[pct-l] Re: Kalalau Valley

[jdawud at yahoo.com (Junaid Dawud)]

> Hey all, 
> 
> I received this email, but thought I'd answer it on
> the list.  It is PCT related because its hiking and
> it
> was a training hike for my 06 thru attempt.
> 
> 
Hey-

I am truly glad you made it out the Kalalau Valley.
How was it? Where did you camp?
  
-------------------------------------------------- 

Well I arrived on Kauai at about eight in the morning
on a Thursday.  It had been raining fairly heavily
through out the state of Hawai'i for the previous
three or four days.  I had two days off from work and
then a weekend. My goal was to make it the eleven
miles into Kalalau valley by that evening.  Since you
can't fly with fuel canisters, I first had to find
some fuel.  There was a large walmart just as I came
into the town of Lihue after walking the mile or so
from the airport.  I reluctantly decided to check out
their fuel situation.  Luckily they didn't have any
canisters.  The clerk informed me that if I walked
about 2 miles to the something, they would probably
have some.  On the way I grabbed some coffee and a
scone from Ed's Eats. It also started raining again. 
No bother, great chance to test out the Marmot Precip.
 I finally made it to the gassomethingorother and
purchased my fuel.  

Then began the hitch hiking.  I managed to get four
rides and made it to Hanalei in fairly decent time.  I
stopped there and bought a natural sorts drink from
the little 'green' grocery store.  Out on the lawn, I
pulled out my BearVault 300 and filled a tortilla with
hummus, sprouts, and havarti with dill. mmm.  The
BV300 made such a great seat.  After lunch I caught
another couple of rides to the trail head.  2:40 pm.
 
I filled my nalgene and was on my way.  This was my
first hike using trekking poles, an addition to my
system to help keep my knees in good shape.  I was
especially concerned about my left knee, since this
was to be its first real hike with a load since my
Honolulu marathon injury.  It took me a mile or so to
really get the hang of the poles and understand what
Switchback was talking about in his detailed
description of how to  correctly use the straps. 
After that though, the rain stopped and life was
great.  I made it the two miles to Hanakapi'ai valley
in short order, and just kept on truckin.  I stopped a
few times to filter water, snap shots of lizards, take
video of the goats, watch the humpbacks spout and
jump, and generally have a good time.  At the 6 mile
mark, I stopped for a few minutes to chat with some
fellows who were on their way out of Kalalau and were
setting up camp and cooking their meals for the night.
 I kept truckin.  After going up out of the valley, I
made my way in and out of two more small valleys
before coming to a point where I could see the sun
much lower on the horizon than I would have liked.  It
was now time to really move.  I hiked as fast as I
thought was reasonable, enjoying the movement and the
sounds of large breaking surf.   Many a goat crossed
my path.  Finally the sun set and It was time to use
the Tikka plus.  I avoided squishing or stabbing all
the toads that kept jumping onto the trail.  THe
spiders however were a different story.  Many webs met
their end when my face plowed right through them.  I
worked my way in and out of valleys.  Usually I would
go into a valley with the trail dropping away to the
sound of waves below on my right and the mountain
looming above me on my left.  Then I would cross a
small stream, and begin climbing out of the valley,
with the mountain now on my left.  After one small
stream, the trail kept going further back into the
valley and became increasingly indistinct.  After
several minutes I decided that if I didn't come to an
obvious switchback taking me out of the valley, I was
going to go back and refind the trail.  Naturally a
switchback appeared before me within moments of my
thought.   After about an hour and a half of some of
the sketchiest night hiking I have ever done, I
finally made it to a sign telling me I was at Kalalau
valley.  The sign didn't tell me I still had to go
down a washed out hill, and cross a reasonably sized
stream.  After the stream crossing, I didn't find an
area suitable for my needs, so I kept truckin.  I
walked all the way to the far end of Kalalau beach and
walked into the very last campsite before the
waterfall.  

I dropped my pack and stretched my weary body.  It had
been a little while since I had done such a haul.  I
looked up and saw Orion against a background of stars
thats impossible to see around any city.  It was
magnificent.  I went down to the waterfall and
filtered enough water for my thirst and my hunger.  I
pitched my tent under the vast dome of stars, made my
bed to sound of crashing waves, and cooked my meal to
the feeling of salt spray ever so gently brushing my
face.  I slept.

The next morning, I awoke to nature's alarm clocks:
birds.  There was a small red cardinal (?) outside my
tent yelling at me to wake up.  I ignored him for an
hour or so.  Finally I rose and saw the great beach of
Kalalau stretched before me.  I couldn't have picked a
better campsite in the daylight.  This was how
humanity was supposed to wake up.  I washed my dishes,
filtered some, water, cooked some food, did some
laundry, and then my day was free.  I walked back to
the beginning of Kalalau valley and explored the
surreal coastline back to my camp.  I enjoyed lunch
and set out again to explore this wonderful place. 
That evening, I sat and talked story with my
neighbors, some friendly candy manufacturers from back
east.  I layed on the beach and looked at the stars
until I drifted off.  I awoke later feeling chilly.  I
retreated to my tent and slumber.

The next morning, I broke camp in a leisurely fashion
and had my morning meal.  I said my farewells to my
neighbors and was off.  Upon reaching the stream that 
I had crossed in the dark a couple of nights back, I
turned inland.  Into the back of kalalau.  I knew I
only had enough time to explore for an hour and then I
would have to turn back and begin the nine mile hike
to Hanakapi'ai.  As my turn back time approached, I
came across a small side trail the led down to the
stream.  At this point the stream was impounded by
some large boulders and had formed a few nice little
pools.  It was bath time.  I stripped down and waded
in.  It was cold.  Much colder than any Hawaiian
stream I had swam in before.  I scrubbed down and
enjoyed my private bath house with tall vaulted green
ceilings and a tropical symphony for my ears.  After a
time, I felt I could linger no longer.  I repacked,
and was off.  

I re-walked the portion of the trail I had done in the
dark and was astounded at my nerve.  I couldn't
believe the precariousness of the trail at several
points I could remember crossing.  They certainly
hadn't seemed quite so severe on the e way in.  I
enjoyed the 9 miles and hate to try to bind it with my
narrative skills.  Instead I will invite you to go and
see the whales, goats, birds, plants, rocks, ocean,
rainbows, waterfalls, clouds, and so much more.  Bring
back your own mental picture, treasure it as much as I
do mine.

I camped that night at Hanakapi'ai beach.  I kept the
company of three wild house cats who kept watch at the
outskirts of my light.  One actually came to me when I
beckoned it with food.  For a moment it let me pet it
and it brushed against my leg as cats like to do. 
Movement, however, will always spook a cat, and
eventually I made a wrong move.  

I awoke the next morning and began the two mile trail
up to Hanakapi'ai falls.  It was full of twists,
turns, stream crossings, trail 'guessing', roots,
rocks, pools, and beauty.  Hanakapi'ai is the finest
Hawaiian water fall I have ever laid eyes on.  Why I
didn't snap a single picture I do not know. It will
remain a picture I must return for.  At one of the
pools on the way back down, I again indulged myself of
some skinny dipping. By this time the beach and stream
were crawling with tourists/day-hikers who were here
to see the beach.  In reality there is no beach this
time of year, only the boulders that back it.  Large
winter swells wash the sand away each year.  The final
two miles to the trail head were done in no time.  ok
so it actually took 45 minutes, but I did stop and
tell many people how far it was to the beach.  Ok well
I didn't tell them there was no beach, and I always
said they were a bit less than half way there.  I
figure: if they turn around now, it was halfway; if
they make it to the beach, then when I saw them it was
almost halfway since now they have to walk back; and
if they figure out 'you're almost half way there' was
what I told everyone, well that was ok too.

Kalalau valley is highly recommended.  Please, pack
out more than you pack in.

-----------Junaid #41PCT2006

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