Whale Watching - Maui

Our February 2014 visit to Maui would not have been complete without taking a whale watching tour.  Of the many tours available, we chose the Eco Adventure Cruises of the non-profit Pacific Whale Foundation.  Established in 1980, the foundation was established to protect oceans through science and advocacy.  Their website states that among other things they will be focused on "pragmatic, critical-thinking, and focused on solutions."  We found their employees and volunteers to be knowledgeable and helpful.  

Tickets are sold at the Pacific Whale Foundation Ocean Store in Ma'alaea or they may be purchased at many of the area hotels and resorts.  After checking in at the store, we waited with the other guests outside until our tour guide led us down to the small boat harbor.  Our cruise was aboard the 65-foot long Ocean Liberty.  The cruise covered about 20 miles in two hours.  As can be seen on the map, we stayed within the sheltered waters between Ma'alaea to the north and Wailea to the south.  Our trip proceeded in a counter-clockwise direction along the red track line.  

I apologize for the poor quality of the images in this post.  I've found that it is a bit more difficult to keep the camera steady on a boat than on land especially when trying to zoom in on fleeting images of distant wildlife.

The focal point of the two-hour cruise was migratory humpback whales.  These mammals travel from their summer feeding grounds along the Alaskan and Canadian coasts to their winter breeding grounds in Hawaii every year.  While humpbacks can be found throughout the Hawaiian island chain during the winter, a large number seem to prefer the the somewhat protected shallow waters west of Maui.  

The Pacific Whale Foundation website is http://www.pacificwhale.org/.

Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) Trail - Haleakalā National Park

Continuing our February 2014 trip to Hawaii, we planned to watch the sunset from the summit of Haleakalā.  We arrived early enough to hike the first mile of the Keonehe'ehe'e or Sliding Sands trail before staking out a place to watch the sun set.  Our plans were thwarted by fog and clouds that rolled in just before sunset.  However, we did have great weather for a stroll down into the crater.  The trail starts at the end of the summit visitor center parking lot.  With a starting elevation of about 9750 feet above sea level rising to just over 9800 feet before descending at a continuous 8.8% grade, the trail is rated as moderate.  Take plenty of water and allow extra time for hiking back out.  The park service advises that the hike back up will take about twice as long as the stroll down.  The trail is well maintained and wide enough to walk double file.  The surface is cinders that are packed down with very few exposed rocks.  This is definitely a trail where you can focus on the scenery and not your feet.  However, please heed the warnings to stay on the trail as the surrounding landscape includes a very fragile ecosystem that can be carelessly destroyed by wandering off the trail.

The first mile of the Keonehe'ehe'e Trail

A silversword ('ahinahina) on the side of Pā Ka’oao (White Hill)

First view of the interior after rounding Pā Ka’oao

Most vegetation seems to grow on flatter areas like this

The trail switches back at the rock outcrop

Afternoon clouds roll in through Ko'olau Gap

Additional clouds blanket the Kipahulu District

The trail is wide with only the occasional rock to stumble on

Looking back at Pā Ka’oao (White Hill)

Clouds roll in below Leleiwi Pali

One mile down the trail reveals a stark and seemingly desolate landscape

Trails crisscross the interior of Haleakalā

Clouds and fog begin to fill the interior of Haleakalā

Erosion has created a converging palette of color

Ranks of clouds form overhead

An other worldly landscape

The sliding sands (cinders) expose numerous small rocks 

The rim creates sunset shadows on the interior

Looking back down the trail

Muted sunset over the West Maui Mountains

An entrance fee of  $10 provides a three-day pass to visit the park.  Other entrance options include an America the Beautiful Annual Pass for $80 for twelve months or a Senior Pass for a one-time fee of $10 for those age 62 or over.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm.

Waimoku Falls - Haleakalā National Park

Our February 2014 visit to the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park continued with a 4-mile round trip hike on the Pīpīwai Trail to Waimoku Falls.  The trail starts near the visitor center and quickly climbs to cross Hāna Highway.  It then skirts an open field before arriving at a viewpoint for Makahiku Falls about ½ mile from the start.  Unfortunately, there was not enough water in the creek to create a waterfall.  After gating through a fence, the next highlight is a huge banyan tree right beside the trail at about ¾ mile from the visitor center.  About one mile up the trail is a diversion dam for Pīpīwai Stream.  The trail continues up the valley until it crosses high above Pīpīwai Stream twice on sturdy fiberglass bridges.  Once across the stream, the trail plunges into the bamboo forest.  Long stretches of boardwalks through the bamboo forest allow for walking and enjoying the scenery.  While we were in the bamboo forest, a windstorm passed through creating a huge series of untuned bamboo wind chimes.  The eerie sounds created by the bamboo stalks banging against each other will not be forgotten soon.  Finally, the trail pops out of the bamboo forest along side the stream again and leads to a breathtaking view of the 400 foot high Waimoku Falls just before it rock hops across the stream.  From the visitor center to the falls, the trail climbs about 800 feet.

Trail map

Steps up to Hāna Highway

Trail conditions near the open field were very good

As we headed toward the forest, roots appeared across the trail

Additional roots and stairs

Overlook for 184 foot high Makahiku Falls

The damp upper part of Makahiku Falls

The Makahiku Falls basin is the upper end of 'Ohe'o Gulch

An unnamed waterfall spills down the far side of the Makahiku Falls gorge

A seven mile fence was built in the early 2000's in an effort to keep feral pigs and goats out of the rain forest

Banyan tree

The trail climbs out of the forest...

...before descending back into the forest

Dam on Pīpīwai Stream

Roots force us to look at the trail and not the scenery

The trail crosses Pīpīwai Stream on a sturdy fiberglass bridge

Small waterfalls on Pīpīwai Stream from the trail bridge

Upper waterfall and pool from the bridge

Another view of the trailside waterfalls

After crossing Pīpīwai Stream, the trail plunges into a bamboo forest

The blossom of a beautiful, but invasive, African tulip tree

The trail crosses back over Pīpīwai Stream on a second fiberglass bridge

A clearing on the edge of the bamboo forest

The bamboo forest is very dense

A boardwalk allows easy walking through a broad clearing in the bamboo forest

The bamboo forest continues beyond the end of the boardwalk

The trail continues to follow Pīpīwai Stream

The bamboo forest is replaces with a tropical rain forest

Waimoku Falls

Sunset

An entrance fee of  $10 provides a three-day pass to visit the park.  Other entrance options include an America the Beautiful Annual Pass for $80 for twelve months or a Senior Pass for a one-time fee of $10 for those age 62 or over.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm.