7 Kauai Hikes Not Named The Kalalau Trail (part 3)
Aloha and welcome back to 7 Kauai Hikes Not Named the Kalalau Trail. Today's entry is part 3 in the series and covers one hike that I relish and one hike that I don't. First, the relish--
The Alakai Swamp Trail-- 8 miles, moderately difficult (beginning from the Alakai Swamp Trail Head, but difficult from the Pihea Trail Head)
OK. Here's the deal. This is one of my all time favorite hikes. You can begin it at the Pihea Trailhead at end of Waimea Canyon Drive or if you have 4WD you can start from the Alakai Swamp Trailhead near Sugi Grove Campground. If you start from the Pihea Trail expect a muddy and slippery first mile and a half. But you will have awesome views into the Kalalau Valley during that first difficult mile. As amazing as those views are, I prefer beginning from the Alakai Swamp Trailhead for a couple of reasons. One, I like wheeling. Two, it's easier. Three, it's faster, which is often important if you are trying to get shots at either end of golden hour.
The Alakai Swamp Trail may be the greenest trail on Kauai. It is filled with vegetation and plant life. The smells are amazing on this hike. The air is so fresh. The ground so rich. The varieties leaves and shades of green that you will see is just spectacular. It's like walking into a different landscape and every time I go up there I am amazed that I am on the same island that I woke up on. It is just so different from anything else on Kauai. It is often cloudy and wet on the hike, but this seems to add a hint of mystery to the adventure. About half of the trail is covered in boardwalk which makes it easier on my knees than some of Kauai's other trails. But at 8 miles with some elevation change and one stream to cross, it can be a long and difficult hike. But so much fun!
which do you like? the straight and narrow?
or the twisty turny?
On clear days you may possibly see Hanalei and the Wainiha Valley at the Kilohana Lookout, the trail's end. I hiked The Alakai Swamp Trail 6 times before I finally saw Hanalei and it's a trip. I was like, "That's Hanalei!" That's the north shore! But I'm all the way up here in Koke'e! It's so strange to think that you've driven 2 and half hours, hiked 4 miles just to see one of the places on the island that you know so well. But not from this perspective. Not from this vantage point. And not from this altitude. I remember looking down onto Hanalei and thinking, "What a perfect shape. The place is magic.
Hanalei Bay under the clouds, a little circle filled in in blue and surrounded in green.
The Wainiha Valley seen from the Kilohana Lookout at the end of The Alakai Swamp Trail.
A rare day on the Alakai Swamp Trail when there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
***
Now for the hike that-- I gotta be honest-- I don't like that much. It's a good hike and all and it has great views, but it hurts my knees. It's just too much straight downhill on very loose or potentially loose red, Waimea Canyon dirt. I had a shredded meniscus removed from my right knee about 3 years ago long descending hikes are tough on me. It seems that I can take elevation drops and gains better when they are disturbed throughout the hike, rather than all at once downhill. And when you add in the many bugs and insects in the jungle-forrest at the bottom of the canyon this trail just doesn't do it for me. It is
The Kukui Trail-- 5 miles, difficult, Waimea Canyon
The Kukui Trail doesn't really have a parking area, but there is a little stretch of road between mile marker 8 and 9 on Waimea Canyon Drive where hikers park their cars. It's easy to miss and so is the Kukui Trail sign so be on the lookout. The trail begins at a short nature loop, which also offers nice views into Waimea Canyon. Once on the trail you begin descending almost immediately as you wind your way through Koa and Lehua Trees. Once out of the forest the views open up and the soil gets drier and more brittle. Watch your footing! On this trail, trekking poles are especially useful!
The inside walls of Waimea Canyon shine brightly in the light of the new sun. Check out Waipo'o Falls in the distance, too.
The Kukui Trail descends from the rim of Waimea Canyon to the Waimea River 2 and one half miles below.
The trail leads you off the red dirt and into the green forest below where tons of mosquitos play. There are some cool side trails down by the river and they are definitely worth exploring, but I really have spent too much time adventuring down there. Maybe one day we explore it together.
For photography I find the light in Waimea Canyon to be the most difficult of anywhere on island. Perhaps I am being a tad persnickety, but be forewarned-- patience and effort are a virtue. (Side tangent-- anytime someone says to me Right Place. Right Time. I respond back-- Right Preparation. Right Effort. Right Patience make it look like Right Place. Right Time. :-) ).
Next time we'll continue on our hiking tour with the final two trails of 7 Kauai Hikes Not Named the Kalalau Trail. Stay tuned and happy trails!
Aloha,
Lee
7 Kauai Hikes Not Named The Kalalau Trail (part 2)
Alright, to review-- 7 Kauai Hikes Not Named the Kalalau Trail is all about getting to know a few of the other and also outstanding hikes on Kauai. Everyone knows the Kalalalu Trail and while it is indeed an awesome hike I'd like to introduce a couple of other hikes to hopefully ease our collective footprint on Ke'e, Haena and the far north shore. I think, too, that adventuring out to some of the other trails on the island will further develop our relationship and love for Kauai. Part 1 introduced two easy hikes-- the Okolehao Trail and Sleeping Giant. This edition will introduce an easy south shore hike-- The Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail in Poipu.
The Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail-- Poipu, about 4 miles roundtrip (???), easy
This is my favorite place on the south shore and I really like this hike. It's by far the easiest hike of the 7 and the easiest to get to-- just drive to Shipwrecks (Keoneloa Bay) and park in the small public lot right next to the Hyatt. The trail begins at Shipwrecks beach. Climb up on the bluff and walk south towards Maha'ulepu beach. The entire hike is coastal, leisurely and quite easy. The footing is a little unstable in some areas, but the real dangers are the heat (especially in midday) and falling off the many seaside bluffs that are actually lithified sand dunes. So be careful! (That's what Naomi always says to me before I go out there :-) ). The photo above is from an area about 20 minutes into the trail called The Pinnacles. The photo below was taken on top of Makahuena (the bluff at the south end of Shipwrecks). It is the southernmost tip of Kauai and cool place to watch the ocean and sky with a cup of coffee.
Great views and the trail is just beginning! This trail is also a popular running circuit so if you are a runner or just enjoy a quick jog in nature definitely lace 'em up and have a go. The first 1/2 mile or so is a little sandy and there are many offshoots zigzagging through the dunes, but remember all roads lead to Rome or in this case Maha'ulepu.
The summer brings big waves to the south shore and this hike is a great place to watch the ocean churn and bang against the coastline. On a sunny day the waters are a beautiful turquoise blue. This stretch of the southern rocky coast has perhaps the most beautiful ocean water on Kauai. My only complaint about the trail is that it borders the Poipu Bay Golf Course, and their is one section of about 200 yards where you have to walk along the edge of the artificial and intrusive (in my mind) course. You'll also pass the stables where paniolos can go horseback riding and experience the south shore like a real cowboy.
Looking towards Maha'ulepu beach on a cloudy morning at sunrise. This spot is just past the stables.
deep blue south shore waters and a carved coastline under a sky of clouds. They say that Poipu is the sunny south shore, but when I go I always seem to get my share of clouds! Maybe I bring them with me from the north shore!!!
A red sky at dawn welcomes Naomi and I as we wait for the sun to rise. Pretty much any southeast facing point along the trail is a good place to catch sunrise, but not sunset as the trail takes you further away from the west.
The beach at Maha'ulepu near the end of the trail is one of the most secluded beaches on the island. Get there early and you will likely have the place all to yourself. On windy days Maha'ulepu is a popular place for kite surfing. There is no lifeguard so be careful, know your limits, and understand that the currents out here are predictably heavy and strong.
There is so much that I could say about this hike. I definitely think it is one of the best on the island. Easily accessible, not difficult, amazing colors along the trail, rich in culture and history. It's just a fantastic walk. And if you would like more information on the Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail please, visit this incredibly informative link at http://www.hikemahaulepu.org. There you'll find much more info on the flora, fauna and archeology of the area.
Aloha,
Lee
7 Kauai Hikes Not Named The Kalalau Trail (part 1)
The Kalalau Trail is the most famous hike on Kauai and in the summertime the trail-- and especially the parking lots and road from Haena to Ke'e-- gets incredibly busy. I would even suggest that from 10am to around 4pm parking is a disaster out there. And the trail, too, may be suffering from overuse. One of the great things about Kauai is the sense of seclusion that the island gives. Her nature is so vast and so varied that you can often find yourself alone in her nurturing beauty. But with the summertime crowds and the growing popularity of the Kalalalu Trail (especially to Hanakapi'ai beach), you may want to try other hikes around the island in order to commune peacefully with Mama Kauai. Visiting other trails will help to more evenly distribute our adventure footprint as well as enhance our perspective and understanding of this amazing island as we begin to see her from different views. By exploring her other paths our relationship with the island deepens.
The 7 Hikes that I will introduce below are of varying levels of difficulty, but it must be said most are in the moderate to difficult range. The reason being, I just don't know that many easy hikes on Kauai. The heat, elevation gain/loss, and length make most hikes on the island moderately difficult. However, all of the hikes listed below are fun(!) and there are a few moderately easy ones, too. So without further adieux
7 Kauai Hikes Not Named the Kalalau Trail
- The Okolehau Trail-- North Shore
- Sleeping Giant (Nounou)-- East Side
- The Heritage Trail-- South Shore
- The Alakai Swamp Trail-- Koke'e State Park
- The Kukui Trail-- Waimea Canyon State Park
- Honopu Ridge Trail-- Koke'e State Park (not maintained)
- Kohua Trail-- Waimea Canyon State Park (requires 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle to access trailhead)
The Okolehao Trail-- Hanalei, moderately easy (to the small hill where the aloha bench used to be, much more difficult once you get to the ropes), 3.5miles roundtrip (to the small hill where the aloha bench used to be (you'll know it when you get there))
The Okolehao Trail is a north shore hike that begins in the Hanalei River Valley. Awesome views of Hanalei Bay are the reward for a mile and half uphill jaunt. Although the trail continues up the ridge-- well past the small hill where the "aloha bench" used to sit-- I always turn around after taking in the vista in the photo above. To go further requires climbing some ropes. Go for it if that's your thing. If you do, then the hike jumps into the difficult category. I've listed this hike as moderately easy, but it is a long uphill climb that can be hard on the knees. Especially the descent. And when it it wet, the first mile and the last mile can be very slippery. For photo ops, you can get sunset pics-- looking towards Hanalei Bay-- and sunrise pics looking east (see photos below).
There are all kinds of different plants along the trail, and my favorite section is this area where the trail is lined by cook pine trees. For me this section is the highlight of the trail. So fresh! :-)
Other things to look for on the Okolehao Trail are the soft fluffy grasses, dragon fiies, wild orchids, and frogs!
To get to the trail head go north to Hanalei and turn left immediately after crossing the one lane bridge over the Hanalei River. Continue straight on the one lane country road for about a mile until you see a small parking lot on the left. Park there and the trail begins across the road on the right. You'll see a sign that reads OKOLEHAO. Afterwards, head into Hanalei town for some refreshments or better yet take a dip at Hanalei Bay. The cool pacific waters will help heal the legs after all of the climbing you just did!
Sleeping Giant (Nounou)-- Wailua, 4-5 miles roundtrip, moderately easy
Pretty much guaranteed views of sunrise over Wailua and Kapa'a await you along the Sleeping Giant Trail. You can begin the trail from three different locations, but I always start from the trailhead off of Haleilio Rd. This is another easy hike, probably easier than the Okolehao Trail. And like the Okolehao Trail you can continue your adventure if you are willing to climb a little into (potentially) harm's way. There is an official "end of trail" sign but you can easily hike beyond that and climb up onto the Sleeping Giant's face, head and nose. I like to hike this trail in the morning before Kapa'a and Wailua wake up. This trail is so close to the city that you will hear the traffic below you during the day, but it's still pretty cool to be up on a mountain that you see all the time as you drive through the east side of the island. Once on top you can look into the interior and see Kawaikini and Waiale'ale to the west; Kalalea and Kapa'a to the north; Wailua to the east; and Lihue to the south. A good first day hike for anyone staying on the east side because it lets you stretch your legs and gives you a good idea of the lay of the land.
The official trail ends at a picnic area on top. The trail is straightforward from top to bottom and there is only one area that is tricky. You'll notice it in the first 15 minutes of the hike (coming from the Haleilio Rd parking area). Along the way you'll find a bench where you may rest and gaze up to where you are heading.
Part two will pick up with another easy hike, The Heritage Trail to Mahaulepu.
Till then, happy hiking. And if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section. Mahalo!
Aloha and respect,
Lee
Sunset Hike along the Nualolo Trail to the Napali Coast
the nualolo, f/6.3, 1/60sec, iso 100, 24mm ts-e, 5d3
I have thought about hiking The Nualolo Trail at sunset for a while now and finally decided to do it. I've written about The Nualolo Trail before so I won't go into a lot of detail about the hike itself here, but rather about the the experience of hiking in for sunset and then hiking out in the dark. And like always I'll also include a few pics. :-)
I'd been researching on TPE for a couple of months, trying to find a time when the sun may shine into the Nualolo Valley. I felt that anytime around the summer solstice to July 10th or so would give a good opportunity, but I really couldn't tell for sure. I looked at maps and satellite images on TPE and tried to decipher if the sun would make through the pali, but I just wasn't sure. To be totally honest I kinda doubted that the sun would ever set far enough north to shine into the various valleys of the Napali Coast from the angle of the Lolo Vista. But hey, we are photographers and explorers. Adventures. Kings and Queens of "You never know" what you'll see. You never know what you will feel. Some would say, "That's why you take the camera." I say, "That's why you go (you always take the camera!)."
don't look down, f/7.1, 1/40sec, iso 100, 24mm ts-e, 5d3
So with mind made up I met up with a friend and decided to give it a go. We planned our hike with the full moon. That way we would have a little light in the sky to help us find our back if either one of our headlamps failed. I also thought I may take a picture of the full moon on the way back, which proved to be a silly idea (I was way too tired to take any pics on the back!). We did see a small moonbow on the hike back, but we just took it in with our eyes and let it please the soul. Just experience it. Sometimes theres on need to keep it.
slippery slope to blue, f/9, 1/40sec, iso 100, 24mm ts-e, 5d3
We arrived at Koke'e state park around 2.30 pm and started on the hike about 15 to 3. I don't know how we did it, but we flew down the trail and arrived at the Lolo Vista at around 4.30-- three hours before sunset. We planned to just chill in the shade of a tree, but once there we immediately began scouting and composing. We actually ended up going well beyond the "End of Trail" marker at the Lolo Vista as we thought it would give a better perspective, showing the length of coastline and, later, more direct low light of the Napali Coast (and perhaps even the cathedrals of Kalalau).
no need to race, f/14, 1/15sec, iso 100, 24mm ts-e, 5d3
Initially, the cloud cover over the mountainous coastline was quite heavy. But as the evening progressed the clouds diminished and began to match the near cloudless horizon over our shoulders. Our hopes of golden light being reflected off strawberry blonde clouds slowly began to vanish above while shadows began creeping into the valleys below. Pretty much as I expected, the sunlight wasn't going to make into the Nualolo, but what about the other valleys further down the Napali Coast? We would just have to wait and see.
THIS IS NOT MY TRIPOD! DON'T DO THIS. IT SCARES ME!!! I DO NOT CONDONE THIS. PLEASE, DON'T TRY THIS!!! LEAVE THE KEYS WITH ME!
how close is too close?
The shadows were really beginning to creep into the canyon and valleys by this point in the evening, so I decided to switch lenses and scope down the Napali Coast as the sun began to lower and the air began to cool. I brought two lenses on the hike-- a 24mm TSE prime. It is a manual focus only lens and has tilt/shift capabilities. The other lens that I carried with me proved to be the most useful-- a 70-200mm zoom. Any zoom is a heavy lens on any hike, but I definitely think it is worth the extra effort. It's got an extremely convenient range, image stabilization and actually when connected to a camera fits snugly and carries quite nicely in my pack. If you are on a long hike or an especially demanding one, I would recommend pairing with camera for the hike. I definitely find it easier to carry this way. Of course, I also carried a tripod, as well as a remote shutter release (which I used) and nd filters (which I did not). Extra shirt, towel, toilet paper, extra batteries (for camera and headlamp), extra memory cards, first aid kit, rain jacket, camera strap, head lamp and hiking poles. You may notice, missing from this list is WATER! Can you believe it!? I forgot my water. I left it in the cooler in my friend's truck. Luckily my friend-- he of the "Let's set up the tripod on a 2,000 foot crumbly dirt ledge!"-- had three liters of water with him so my life was saved! :-) Thank you Ken!
shadows fill in as the green coast extends, f/7.1, 1/50sec, iso 100, 70-200mm@85mm, 5d3
the napali coast at sunset, f/16, .5sec, iso 100, 70-200@140mm, 5d3
Pretty much after I took the shot above, the entire coastline turned to shade. We figure that the angle of the extremely low sun just didn't allow it to penetrate through or around the pails of the Nualolo, Awaawapuhi, Honopu, Kalalau, et al. It was really surprising, but as adventures of the unknown you never know until you do.
lehua and niihau from the lolo vista, f/6.3, 1/30sec, iso 100, 70-200mm@200mm, 5d3
Before walking out onto the Lolo vista we agreed that we would not wait on the ledge beyond golden hour. No matter how much we wanted to to shoot blue hour on the coast, we both felt that we needed to get off the "dangerous" portion of trail before complete darkness fell. There was one tricky section that we both felt more comfortable navigating with a little ambient light so with a final click we turned to go. The way out took a little longer than the way in. Our headlamps worked brilliantly and we got back to the truck, tired and thirsty (oops!) just before 10pm. It was a good hike. Seven Hours and seven minutes from start to finish. It was a good experience, and I'm glad I did it. Mahalo mama Kauai!
sunset from the nualolo, f/16, 1/15sec, iso 100, 70-200@200mm, 5d3
Aloha,
Lee
Four Minute Sunset
Four Minute Sunset, Tunnels, Kauai, Hawaii. 16mm. f16, 240 seconds, iso 100. LEE Big Stopper ND Filter, Lee Polarizer Filter.
I've been thinking a lot about composition recently. I was out shooting a couple of weeks ago and the light and subject were good, but as I reviewed the shots, I kept thinking that I should have done better. You ever have that feeling? Like everything was good, except you? I felt like going back to the scene and saying to the ocean, mountains, sky and sun, "It's not you. It's me. Really. You're perfect. I just need a little time." So what to do? Gotta up my game, I guess. So here I am, thinking about composition.
As you may know, I'm a self taught photographer. I've never taken a class on photography. I've never attended a photography workshop. The only art class that i have ever taken was a Modern Art class sophomore year at Ole Miss. Colors, spacial patterns and relationships have just been kinda intuitive for me. And I always feel that any "photography rule" can be broken at any time. But still sometimes when I review a session I feel that, for whatever reason, I missed it. Compositionally, I just wasn't able to communicate the experience in a pleasing manner. So here I am thinking about composition.
These thoughts led me to the ever dangerous and sometimes helpful internet. I pulled up Outdoor Photographer and found a landscape photographer by the name of Ian Plant who has written a well received book on composition called Visual Flow.
Well there you go, I thought. Time to get busy and do a little study. So I downloaded the creative bundle and soon began reading a really good ebook on compositional techniques and explanation.
I finished the book a few days ago and recommend it to anyone interested in concepts and principals of composition. What I appreciated most was the inspiration and teachings that Mr. Plant drew from various works of Art-- Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Hokusai, Turner, etc... I also enjoyed seeing the many different places where he and co-creater Geroge Stocking have photographed. Yes, it's a good book. Helpful, too, I think.
So with my head full of concepts and terminology to support what I have always left to intuition I went out to Tunnels, looking for a few things:
One, I wanted to photograph sunset.
Two, I wanted to include the curve of Makana Ridge
Three, I wanted to somehow relate the uniqueness of my visit (that particular moment) to the photograph.
Four, I wanted to find something in the foreground to mirror the shape or abstractly refer to the contours of makana ridge.
Five, I wanted to apply "atmospheric perspective" (i read it in the book!)-- basically I wanted to come away with at least one photograph where I placed the focus on the nearer object and let the sun or makana mountain appear "less distinct." (I often place focus on distant objects as I wish to lead the viewer to that point of the scene. So I was gonna try some new things!).
As I was walking the beach thinking of these things I kinda felt like Bob Dylan. You know Maggies Farm? "I got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane."
Vortex, Tunnels, Kauai, Hawaii. 16mm, f/11, 30 seconds, iso 100, LEE Big Stop Filter, LEE Polarizer Filter.
I scouted out the location like I always do, this time I was specifically looking for contours, leading lines and or triangles (triangles!? you may ask. read the book!). Low tide was to pretty much coincide with sunset so I knew that I would be able to use some portion of the exposed reef in the composition. That's what I initially planned and I thought I had all the elements here (in the photo above)-- diagonal lines for energy, repetition of triangular shapes for stability and perhaps a nice "counterpoint" to makana in the triangular shaped reef/rock in the foreground. So after this shot I was just going to wait for the sun to lower and the light to turn golden.
I was feeling pretty good about myself. Yes, sir, I studied a book, applied the principles and got a good picture. Well done, Lee. But then, as I was waiting, I began to look around. Oh, the world is a big place indeed. I always tell people that a photograph doesn't just sit around and wait, they observe. They put their time waiting to good use. And what i discovered was a second portion of reef that was before mostly submerged was beginning to show dry.
Beginning to Show Dry, Tunnels, Kauai, Hawaii. 16mm, f/6.3, 1/125 second, iso 100, LEE Polarizer Filter.
At this point I decided to leave the tripod where it stood and took the camera off for a little hand held exploring. And I just fell in love with this portion of reef. I photographed it from all kinds of different angles with makana in the background and came up the shot that opened this blog-- Four Minute Sunset. Here it is again,
The compositional elements that I was looking for are all there-- foreground interest, counterpoint, and directional cue are all in the seaweed covered reef; makana's angularity and pleasant curves are well represented; and a sense of the unique moment are revealed in the exposed reef (an occurrence that only happens during extreme low tides). I chose a long exposure shot with an ND filter to smooth out the ocean, pull light lines out and to add a little depth and energy to a somewhat empty sky. Also, I just like long exposures. :-)
Once the sun set below the thick line of clouds I changed lenses and abandoned atmospheric perspective and focused directly on the sun as it balanced itself on the blue horizon (image below).
Setting Spring Sun, Tunnels, Kauai, Hawaii, 24mm, f/13, 1/25 second, iso 100, B+W Circular Polarizer Filter.
Even though this shot is a lot tighter and the exposure time is much shorter, compositionally it is very similar to Four Minute Sunset. I kept the foreground element and counterpoint to Makana (green reef); the bumps along the green reef mirror the bumps and points of Makana, adding (I think) symmetry to the scene. Overall this one is nice, but I am most proud of the first one.
I think the curves of Makana and the glassy ocean from the long exposure soften the scene and symbolize Kauai's nurturing energy and mellow vibes. At least for me.
I'll try to write more about compositions as my study continues.
I hope you enjoyed the blog and the pics.
Aloha,
Lee