Paul and I started out our day going to the "Kountry Kitchen" which is this little restaurant we found near our hotel... it was great! and with the three hour time difference we were actually hungry around breakfast time. The place was packed so we wandered next store while we waited to check out this vintage little furniture store... at this super cute shop the sales lady was really sweet and we got to talking and she mentioned that there was a nice trail at the end of the road... which literally means drive on the highway until it abruptly ends which it does. She told us that there was a waterfall 2 miles into the treck. Paul and I wanting to spend our last day wisely thought this would be a good idea. So, we ate and set off to hike to the falls...
Upon arrival we could see that this was a popular trail there were many hikers around... everyone did look a little over prepared though for this 2 mile hike. I grabbed a walking stick and we set off up the mountain. The trail seemed to never end we just kept hiking up and up and on a very narrow cliff with no side rail... Paul was ok with this so I kept moving. Then we came to an outlook... this was pushing it for me as I really don't like heights, however I tried to be brave as the sites were gorgeous overlooking the Na Pali Coast Line... Then a gust of wind picked up and I thought it was the end dramatic I know but seriously it almost blew me and Paul off the cliff and I panicked. I grabbed my bag and headed for the car... Paul however was not about to give up and he convinced me to keep going...
About another 40 minutes into the hike and we finally reach something worth while although, I was not very happy because we definitely went 2 miles of treacherous terrain and there was NO WATERFALL!
An overlook showed a beautiful beach with caves and crashing waves... so Paul and I ignored all the DANGER signs, climbed across the river and hiked down to it for a while. When we were ready to leave, I mention how disappointed I was that we didn't see the falls. I know Paul felt bad, so I looked around for any sign of direction to the falls and spotted a sign stating we were half way and the falls were another 2 miles. We looked at each other and decided we came this far we might as well get to the falls...
We started up the next mountain and really it was a very harsh trail, very narrow and crossing small waterfalls that are slippery on a steep cliff... not to mention passing back and forth over a running river multiple times. Hikers kept passing us coming the other directions and we would step aside to let them go by and they would say "almost there"... "just a little more ways to go"... and "it is so worth it!" This encouraged us and we kept going...
Finally, we caught a glimpse of the falls... it was gorgeous and so magical. The fall is 300 feet and runs into a beautiful lagoon like pool. We finally came to the base of the falls and it was like something out of a movie. There were only a few couples that had made it up there so it was really romantic taking in all the sites and sounds of the falls with Paul by my side. We were joking that this was our first big adventure and now we need to make a list of more to go on which we may just do because this was definitely the highlight of our trip.
Then for the trek back... we were starving at this point. We did not plan for a 8 mile all day hike at all so by the end of the trip we sweated off all our bug spray and were covered in bug bites... we had no water only pineapple juice which was almost worse than having nothing at all... and in the back of our mind we knew we needed to get to the car before it got dark and the wind picked up again.
At last! body aching from the bug bites and treacherous hike we made it to the car! we talked all the way back to the hotel (well take out pizza place first) and then hotel about how beautiful it was and how it was the most amazing thing we had seen or done on this trip...
and so to the lady at the gift store from my husband and I MAHALO for mis telling us about the Hanakapi'ai Waterfall Hike it was by far one of our best memories and one we will cherish forever!
And now for the pics...
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