we three kingskaua’i 2016 – 5th entry
click to read the kaua’i 2016 posts

We began the day hiking the Kalalau Trail one mile up and into jungle. The trail-head is at Ke’e Beach and after our hike, we sat on the beach for a couple of hours. This is one of my favorite beaches, because the Na Pali Coast is right there and the barrier reef keeps the waves back, creating an amazing swimmable area. The beach also offers me the option of staying out of the sun. The section between the parking lot and the beach is shaded by hundreds of ironwood pines.

In the above image – L to R – Mary, Derrick, Rose. The adult had gone walking and after a long trek down the length of the beach we headed back.

The hike up the into the mountains that are the Na Pali Coast is strenuous, but the look-outs make it worth the effort. Looking down on Ke’e Beach from the quarter-mile marker and seeing the reef, the still pools, the undulating coast-line is mesmerizing. Periwinkle, azure, cerulean, turquoise, cobalt, denim – are all there in one pallet. How is it that the Pacific can produce such variants in one location? I’ve never seen these shades of blue in the Atlantic or the Mediterranean.

Because of last night’s downpour, the trail was wet and more difficult. I spent most of the climb stepping with my hikers side-ways to minimize slipping and falling on my ass. This time I also brought no cameras. The last time we did the trail I was carrying two cameras. (Talk about a stupid idea.) The only thing I can say is, ignorance is not a great planner. This time knowing what to expect, all I carried was a water-bottle.