Along the NaPali Coast

On Tuesday we had scheduled at boat ride along the NaPali Coast.  The cruise went along the virgin coastline for about 15 miles.  We passed the entire Kalalau Trail and its final beach.  Beyond that is practically untouched Hawaiian valleys and cliffs.  The boat ride stopped for an hour at the far point for snorkeling (pictures of that to come later).  Along the ride we were able to stop and listen to our guide explain the history of the different valleys we passed.  They also took as through several caves along the way.  I took many pictures but with the boat moving and the light constantly changing not all of them came out great.  Here are some of the highlights.

I will recount one of our guides stories.  One of the beaches we passed along the way was an old Hawaiian burial ground.  Hawaiians believed that one's power was kept in the bones so they removed them to a remote location that no one could assume that power.  Commoners were buried together in a mound at the base of cliff; royalty required much more craft in hiding the bones (they had greater power).  Slaves were lowered down by a rope from the cliff top and instructed to place the bones somewhere in the cliffs.  Once their deed was done the rope was cut and nobody knew exactly where the royal bones lay hid.

The first beach along the Kalalau Trail.  It is a four mile hike in;
After this a permit is required.  I like the trickling creek into the ocean.

This waterfall is called the hulu dancer (I forget the Hawaiian term)
because it sways with the wind.

A rainbow in her lower skirts.

This is inside a cave along the coastline.
A small creek opens to a beautiful waterfall.

Hikers deep along the Kalalau trail, about 9 miles in.

I really like the way the sun rays shine into the valley.

Look familiar?
Hollywood enjoys buying the rights of this beach for movies.
It was in the fourth Pirates movie.

A look back towards Hanalei, we got lucky and missed a mini storm.

Waves crashing against the rocks; this is one of my favorite shots to try to capture.
I took many of these types throughout the week around the island.

I also spotted two separate pods of dolphins along the way.  One of the pods was particularly playful and I caught a few dolphins jumping out.  We saw one spin in the air but I missed that photo... guess you can't get them all.

Kalalau Trail

Adjacent to Ke'e Beach is the trail head for the Kalalau Trail.  This is the only way on land to see the NaPali coast; the trail runs for 11 miles and ends on a long beach used for camping.  Along the 11 miles the trail winds through valleys carved out on the coastline; it passes by a few beaches and waterfalls along the way.  Hawaii requires a permit for anyone venturing past mile 4 on the Kalalau Trail.  After snorkeling twice in the morning and early afternoon we weren't up for much, but Elise, Kevin and I decided to start on the trail for 20ish minutes to take in the first couple of viewpoints.  They were breathtaking.  It had rained about an hour before we started so the steep slopes were slippery.  Here are some shots from our short 1 mile round trip hike.

Having this view out of the trees made it hard to focus on the muddy path.

The three hikers. 

That's Ke'e Beach in the background.  The waves right above tallest palm tree
is where my first sea turtle encounter was.

Looking west at the Na Pali Coast.  The trail winds through
valleys and ends before the final point.

The beauty of the coastal mountains, green from constant rain.

The end of our half mile journey on the trail.

Panorama of the Pacific (click to enlarge).