Kalalau Trail - Another Epic One Day Hike!

I fell way behind in my posts.  Time to catch up as I really want this blog to be useful to others who love hiking and as a record of the great hikes that I have the opportunity to take.

I had the opportunity to take another epic hike, this time on the island of Maui - Kalalaua Trail in February 2017. It is located at the end of the Kuhio Highway (560) on the north shore. The hike is a long one if you are planning to do it in one day, so you should stay as close as you can to the trail head. We stayed in Princeville which is only about 10 miles away and takes just over a half hour to drive.

A few facts before I jump into the details.

• I did the hike with my two buddies Greg and Gary. Suzanne (Gary's wife) joined us for the first couple of hours - up to the first fiver crossing).
• We left in the dark (started just before dawn, at 5:50 am with headlights).
• The hike is roughly 22 miles (11 each way).
• Our hike was 23.4 miles as we added in one detour to see a waterfall.
• Total elevation gain was 8932 feet!
• The hike took us roughly 14 hours. We stopped a number of times along the way to eat and refill water. We stopped at the beach / turn around for just over a half hour.
• We arrived back in the dark at roughly 8:00 pm (with headlights again). 

This hike is absolutely amazing. Words can't describe how beautiful it is. You constantly have views of the ocean and jagged coastline that are to die for. And the beach at the turn around is spectacular. Everything about the hike really feels special - like you are getting to go where not that many people have been. If you love hiking, this has to be on your bucket list!

Before I jump into it, let me just say - this is a hard hike. It actually has more elevation gain then our Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike. You should only attempt this if you have done a lot of training!  If not, do the hike anyway, but take a couple of days. There are places to camp along the trail and at the turn around near the beach.

The hike started early with our headlights on. We hiked for maybe a half hour until sunrise when we could see well enough to turn off the lights.  We had light jackets on but it was really not cold (this is of course Hawaii...). The four of us hiked together up to Hanakapi'ai Beach and the first real river crossing. It is only two miles in but it takes about 2 hours to get there. We stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the many examples of Rock Balancing. What a cool sight!

Crossing the river can be dangerous so be really careful. If the water is high, there are warnings to avoid the crossing. It was reasonably low for us so we crossed. Some jumped from rock to rock while others took off their hiking boots and socks and walked across.

Suzanne decided this was far enough. Gary, Greg and I continued while Suzanne made her way up toward the waterfall before turning around and heading back.

As the sun continued to rise, the colors just got better and better. Here are a few fun pictures along the way.

As you make your way toward the beach, beware, there is one section that is a bit nerve racking. The trail is narrow and the drop off is steep. Heading out, you see it before you get there. Just so that you know, it looks worse than it is. Stay close to the hill and you should be fine. But do be careful, people have fallen and gotten hurt.

After passing this area, it wasn't long before you could begin to see the beach at the turn around. Spectacular. You are still a long ways, but you will feel new energy!

When we got to the beach - it was like an oasis. There was only one couple on this long, pristine beach. It did feel a bit like we were intruding until they came up to us to say 'hi'. We took off our socks and walked in the sand. Went down and dipped our feet in the water. Sat down on the rocks and had a sandwich. Cleaned off our feet. And in less than 30 minutes, we headed off on our way back.

The hike back was as beautiful as the hike there. We were getting tired, but continued to have a great time. We were having so much fun that we decided to take a detour just beyond 14 miles (and just over 10 hours) inland to see a waterfall. We had heard that it was amazing so we went for it. The hike was not all that far but it the trail was not great. The ~1.4 miles took us almost an hour. But it was worth it! It was so tall that I really couldn't capture it all with my cell phone camera.

At this point we were beginning to worry that we would not make it back in the light. We were right. We did pass the river crossing (~2 miles to go) while it was still light, but that last couple miles seemed to take forever.

We met up with a local couple that walked to Hanakapi'ai Beach and were heading back. As it got dark, we used our headlights to help them find their way. I am not sure how long it would have taken them on their own. Glad we cloud help.

A few closing remarks.

• You will need more water than you can carry. Bring a water filter / purifier. I have the Kadadyn Vario Water Filter. It worked great. We used it three times at the streams to fill our hydration packs.
• You need to get a permit for the hike, even if you are not camping. These are limited to get your early!
• Read about the hike ahead of time. Read the warnings. Watch the video.
• http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/hiking/kauai/kalalau-trail/
• http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/hiking/kauai/kalalau-trail/kalalau-trail-routes/
• http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/files/2014/09/Kalalau-Trail-Brochure_2015.pdf

This is an epic hike. A must do if you love long challenging hikes. It is hard but absolutely worth it!