Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Adventuring We'll Go!

To the Makapu'u tide pools. This photo was supposed to be at the end of the post as it was the end of the trail. Oops. Consider it a preview.

Public school teachers went back to work here in Hawaii on Tuesday. So on Monday, my daughter and her friend took me hiking to a place I've been aching to go ever since a friend posted photos of their family hiking there on Father's Day.

When you live on an island for 27 years, it's not often you find out there is a really cool place you have never been to before. I enjoy a new discovery.

If you ever visit, I'm not recommending this hike to any and all. There are cliffs and tiny trails. There are rocks/ boulders you walk over for a long, long trek. Some of them wobble and you have to be careful.

But you can go there virtually right now with me

We're hiking the outside of Makapu'u. You park at the Makapu'u Lighthouse trail. There are two ways to go. Hike up the trail and deviate at the whale sign. Go down the steep drop to the ocean, heading towards the tide pools and follow the mountain goat of a trail. And remember, it's scary.

Or. Deviate earlier from the trail and head to the ocean along the dirt road to Allen Davis Cove. Turn left and start climbing rocks and watch out for the cliff that drops into the ocean with huge surging waves and major spray action. And remember, it's scary.

We went in by Allen Davis, and out by the whale sign.

Here we go; don't forget you can click on a photo to see it enlarged.


Heading left just past Allen Davis.




Scooching around at the start. We could have walked through the cove, but it was deeper than it looks and we had cameras and keys and stuff.



One of many cool rock formations.



Little cave, there was a much bigger one later but we didn't take a photo.



People make these rock piles.



Cool, yes?



About midway, there are these huge rock formations.



A shot of yours truly. On the outside of this cliff, straight down from me, I was watching huge swells crash against the cliff.



Crashing like this.



This tide pool is not like the others. It's not from huge spray and splash; it sits back from the cliff. The water is clear and cold. We think an underwater cave feeds into it.
It's hidden about midway and most don't find this tide pool.



Past the tide pool, it got very spooky. The trail was narrower and closer to the cliff.



The ghost skeleton of this puffer fish was freaky.



That morning I asked my daughter if I should were slippers or shoes.
She said slippers.....
Should have worn shoes.



That line along the cliff in the background is where we came from....

Right here would go the photo from the top.

Climbing up at the end, you can look down and see the same thin trail, and also the huge rock that was in the earlier photo.

Come on, link on up and show us someplace you have been this summer! Grab the badge in the sidebar if you are inclined.




27 comments:

tulpen said...

That looks like my kind of hike. I like rocky and a bit scary. And I totally imagined you hikikng in fuzzy pink bunny slippers ....they're FLIP FLOPS you're wearing. ;)

CiCi said...

How lucky could you be to have been a neighbor of Sheriff John way back in the hippie days. Your hike looks like so much fun except that you were wearing flip flops. Gorgeous scenery though.What a nice day.

cheatymoon said...

Other half would freak about that hike... but I'd love it. In hiking shoes, of course. xo

And I already HAD linked, but not officially.

Brian Miller said...

oh wow. very cool hike pseudo...lots to explore...the ghost fist is freaky, but intersting..neat place...

Liz Wilkey (a.k.a. A Mom on Spin) said...

I'm getting dizzy just looking!

And flip-flops to boot. . .

Mama Badger said...

That looks like a great hike! The pool and the fish. Wow. And the fact that you got to enjoy it with your daughter and her friend made it that much better, I bet.

Kristan said...

Mmm, that was actually very relaxing. Since, you know, I didn't actually have to climb or anything. :P

Thanks for the great trip! And you took some fabulous shots. Love the rock piles, the picture of the girl with her arms out, and the crashing waves.

creative kerfuffle said...

i couldn't do this hike, but i'm glad you did and shared it w/ us. i can't believe you did it in FLIP FLOPS for god's sake! LOL

gretchen said...

Thank you SO much for the sidebar link! So cool. And what an amazing place to visit. Those rock piles are crazy cool. I want to go to Hawaii!

Sprite's Keeper said...

Gorgeous pictures, gorgeous locale!
I remember the "toilet bowl" in Hunama Bay (sic?) and having a headache which didn't help the experience at the time. Getting in was fun. Getting out was difficult. :-)

Joanna Jenkins said...

I'm so glad you took pictures because there is no way I could ever do that hike! WOW!

It looks gorgeous and amazing and scary all at the same time.

Thanks, jj

Lori said...

Wow! How beautiful and fun! I enlarged each picture and they were breathtaking to say the least. What a special day with your daughter and her friend...beautiful girls...I hope you have a wonderful new school year dear friend! XX

PS I've so missed visiting you.

Heather said...

What a lovely hike! The scenery is just beautiful, even though it was dangerous.

Just B said...

Wow! In slippahs even! What an amazing way to spend an afternoon.

Debbie said...

So gorgeous. Now, how do they make those rock piles so high?

sage said...

What a beautiful place! I'm currently traveling and forgot to link my last week TTT post.

Anonymous said...

That is simply wonderful!! I loved the pictures!! :D

secret agent woman said...

Beautiful. I haven't heard slippers for flip flops in years. Well, not since I spent a summer in Hawaii, I guess!

Stacy Hackenberg said...

You really need to stop posting about all the wonderful places to see on your island. Mainly because I can't get there to see them in person.

Yet.

Someday I will.

ds said...

Wow. That is some hike. But what views--and what a great place for a mid-hike swim/dip! Thanks for sharing.

secret agent woman said...

Just to let you know, I had to change the URL for my blog. This avatar links to the new website.

Liz Mays said...

The color of the water is just so beautiful!!!!

Surfie said...

WOW. This looks like an incredible hike, but I don't know if I'd be able to make it. The shot of your friend clinging to the side of the cliff makes me nervous. But I bet the reward at the end made it all worth it. I've never seen the skeleton of a puffer before. Kind of creepy and fascinating at the same time.

Fragrant Liar said...

I love these photos. It looks like a treacherous walk, but how can you resist because the views are spectacular!

hillgrandmom said...

Beautiful photographs!

kyooty said...

what a beautiful place to go!!

Gal Friday said...

Quite the adventure and you hiked it in...flip-flops! Yikes! And I don't know how this can be called the "Lighthouse Trail"--I don't see any trail at all.
The stone looks almost like dried mud or concrete--different from what I see here(granite, shale..). Love the little rock pile someone left. I see them around here , too--guess it's the same urge everywhere--something about stone.

Beautiful photos and loved the ones in particular of the girls posing the rocks and cliffsides.