Ridgerunners in Kauai; Feb 2nd -12th.

[Haggis]

Last April my parents announced that they were going to rent a house in Kauai for a month and would like us "kids" and our families to spend some time with them. Well, we all jumped on that chance like a shark on a wounded seal. Well we just got back so here's a report on our trip.

The flight was from Pittsburgh, transfer at Pheonix, and then on to Lihue, Kauai. We got there around noon local time and then picked up our rental Jeep and headed over to my parents rental house in Po'ipu on the southern shore of the isle. The weather was typical Kauia, spotty rain and then bright sun. It is the wettest spot in the world after all, specifiaclly Mt. Wai'ale'ale ********** in the center of the island. We spent the next 10 days hiking, eating, kayaking, eating, snorkeling, eating, 4 wheeling and eating the local grub. Since this was the first time over here for the kids, we took them to all the "must sees", like Waimea Canyon, Kilauea Lighthouse, Ke'e beach, Hanalei valley and what not.

I'll start the photos with some diversified shots of the island. 1st is Salt Pond beach in Hanapepe. 2nd is along the Na Pali coast. 3rd is along the top of the Makewehi Lithified Cliffs above Shipwreck beach in Po'ipu

 

[DaktariEd]

Awesome Haggis!
I love Kauai! One of the most beautiful places around....

 

[Haggis]

We spent a couple of days running the 4wd roads in the Koke'e State Forest around Wiamea Canyon in our Rental Jeep slinging some red dirt mud unto its sheetmetal. The roads are primarily hunting access roads for the local pig and goat hunters. They are made up of hard packed red dirt with lava rocks jutting out of the road surface. Washouts are common though the deepest we came across was only about 2' deep. The red dirt is slippery when wet and since it's always wet it's always slippery. There's plenty of mud but it rarely gets deeper than about 6" and there is hardpack firmly under it, not like the bottomless gumbo we get where in PA. The roads wind around the ridges of the park and have varing degrees of slope on them. Think WV forest roads in a rain forest for a comparision. Fallen trees are prevelant, but the local hunters keep the trail pretty well cleared.

During the whole year on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays hunting season is open. We ran into a few pig hunters and after they realized we were more like far removed ridgerunner cousins than some lost "tourist" they were really talkative and super nice. They showed us the pigs that they had harvested and we talked about the different hunting techniques that they use compared to our methods of game taking. For the most part they run the pigs with dogs in the jungle until the hounds corner the pig. Then the hunters close in and cut the pigs throat with a knife (and boy did they have some nice steel), up close and personnal like. In more open areas around the slopes they use rifles. Kudos to those boys for the forests they run and the slopes they climb, they work hard for that meat.

The rigs the hunters run run the vechicle brand gambit, but Toyotas and 2nd generation Rams seem to be the vechicle of choice. Tire choice leans toward Super Swampers, though I did see a smattering of BFG MTs, Hanocks, and Mickey Ts MTZs.

Anyway, here's some forest road shots.

 

[Bergger]

Sounds like you had a great trip. I love Kauai. It's probably the most beautiful of the islands. Back in the 90's we used to fly our Blackhawks all over that place. I've got some great photos and video of us hovering in front of and flying off and down the "Jurassic Park" waterfall. This makes me want to dig out my old photos.

 

[Haggis]

Here's a couple more of the forset road shots, including a cool Pinz we stumbled upon. I'll post some more tomorrow, I'm going out now to eat the Valentine day cake my daughter made for me and her mother.

 

[Tucson T4R]

My favorite Island too.

 

[Haggis]

Here's a few more: 1st is 'Opeaka'a Falls. 2nd is erosion carved cave on Wakemehi Cliffs. 3rd is Waimea Canyon.

 

[Haggis]

Cool pictures, Brad. I've been to those places!:hehe:

The snorkeling wasn't so great the first couple of days. The water was clouded form all the run off form a month straight of rain. Towards the end of the week it cleard up nice and we saw lots of fish. The surfs much rougher in the winter because of the trade winds than it was in June when we where here the last time. We kept manily to Salt Pond, Po'ipu and the best Lyndgate because of the kids snorkeling and those beaches are well protected from the surge and the rip tides that come with the winter trade winds.

 

[Haggis]

Kauai Critters

Heres some critters we came across.

1st is a humpback whale. We were out on a catamaran cruising the Na Pali coast when we saw these guys. We most of saw 40 whales all told, some within 20 feet of the boat, they just popped up from nowhere and startled the heck out of the captian. Can you say emergency stop? We even saw a pair mating, about 100 yrds from the boat and totally unconcerned that 40 people were taking their picture.

2nd is a monk seal sunning himself of Waipouli beach.

3rd is the abundant Kauai roosters. It took all my will power not to be eating on these guys.

 

[Tucson T4R]

Cool pictures, Brad. I've been to those places!:hehe:

The snorkeling wasn't so great the first couple of days. The water was clouded form all the run off form a month straight of rain. Towards the end of the week it cleard up nice and we saw lots of fish. The surfs much rougher in the winter because of the trade winds than it was in June when we where here the last time. We kept manily to Salt Pond, Po'ipu and the best Lyndgate because of the kids snorkeling and those beaches are well protected from the surge and the rip tides that come with the winter trade winds.

The turrtle pic was takem by my daughter. She couldn't swin fast enough to catch the turtle so I was holding her by the feet and pushing her. She took the pic with a disposible underwater camera. Good memories.

 

[jim65wagon]

Nice pics everyone...I'd say jealousy could be an issue but since our plane leaves tomorrow there is no issue. My vaca started today, last minute packing, laundry and all the other domestic bs that heralds the beginning of a trip away from home. I must say I'm looking quite forward to getting off that plane in Lihue...

 

[Haggis]

Have a good time Jimbo! Make sure to check out the Country Kitchen in Kapaa. Great place for lunch. You won't recongize the old folks with the tan they got going on. The rental house is really nice and situated in a nice spot back off the street with a nice veiw off the lani. I hope Chris gets to see as many whales as we did on the Na Pali cruise, he'll freak!

 

[DaveInDenver]

Looks like a fun trip! Thanks for posting the pictures, nice job.

We've talked about going to Hawaii for our 10th wedding anniversary next year. We never got to take a real honeymoon and so that would be sort of it.

 

[DaveM]

Well that made me home sick! I was born and raised on Kauai. I think it's the most beautiful place on earth. I'm surprised by the number of people on the forum who are familiar with Kauai. Most visitors to Hawaii never even consider it (thankfully) and instead make a bee line for Oahu, Maui or the Big Island (also very nice).

Haggis you sound like you may be a geologist or geology buff? Never heard anyone refer to the cliffs at Mahaulepu or Shipwrecks as "lithified" except my geo teacher.

 

[Haggis]

Looks like a fun trip! Thanks for posting the pictures, nice job.

We've talked about going to Hawaii for our 10th wedding anniversary next year. We never got to take a real honeymoon and so that would be sort of it.

Go for it Dave! My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on Kauai 5 years ago. Kauai is more laid back and theres more room to roam than some of the other islands, plus there's chickens everywhere. OK, that might not be the best selling point, but if your on a budget you can spread your food cost with these mobile culinary feasts.