wound up with too much food.
X gathered a lot of valuable information from members of the HMTC who's members had been to Kalalau recently. They made some food recommendations and provided a good lead for transportation. The food recommendations, for a couple of nature food dry meals, were right on target.
We had a few options for transportation on Kauai. One can rent a car, and leave it at the Princeville airport for a drop-off charge. One can take a taxi, for $80, or, the option that we chose, you can hire Yamaguchi Bus Service who will transport you in one of their school busses in between their student pickup schedule for $115 each way. The driver was waiting for us at the airport, and was early at the trailed for our pickup. They gave us up to an hour along the way to but fuel, food, or whatever we needed. Their small bus could transport up to 12 hikers. It was very comfortable for the 6 of us.
On Sept. 11, five of us left Maui early in the morning. We stopped in Oahu where X boarded the plane and arrived in Lihue at about 10:00 . Most of us had our packs inside travel duffels, so we changed into our trail clothes, packed our packs, put all of the duffels into one, then loaded up in the bus. We stopped at the county office and picked up a camping permit for Haena Beach Park. Then on to Hanalei, where we stopped at the Ching Young Plaza where we hit a variety of food shops, and the Pedal 'n Paddle for fuel and last minute camping supplies. They stock Primus fuel there, and everyone bought a canister. For every canister we bought, the shopkeeper gave us one or two partially full canisters that had been returned to her. She also agreed to buy back any canisters that we returned full, with the plastic caps intact. Of the 6 canisters we bought, we ended up returning 5 of them!
When we arrived at Ke'e beach, the parking lot was packed with cars! There
were a lot of people swimming, but there were also a lot of people on the
trail. There is a lua, a shower, a phone and a water fountain at the park.
We bid the bus driver good-bye, filled our water bottles, and donned our
packs. We talked to some hikers coming off the trail, and got them to take
a group picture with all of our cameras. Finally we started up the trail
at about 1:00. Going was slow, with everyone adjusting their packs and their
bodies in an attempt to develop a comfortable rhythm. R had a pretty light
pack, and she and E led the group up the trail. E had been on the trail before,
and she would give us an idea of what to expect. Her memory was not always
completely accurate. It seemed that the 'bad parts' were often behind us
in her recollection, but actually ahead of us in our experience. We had clear
skies, and moderate trades that day with the trail mostly dry. The first
part of the trail had been 'improved' with a lot of rocks placed on the trail
bed, and some water bars made of logs or ties. We all surmised that this
could be pretty slippery when wet. In fact, some acquaintances from Maui
just completed the trail in the rain, and 
described it as 'treacherous when wet.' Little did we know. ... We gained
altitude almost immediately. Soon the trail opened to deliver amazing coastal
views, with vivid colors in the ocean and clear views down to the submerged
coral heads. This section of trail had a lot of ups and downs with some high,
steep steps. My long legs gave me an advantage here.
We passed a lot of day hikers on this section. We also talked to several backpackers. Two women, carrying pretty heavy loads, (including pots and a stove tied to the outside of their packs) told us that they left Kalalau at 7:00 that morning. By about 3:00 we had covered the 2 miles to Hanakapi'ai stream. E remembered a nice campsite on the east side of the stream, near the ocean. I went to scout this out, and found a nice, large empty campsite and returned to inform the group. After we had been in camp for a few minutes, we noticed that R was not with us. I went back to the point where we departed from the trail, and she was not there either. I changed into my Teva's, and crossed the stream looking for R. There she was, on the other side of the stream, chatting with 'Lilikoi Boy' . Sitting under a shady tree, Lilikoi Boy had a bucket full of Passion Fruit that he would cut and 'give' to passers by. He wasn't exactly selling the fruit, but he did have a can labeled 'donations'. Each of us ate a fruit (it was great) and R gave him a buck.
It was hot at night. Before I left, Mark told me that I would only need a light blanket at night, but instead I brought my lightweight sleeping bag. This was way to warm, so I slept under it. Sleeping on the rubber mat was not so comfortable, so I used my shirt as a bed sheet. All of the group except R and I slept on thermarest pads. I think I would have been a lot more comfortable with a better sleeping pad. There were 2 or 3 other groups camped with us at Hanakapi'ai. One was in the cave near the beach, and another was somewhere up the trail.
Breaking camp was a bit slow, but then we were in no rush. The lack of
pressure to 'make time on the trail' helped to make this a safe and enjoyable
trip. Most fixed a simple breakfast of oatmeal, and we all struggled to get
everything back into our packs. There was a lot of trash at the site, in
addition to what we generated. We burned a trash fire as we packed and were
ready to go by 8:30. M had some blisters on her feet from the day before,
so after we crossed Hanakapi'ai stream (it was a wet crossing) she stopped
to put on some first aid. Just by the lua, the trail splits with one branch
going up the valley to the falls. At that point E, who knew the way, had
gone ahead with R and X. I then took the wrong trail, and started heading
up the valley. I figured this out after about 5 minutes, and while I was
heading back I ran into C who was hurrying up the trail to tell me that I
had gone the wrong way. She and M got directions from a passerby. The climb
out of Hanakapi'ai was steep, but very pretty. This part of the trail had
not been improved, and was not as heavily traveled. Sections were pretty
tricky with a lot of rocks and roots. At one point M fell and scraped up
her knee. She and C make a good team and took good care of each other. 
We expected many more water sources than we found on this section of the trail. Many of the streams that E remembered as flowing were dry, and we started worrying about being short on water. C in particular was low. At one point on the trail I was hiking by myself when I came upon a couple who were off the trail exploring (or smoking). I asked if there was water where they were. No, she said, but bedecked in tie dye, my water nymph led me to a point down stream where I could pump water. Such a friendly smile. The trail was full of beautiful sights, including several young ladies in skimpy outfits. We learned that there was a music festival going on that weekend, and many Kalalau 'regulars' were hiking out to attend the concert.
A while after we arrived at Hanakoa, three young guys showed up. They looked a bit worn, and were taking a break, and starting lunch. As we swam, and relaxed, they started pumping water. They were still pumping water when we returned from the hike to the falls! How much water can three guys drink? Actually, at one point they dropped a full container back into the stream, requiring them to start over. They were also using a pump (the purifier, that has a handle that forms a lever) that is pretty slow. My guess is that they were enjoying watching the girls.
We had a few different water filtering systems with us. Two of the team carried Pur 'Hiker' filters. R borrowed a pump that was nice and compact (I don't know the make or model). The intake tube stored inside the pump, and the pump would screw onto a Nalgene bottle for the outake. X used tablets, that were a two part system. After the iodine tabs purified the water for 30 minutes, another tablet cleared the water, and took away the iodine taste. On top of this she used a water bottle for drinking that had a filter built inline with the straw. My Pur filter got pretty clogged near the end of the trip. It was still usable, but significantly harder to pump. Not sure where, but somewhere we picked up some silty water.
While at Hanakoa, a couple came past that demonstrated an interesting technique for crossing the stream. If your legs are long enough (and I am lucky there) it is often possible to cross a stream from rock-to-rock. Those with shorter legs can be helped by their partner by extending a hiking staff to their partner to 'pull' them across the stream. This gives one enough momentum to cross a longer gap. Rock hoping can be dangerous, however, if the rocks are wet, or moss covered. Unless the steps were very secure, I would usually opt to get in the water.
We talked
to most of the backpackers that passed us on their way out to pick up info
about the trail ahead. We learned of a campsite 'on a bluff' at ~ mile 8.
It was described as having enough tenstites for all of us, with a fire ring
and a nice view. X had seen pictures of this camp and view in a slide show
about the trail. After passing the 'cliffs' the team was pretty tired, both
from the exertion, and from the stress of walking along the cliffs. So, we
were ready to stop. We didn't know just where we were, as the mile markers
were not always visible (or present) but soon after a section of cliffs,
that had been somewhat reinforced with fence posts driven in the ground downslope,
and some large timbers laid across the trail to slow erosion, we came upon
a sloping grassy area that had one large, obvious tentsite. This site was
marginal for holding a group of 6, but the team was ready to stop. I scouted
up ahead, maybe another 1/4 mile, but I didn't find, nor see the 'bluff'
campsite. (I did get my first glimpse of Kalalau valley, however). So, we
decided to make the best of the grassy knoll. M&C shared C's tent, and
M loaned me her tent as mine was too large to fit in the site. Both of these
fit in the level area. X and E set up their tents on the side of the hill,
in the most level spot they could find. X took all of the packs in her tent,
and used them to keep herself from rolling down the hill! There was a lot
of wildlife in and around camp. The goats were present all around, and made
a lot of noise at dusk. That evening, after dusk, R was at the edge of camp
cleaning up after dinner. E saw her in the distance, and mistook her for
a goat! We all got a good laugh out of that. (with the possible exception
of E). There was also a flock of nene in the valley below us as we came to
camp. Additionally there were many frogs jumping around. As I was trying
to fall asleep that evening, I heard a frog jumping closer and closer to
my tent and then launching itself against the side of the tent right next
to my head! That gave me a start.
For the first half of the trip I had a song running around in my head. This is not at all unusual for me. This time the tune was, "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" by Eric Bogle, complete with lyrics. A day or so before leaving for Kauai I was following a thread in the folk music usenet group where several participants were sharing various versions of this song. This is a very sad song, ..., there were particularly poignant renditions recorded by June Tabor and John McDermott. Joan Baez, the Dubliners, Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem, Priscilla Herdman and the Pogues also recorded this tune. Some of the key lines of the song go. ...
Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.
And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
...
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.
For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
...
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.
But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
...
And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
...
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.
But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.
More about the song, and sound audio files at: http://www.pogues.com/Releases/Lyrics/LPs/RumSodomy/Waltzing.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/bogle.html
Clearly the theme of this song is not at all congruent with what I was hoping to experience on the Kalalau trail. An interesting connection did come up in one of our discussions, however. Someone mentioned that they had read an article recently where the author attributed the popularity of outdoor adventure for the present generation to the fact that this generation had not experienced a war. I'm not sure that I buy into this, however. I can see how the horrible experience of war can turn someone off to 'the outdoors', however it seems that this would mostly be a male experience, and would not be so universal. Maybe I am wrong, but I think that the growing ease of travel, and the fact that today's generation has more free time and disposable income has a lot to do with the popularity of 'adventure trips'. Equipment manufactures and tour operators have made it much easier to take such adventures as well. Regardless of the reason, ...
The song also got me to thinking about the place of conflict in my life,
how I use it, how I react to it, and how others use it. I go to great lengths
to avoid significant conflict. While I am very driven to achieve certain goal,
to learn and to succeed, it seems that I almost always find ways to achieve
these goals with as little conflict as possible. It is not that I avoid competition,
but am only comfortable with this to a point. This tendency is most marked
in my marriage where conflict is always avoided. Even small conflicts seem
to be very upsetting in our relationship. I fear, however, that this avoidance
of conflict is no 
t
entirely healthy. It can, for example, lead to complacency, and stifle growth.
I don't believe that this has happened in my relationships, as we have found
other ways to grow and stay vibrant.
For the most part, our Kalalau was conflict free (at least within our group). I know of only one incident that occurred near the end of the trip. From what I know of the incident, some conflict was justified. This grew, however, due to a misunderstanding, probably out of proportion. Unfortunately this conflict remains unresolved weeks after the trip. Will it break up our merry band?
Some of us also saw a significant husband-wife conflict that came from a miscommunication by another couple in the valley. ... Read on.
One of the people that I spoke to in the valley described a past relationship that was full of conflict, in this case it even involved physical conflict. I was totally surprised to hear this, it did not seem to fit.. It seems that some people can manage conflict, and use it as a tool for growth. Others who I have known in my life are drawn to conflict, and use it as a tool to engage others, while still keeping themselves isolated. Written on the wall in the lua in the valley is a saying, "Attachment is evil, surrender is ecstasy". These two phrases don't seem to fit together very well (at least not to me) but in some ways these phrases can be interpreted as the ultimate in conflict avoidance.
In my work, as manager or team leader, I spent a lot of energy trying to build teams. On this trip I spent some effort trying to make sure that we acted as a team, mostly to keep everyone safe. This worked well for the most part, but fell apart a bit on the way out. Still, we all stayed safe and (mostly) happy. Obviously it is important to find the right balance between the needs of the individual and those of the team.
Finally, while hiking out of the valley, I was able to replace the tune 'And the Band Plays Waltzing Matilda' with 'Here Comes the Sun', a tune written by George Harrison,
http://www.iamthebeatles.com/article1169.html
but I always hear it performed by Richie Havens. Unfortunately the song did little to stop the nasty weather that we experienced on out hike from the valley. ... More on that later.
Wow, I seem to have gooten a bit off trail here. .... I've not seen a trail blaze on 100 lines or so. Ahh, here comes C to guide me back to the trail.
The terrain turned dryer at this point, although we encountered intermittent light rains through the day. Some of the team put flys on their packs, but the rain never got heavy enough to require rain gear. R&E hiked ahead, I stayed back with M & C, and X was in between. X found a hiking staff for C the day before, and she was quite happy with it. There is a steep descent into Kalalau valley, down a slope called 'red hill'. Portions of the landscape here, which was largely eroded, red dirt, reminded us of Kaho`olawe. At the bottom of red hill is a small pinnacle, near a sign welcoming travelers to the valley. The 'rear 4' of us had our pictures taken here by another hiker. The view from the pinnacle was also spectacular, with sweeping views up into the valley. I tried a composite photo here, and got half way through before running out of film. Soon we came to Kalalau stream which afforded a restful and cooling swim. We all changed into water shoes, and hiked the rest of the way to camp in them.
The valley is huge, green and beautiful. Colors on the fluted ridges in the morning are vivid and varied. At dusk, there are multiple shades of gray. Chelsea got some great photos of these features. Behind us the cliffs rise into huge green spires, know as the Kalalau cathedrals. Wow!
We looked for a campsite for about 30 minutes, and chose a place in the trees east of the beach. There were 3 other tents there, and a couple of tarps. Only one of these was occupied. There was plenty of space. Most of the campsites, and other transient campers were near the beach, close to the waterfall. The 'long term' guests camped further east, or up in the valley. Just after setting camp, we all went to the falls which is on the west side of the beach, about 1/4 mile from our campsite. This would be our water source, and the place where we would bathe and do laundry. There is a section of pipe there that one can use to direct water over you, and also a couple of gallon plastic jugs with the tops cut off that can be used to hold water from which to pump. The stream just below the falls is a good place to do laundry.
That afternoon as we were in camp, Dave stopped by. A self-described 'businessman with connections' Dave told us that he could arrange a boat pickup for us. He had contacts, (so he said) and on he could arrange for a boat to come out when we wanted, and return us, with packs, to Hanalei. The fare would depend on the mood of the skipper, but he expected it would cost us ~$200. Some in our group were interested, but we did not take him up on his offer. Dave also invited us to party with him and Kalalau Bob that evening, at their site on the bluff. We passed on that offer as well.
We also met T, who was a carpenter visiting the valley from the mainland.
He wanted to know about the different trees that grew in the valley, and he
had his eye on a big mango that he saw up the stream. Somehow he got talking
about climbing the cliff behind the falls at the west end of the beach. X
told him that the climb looked way easy, and he could totally do it. I think
he bought it. 
We met Rick hiking into the valley. He is a 40-something, tall, strong, 3rd degree black belt from LA. Rick was fun to be with. A speech impediment keeps him a bit quiet, but not silent. Rick's brother had lived in the valley some 20 years prior. He was there to learn a bit about his brother's experience. I never did hear the whole story of why his brother had been there, or why Rick was so interested in retracing his brother's steps. Rick made it to the valley ahead of us, and set up camp in a nice shaded site right on the east end of the beach.
We also met Millie and her husband hiking in. They were a bit faster than us, and (I think) made it in the night before we did. They are from Oahu, she was a very friendly lady with a radiant smile (liked her, not much use for him, ... Maybe he was being overprotective, or in a bad mood, ,,, who knows, there is more to this story later )
Dr. R is one of the Kalalau regulars who would be our adopted host, and local tour guide. Dr. R showed of places in the valley we would not otherwise have seen. More about Dr. R's hospitality later.
There was another couple who we met the first day in, I cannot remember their names. She was one of the first camper that I met while we were visiting the waterfall the first day. She had such a welcoming smile. We learned later that this couple was pretty short on food. They collected some fruit from the valley, and on the evening of their last day came by camp wanting to trade for some food that they could carry on their hike out that would not need to be cooked. I could not resist her smile, and gave her some crackers and other lunch food.
Outstanding smiles were a repeating theme with the people that we met on the trip, and in the valley in particular. Those in our group were almost always in great spirits, and I believe that the smiles became more radiant as we spent time in the valley. Maybe it is something in the water there, ... .
The valley is not crowded at all, only about a dozen others are here. Br and E remember many more campers in the past. Br thought that this was due in part to the fee that is now charged, as well as the effects of the 9/11 attacks the year before.
I slept better that night, but had work dreams!, weird, and something about cleaning apples from the roadside.
There are lots of birds in the valley, including a lot of nene. I heard something rummaging around in the leaves in camp all night. I had some trouble sleeping through this the first night, but became accustomed to it eventually.
Dr.R came by this AM. He is another member of the HTMC, a retired psychiatrist
who spends a lot of time in the valley. He told us stories of spending 9
months there one year. This time he planned to stay until the end of the
month. We listened to an interesting story about one of his stays where he
had a 1 day permit, which was actually the last day of his intended month
long stay. He had hurt his ankle, and that last day he was holed up in his
hammock nursing his ankle. All day long he heard gunshots sounding through
the valley. That was the day the rangers found him. Unbelievably that was
the one day that he had a permit to be there. The rangers didn't believe
he had a permit, because his camp looked 'lived in' and more obviously, the
park was closed to execute a goat eradication project (the gunfire). He showed
the rangers the permit, and they softened their stance some. Still, they
said that the park was closed, and he needed to leave. Dr. R said he they
would have to carry him, as he could not walk on his 
foot. After the foot healed, and he returned to Oahu, he went to the Park
Office, showed them that they mistakenly issued a permit for a day when the
park was closed, and received a refund! (some nerve)
Dr. R offered to give us an 'insiders' tour of the valley later that day. Soon after breakfast we met up with Br, T, Rick and Millie and headed east to meet Doc near the heiau. Soon enough, with Dr.R in the lead, our team of 11 embarked on our Magical Mystery Tour of Kalalau valley. We walked along many 'underused' trails, sticking near the stream for the most part. We stopped at several clearings near the stream that were known as 'cafe's'. These were the places that the 'residents' (or outlaws, depending upon your point of view) would meet to talk, trade, whatever. The cafe's were relocated progressively up the valley as the forest service pursued those who set up home in the valley. Along the way, Br gave us botany lessons, ..., I must admit that I didn't retain much (ok any) of what he taught. I did learn (from X) how to tell a taro plant from and elephant leaf plant. (The supposed taro that were given to me as housewarming gifts and that I have growing at home are not taro ...)
At some points we left the trail (or it petered out) and we were bushwhacking through a portion of heavily terraced, fern-covered woodlands. It is clear that huge portions of the valley had been improved by the Hawaiians for living spaces and for cultivation. The architectural sites were in excellent condition here. I took a spill, and ended up sliding on my back down an embankment. No harm for the wear, however.
herbivores,
as there is no way that they could sneak up on anything with olfactory glands!
Goat odor was quite strong at our camp on the second night. The next smell
came in the Kalalau Valley, as we were looking for a campsite. Near where
we ended up, there was a large area that must have been a homesite, judging
from the rock foundations. This would have made a nice camp, except it was
full of Java Plum trees, and the ground was covered with them. These are
purple berries, about the size of a grape, that turn the bottoms of bare
feet a striking blue/purple. They also have a distinct rotting odor that
is similar, but different from the guava. Most days, and particularly later
in the trip, we were treated to another smell that C identified in a striking
realization as, "it's me!" (this smell was in stark contrast to the scent
of C's conditioner) . On the hike out, as we neared Ke'e beach, and started
to pass day hikers, we became very skilled at identifying various 'soap smells'.
We were easily able to distinguish between hotel soap, Irish Spring, White
Rain and coconut-based tanning lotion. Day hikers would give us very strange
looks when they overheard us talking about how they smelled!
...
squatted, and relieved herself. This is not quite the way the way I dreamed the 'chance encounter' fantasy would play out. .... I may be scarred for life!
My practice of public nudity was limited to skinny-dipping in the pool below Hanakoa falls, and bathing under the water fall at Kalalau beach. Here, as I was discretely facing the rock walls, a woman behind be says "Matt, I threw you a bottle of soap, it is right behind you." I don't know which is more surprising, ..., that she would try this trick, or that I fell for it, turning around to find the soap! The falls have the dual use as a shower, and as a drinking water dispenser. Apparently there is no accepted protocol that 'reserves' the falls for a particular purpose at a particular time, as a couple of people came to fill their water bottles as I was showering. ... A unique experience.
After lunch we started bushwacking, looking for a section of the stream
known as 'big pools'. Dr.R brought out his GPS, and Br wanted to follow his
instincts, so we wandered a bit. It is in this area that we came upon the
most impressive area of rock-lined terraces. Eventually we found a trail,
and came to big pools. This area sported several medium sized, deep pools.
Two of these were joined by a natural water 
slide that was great
fun to go down. Between the slide, and the jump at the last pool, I ended
up with a lot of water in my sinuses and ears by the end of the day. Big
pools also had a few patches of watercrest and taro. We harvested some watercrest,
and X used it in Saimin for lunch the next day. I was carrying my water filter,
so we pumped a lot of water there. At another point along the trail we came
upon one of the 'valley people' sitting under a large mango tree. This was
his camp, and we chatted for a while. He offered us some lilikoi. He told
us that he was 'fasting' and didn't want any himself. Later we met him and
his partner on the trail in the valley, They looked very happy. He was carrying
a basket that was newly woven from leaves.
Dr. R then took us to several of the 'gardens' in the valley. Here local residents planted fruit trees, as well as vegetable and herb gardens. At one place, an irrigation ditch had been dug to divert stream water. We were told that the rangers frequently raid, and destroy these gardens. There was a large orange tree, and a couple of papaya trees. We harvested a lot of oranges, using hiking sticks tied together, and by shaking the tree (Rick was a strong climber). The oranges were very juicy. We ate many, and carried a lot back to camp. We also got a few green papaya. Later, X made a very tasty green papaya salad that we had a couple of times.
As we were hiking down, we heard a lot of commotion in the valley. A helicopter was circling low overhead, and there were drums being played up the valley. We learned later that Millie's husband had gone swimming with a group that morning. Millie had discussed going hiking with Dr. R, but did not know when she would return. When Millies husband returned to camp, and she was gone, he panicked and wrote an SOS in the sand. This eventually attracted a rescue helicopter that showed up just before Millie returned to camp. Apparently she got chewed out by her husband upon her return. This incident reminded me of the importance of communication! We communicated a lot as a team both prior to, and during the trip. Still, there were several occasions where some members of the team were not aware of what the group was doing, or planning. Probably the most serious miscommunication was when R became separated from the group on the way in at Hanakapi'ai stream. It is difficult to over communicate, (although the many e-mails before the trip may have been too much). Different styles are necessary to be able to reach everyone. Repetition is necessary for some people, and a turnoff for others. Eventually when I come to know someone well enough, I can come to learn when someone is getting the message or not. That is usually the time I start to give mixed messages to keep them guessing.
For us, Sunday was mostly a leisure day. We took our time fixing breakfast. I cooked the egg casserole using the bakepacker. This turned out pretty good. X fixed a chicken substitute thing which started out looking like small sponges which she first re-hydrated, and then fried in some oil and spices. This was a fair amount of work, but actually tasted quite good. It had a pleasing texture that was not unlike chicken.
One of the adventures that we hoped to take while we were in Kalalau was to explore the next valley to the west, Honopu Valley. This is a small sunken valley that has some very unique and beautiful features that we wanted to see. It is also impossible to access this valley by land. The only way for us to get there was to swim. We read a lot about this, and talked to many people, including some who made this trip earlier in the week. In the summer, when the sea is calm, this is an easy trip. However, when the seas are up, or when the trades are blowing strong, the swim back can be very difficult, if not impossible. According to what we read, many people have drowned swiming from this beach which becomes particularly treacherous in winter. The trip is best made with swim fins, but we didn't have any. We were enticed by stories of a beautiful sea arch, so three of us, X, C and I convinced ourselves that we would give it a try. We talked to Dr.R, who cautioned us, and said that if we started to see whitecaps, to return immediately. We figured that if we got back by noon, we should have no problem.
I took a water bottle, and tied it around my waist, and also wore my backup
lasso to make sure that I didn't loose my glasses. The three of us started
out down the beach wearing our bathing suites, and watching the sea. It is
possible to walk another 200 yards or so along the beach past the waterfall.
Here the shoreline gets rocky in spots with big lava formations. The area
at the farthest end of the beach formed a small bay where the water was very
confused, rebounding from the rocks in all directions. While this would have
produced the shortest swim, the water was too rough to go in there. Instead,
we launched from the next sandy spot to the east. Just as we were getting
ready to enter, having watched and timed the swells, we saw some large fish
jumping just off shore. These turned out to be a pod of spinner dolphins
frolicking in the sea. With this good omen, we jumped in, and swam through
the surf. After we got out 100 feet or so, the swiming got easier, and we
adopted a more relaxed stroke heading out around the rocky point. Soon we
were able to see around the point to a huge archway that must have been 100
feet tall, with a 40 foot opening. On the near side of the arch was a beautiful
white sand beach, our destination. After about 20 minutes in the water, we
swam into shore between sets of waves. C was the strongest swimmer of the
group, sh 
E was well ahead
of X and I. The valley was not very deep, behind the beach was a small vegetated
area, in front of a massive, steep sheer cliff. We followed the beach to
the west, and climbed a small hill to walk through the archway. On the other
side of the arch, where it intersected with the cliffs was a tall, heavily
flowing waterfall. I walked into the pool close to the falls, but they were
too strong to walk under. On that far side of the arch was another beautiful
white sand beach, and we were the only ones there! The place was truly amazing.
Rich told us that there were some ropes that would allow one to climb 
above the arch. These walls looked very tall and steep to me, and we found
no ropes. Time was getting a bit short, and none of us were feeling adventurous
enough (nor were we equipped) to climb, so soon we headed back. Unfortunately
we didn't have a camera with us, so we have no photos of the site. The swim
back was a bit more difficult since the swells and the current were against
us, and the wind was starting to pick up. Also on the way back we were getting
stung by jellyfish, enough to be a nuisance, but nothing more. I took us
about 30 minutes to swim back.
On the way back toward camp we stopped to explore a huge sea cave that is at this end of the beach. The cave is filled with water, that is about 2 feet deep at its deepest. Many birds inhabited the cave, and got quite noisy when we approached their nests. The cave went back about 100 feet, then became very low, and dark. We did not venture there.
C spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach, which she enjoyed all to herself (and taking pictures, and studying her Chemistry) . X and I returned to camp at about 12:30, just about the time when we told M that we would return (well, maybe a bit late, but not late enough to send up alarms). X fixed a lunch of siamin with the watercrest we harvested. I baked some cornbread. Covered with honey that R had, the cornbread was quite tasty. That afternoon, most of us relaxed around camp. E enjoyed a relaxing nap in her tent. X and R made a big batch of papaya salad, with R showing of her peeling, slicing and dicing skills. This batch contained some early growth lantana leaves to provide a 'minty' taste. They shared the salad with our group, as well as with DrR and Rick.
One of the other appointments on his table was a pair of battery powered stereo speakers and an mp3 player driving them. He played some Eagles, and asked E if she had been at Woodstock. She had not, but did seem to know an awful lot about the Eagles. DrR was the only one of us who had been to Woodstock. (I visited the site once, in the 90's, ... there were still some hippies and posters left over, but it was then mostly a tourist attraction.
DrR was a real gadget guy. Besides the stove and the stereo system, he also had a weather radio, a nice digital camera and a GPS with a topo map display. I think that he was on the high end of the part-time Kalalau residents. With all of these gadgets, and a month worth of food, I can start to see why his pack was 80 lbs!
Soon a small black cat came by to visit. She was a bit leery of us 'visitors' but she stayed around. DrR told us that he 'adopted' this cat during one of his previous visits by taking a kitten from a litter of feral cats, and feeding it in his camp. The cat was named Mookie, and was a mother.
DrR told us a lot of stories about the valley, and its resident. At one time the valley sported a library, and a somewhat neurotic librarian. He also told us of many residents of Oahu and Maui who were in the valley recently. He showed us picture of the 'spiritual pizza' that they prepared a few days before our arrival. They baked it inside two frying pans, with hot coals below and above. He also told us that they were planning a 'sweat lodge' ritual on the upcoming full moon. They build a teepee of bamboo, covered it with vegetation, then sat inside along with heated rocks sprinkled to create steam.
DrR was marginally dressed that evening, in an outfit which became somewhat
revealing when he lounged in the hammock. He was quite the entertainer. We
gav 
e him a bunch of food that we had left over, and bid him well.
That evening I baked pizza. This was pretty good, but would not feed too many people. It went well with the pasta dish that X prepared. Afterward we started a fire, and burned our trash.
We got a pretty early start, on the trail by 7:30. Right away we hit the climb up red hill. We could have used a bit more warm-up before this challenge, but we got up and over, ... Then the drizzle started. On the way in we remarked about how treacherous the trail would be if wet. We got a chance to learn this first hand. Luckily the rain was never so hard, but was enough to get the ground wet, and make the rocks and roots slippery, and turned many of the eroded spots a bit muddy. Occasionally we would wait for showers to pass. It is not clear if this helped or not. In the end, we all made it through the dangerous spots with no incidents by taking our time, and remaining careful (even if we did not all stay calm about it). At one point, when hiking along one of the eroded ridges, we came upon a family hiking in the other direction. A you'd girl of about 8 was walking barefoot ahead of her parents. We remarked to her that the trail sure was slippery, .... "I've done this in the mud" she said. Even at her young age, she was a veteran. Later along the trail we passed a local-looking guy carrying a huge pack. He told us that he slipped once on the section of trail that has a few fence posts planted down the slope. When we asked what he did, he said 'he hung on for dear life". He got complacent, he said, and lost his balance. He was hiking with his hip strap undone. It was not clear if this was more comfortable for him, of if he wanted to be able to shed his pack quickly in case he slipped again.
R & E hiked ahead of the group most of the day. We agreed to regroup at major stream crossings and we came together again at Hanakoa stream. I had some good conversations with C , M and X today on the trail. Each of then are interesting ladies with entertaining stories.
E, R and C made it to Hanakapi'ai ahead of the rest of us. They found their way across the rapidly flowing Hanakapi`ai stream, and set up camp in the site that we used on our way in. There were other campers there, however, and that left that campsite full. We were starting to loose our light, so M, X and I decided to join another camper and set up on the beach. Thankfully the skies were clearing as the evening progressed, but the wind was blowing pretty hard on occasion. During one gust, X's tent was blown over. She had her pack and things inside however, so it stayed put. She was in the middle of cooking, so I finished staking out her tent for her. I wasn't so lucky, however, when the next big gust stuck. I had staked out my tent completely, with all the stakes I had, and put most of my gear inside, but left my pack outside. Well, the wind caught my tent, pulled all the stakes out of the sand, and launched the tent along the beach. Luckily the breeze was onshore, so I didn't loose the tent to the sea, but a part of Hanakapi`ai stream was directly in the flight path, or more accurately exactly in the tents landing zone. So the tent and it's contents, including my sleeping bag and most of my clothes, got soaked. As soon as they saw it take off, Rick and M ran to rescue it. I think that I was so shocked that it took me a while to get up. They rescued the tent before it got trashed by the wind, and M and X helped me dry things out. I was able to hold the tent up in the wind, and the breeze blowing between the floor and the footprint dried it out before too long. X loaned me a pareato so I had something dry to sleep on that night.
The skies cleared that night. I woke at 3:00 and poked my head out of the
tent and was treated to a beautiful display of lights. The clearing skies
brought cool temperatures, so I got a a nice rest that night. 
The trail was still wet from the rain the day before, and a bit slippery. We were getting good at hiking in these conditions, so we made good time. Our biggest obstacle hiking out that day, was all of the day hikers (strollers) hiking in. All clean and smelling good, they were quite distracting! They were also not so good at yielding to the weary backpackers coming at them on the trail.
Along the way we passed a young lady running the trail, and another older woman who passed us as she was hiking from Hanakapi'ai. We saw this same lady last week, and asked her how often she is on this trail. She told us that most every day she swims from Haena to Hanakapi'ai then jogs back. "It is a good way to start the day" she said. .... Yes indeed. We also passed a young lady who was jogging the trail. She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow and green striped bikini, ... Not the typical joggers costume, but it worked for me! We were not making as good of time as these Kalalau trail regulars, but we made it!, and we made it in plenty of time to shower and change into the clean clothes that we stashed with the bus company before departing Haena. As we left the trail and started down the road on the bus, my mood became quiet and reflective. I was thrilled by what we experienced, but a bit sad to see it end. On the other hand, the women were very excited by what we experienced, and instead of becoming reflective, were very animated and talkative. They really lifted my spirits.
In Haena we stopped back at Paddle and Peddle. We had a lot of unopened fuel (5 canisters) and they bought it all back! Very nice! We gave Rick a lift to Haena and said good-bye to him there. Later that day he rented a surf board and got some surf lessons.
As we were getting ready to get back on the bus, we noticed an unusual procession going down the street. A long black hearse was followed by a second long black hearse about 50 feet behind. Behind the second hearse was a solitary woman walking a pit bull dog on a leash. Behind her were 200 women walking single file.
R was very curious. Thinking this was an American custom that she was unfamiliar with, she respectfully approached the woman walking the dog and said,
"I am so sorry for your loss, and I know now is a bad time to disturb you, but I've never seen a funeral like this. Whose funeral is it?"
The woman replied, "Well, that first hearse is for my husband."
"What happened to him?"
The woman replied, "My dog attacked and killed him."
R inquired further, "Well, who is in the second hearse?"
The woman answered, "My mother-in-law. She was trying to help my husband
when the dog turned on her."
A poignant and thoughtful moment of silence passes between the two
women.
"Can I borrow the dog?" Asks R
"Get in line." Says the woman
We made it to the airport just in time to catch an early flight, .... The rest of the trip was uneventful, ... As long as I did what I was told. I got a lot of practice at that.
All-in-all, I prefer a mixed group. All in the group were great, ..., given a chance, I would repeat the experience in a heartbeat. After returning home I was really missing being with my friends, I turned on all of the TV's in the house, as well as the stereo, all tuned to different stations, ... but it was just not the same, ....
The level of anxiety differed amongst the team. The youngest of the group showed little fear (nieve??) The oldest in the group showed little anxiety from fear. They had lived a full life, they said, and were comfortable taking the risks that resulted in an adventure (denial??). It was those in the middle of the age scale that showed the most anxiety, ( except for me, of course).
For me, sharing the experience with others made the trip much more enjoyable. Of course this depends on the company that one shares the trip with. Personalities and camping styles must be somewhat compatible to avoid a preponderance of conflicts. In our case, the rate of travel what significantly slower than I would have done on my own, but this probably enabled me to enjoy the scenery along the trail more. Our group was made up of people with similar interests in the outdoors, even though we had significantly different backgrounds and ages. This allowed the group to be both compatible, and interesting.
Attachment is Evil
Surrender is Ecstasy.
anon.
We're sculptured from birth
The chipping away makes me weary
Amy R. & Emily S.
I am Na Pali.
I am the trail that rises to challenge you.
I am the path that falls away at your stride.
I am all the colors of the earth that greet your every step.
I am Na Pali
I am the rainbow painted by flowers and joy.
I am the rain that your tears beckoned forth.
I am the sun cooling your body with sweat.
I am the cardinal, the goat, the dove.
I am Na Pali.
I am the wind that beckons and taunts you.
I am the whale, breaching to show you there is more than the surface to see.
I am the cliffs and shoulders upon whom you rest your burdens.
I am the love you bring and share and create.
I am Na Pali.
I am the sand that cradles your feet.
I am the cold stream that eases your aching soul.
I am the mud that mixes earth with your tears and sweat.
I am the flower, the sunset, the moon.
I am Na Pali.
I am the Creator who brings forth my day.
I am the Creator who bends and molds your thoughts.
I am the Creator filling the sky with stars.
I am the Creator hatching eggs in shrines.
I am Na Pali
I am the heartbeat of the waves upon the cliffs.
I am the bloodflow of the streams as they fall.
I am the death of fallen leaf underfoot.
I am the life with green limbs to show the way.
I am Na Pali
I am you who come to walk my way.
I am all who share the joys and pain of my path.
I am the contentment of a new life to live.
I am the best of whoever comes to me.
I am Na Pali
I am hope for those who walk down the next trail.
I am the love for self and for others to share.
I am the joy for a new friend to share the load.
I am the beauty of earth and sea and sky.
I am Na Pali.
I am Na Pali.
Paul Slowick
E --- for sharing her knowledge of the trail with all of us, and always letting us know that 'the worst part was behind us'
R --- for adding a European flavor to the group, and for her excellent imitation of a goat.
C --- for her insightful wit and infectious smile, her strength and speed in the water, and for laughing at my jokes. Also thanks for her photos. The best here are hers.
M --- for caring so much about the welfare of each member of the group, and for her superior and unconventional performance on the cooking channel
X --- for her energetic and adventuresome attitude, for helping me find the falls at Hanakoa, and the soap at Kalalau
Joan Yamaguchi
808-828-1726
Yamaguchi Bus Service, Inc.
P. O. Box 1127
Kilauea, HI 96754
http://www.kalalau.org/kalalau_info.htm
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