The road begins in the area where Captain Cook landed lo' those many years ago, and winds up the side of an old volcanic cone. Kaua'i is the oldest of the island chain, therefore has experienced the most erosion and "soil" creation, therefore grows more vegetation, and is therefore known as the Garden Island. When the Hawaiian weather forecasters talk about Kaua'i they say, "the Garden Island" more often than "Kaua'i."
It begins as a gentle valley. There's a farm in the bottom of the valley off to the right. (I hate to show someone's private residence.) Each layer of the canyon represents a different eruption and subsequent lava flow.
As we travel farther up the road the soil turns red - very red. Waimea is Hawaiian for "red." This soil washes down the mountain side and into the ocean in the area of Waimea town, so the water is nearly always cloudy. Not much snorkeling goes on around here.
Once upon a time three rivers flowed from the center of Kauai from the Alaka'i Swamp at the top. All three ran down the gentle slopes of the shield volcano. Suddenly, a geologic fault caused that flank to collapse and the three rivers combined as they followed the path of least resistance to the sea. This resulted in a variety of sharp, broken chasms being eroded away. This next view from the Waimea Canyon Lookout is breath-taking in person. Wild winds whip clothing, hair, cameras - everything feels as if it will be ripped from you without mercy. It's exhilarating!
After enjoying the wild Kaua'i chickens up here in the parking lot, we hop back in the car and continue the upward climb. We pass a couple of pull-offs and hiker/hunter roads. Beyond the 15-mile marker, we pass the Koke'e Museum. We'll stop here on the way back down, but Granpa is on a quest to get to the top! Well, almost to the top. At the very, very top is a parking lot for hikers willing to attempt the Alaka'i Swamp trail. We tried it once, and it was, well, a swamp... There is supposed to be a boardwalk, but it was covered in mud, and the patches of non-boardwalk trail were p-r-ret-t-y slippery. We decided the better part of wisdom was to leave it to the younger folks. Granpa works in the hospital; people DO die up here because things are slippery and the rocks are so crumbly. One never knows when they are about to lose their footing... and it's a lo-o-ong way to the bottom.
THIS is the view from the top of the canyon, but look quickly because in a heartbeat cloud-like mists can begin forming and moving silently, stealthily down the mountain side obscuring views completely. It's a mile or better down to that beach. There is no settlement down there today, but that is where the Tahitian's first set up housekeeping.
On a clear day you can see forever, all the way to where the ocean falls off of the edge of the planet it seems! One is never sure whether those dark patches in the water are cloud shadows or cooled lava flows on the ocean floor. It is so far away that a boat's wake is the only thing that betrays the boats passing.
Off to the left you see white peaks. There is a patch that appears to be barren soil with absolutely nothing there. I ask Granpa to zoom in with his camera. Well, looky here...
It's the more adventurous folks! They hiked here (I think its about a 7-mile hike), and I bet they got MUCH better photos than we did! Some day I think I'd like to try this hike, but I'm told it involves some really serious moves. Maybe in another lifetime, eh?
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