Day 9: Waimea Canyon

Day 9: Waimea Canyon Hike

Oh we are tired - oh we are sore! But what a day! We drove all around the island of Kauai from Princeville to Waimea to check out the Canyon (called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific) and to hike a loop of three trails from the canyon road out to the ocean, across the cliff, and back up a different ocean cliff to road type trail.

The Nualolo Trail headed through jungle forest complete with fragrant flowers part of the time for about two miles before opening up and giving occasional glimpses of the canyon and ocean backdrop. As we came closer to the ocean cliffs, the views became increasingly more spectacular and the trail infinitely more narrow and sheer, dropping to the valley beneath.. At times, we were traversing trail that was maybe a foot and a half wide, with nothing much but maybe a rock on our right, and a sheer cliff on our left. We ended that trail at the Lolo Vista which was so incredible I can't begin to describe it. You could look to you right down the Na Pali Coast, to the left at more coast, and all behind you at canyon walls of all colors and patterns.


These pics are the view down the Na Pali Coast and the view of the very narrow trail at my feet dropping down to nothing!

We then took the Nualolo Cliff Trail across, being treated to all sorts of views of the ocean and cliffs. At the end of this trail was another vista with more spectacular views. We could see back to our left - the Lola Vista - very far away where we had been hours before. This trail then ascended back to the road where we finished our hike going back to the car. All told it was 11 miles, and boy had our feet had it by the end. It took us six hours to complete this hike. As we trudged back to our car, our feet crying out against the abuse, we were contemplating our 22 mile hike (over two days) coming up. What we were contemplating, I will not tell. Just kidding!

I recently bought Montrail light hiking shoes because my L.L. Bean hikers had given me blisters in the past, and I knew this just would not do. Well, I am very pleased to say that I had nary a blister from this hike, and also I think the tread on my hikers was responsible for keeping me safely on the cliffside. What I am not used to is how stiff the shoes are - probably because of the chunky tread - so i think that is what made my feet so tired. I mainly walk around in slippers, with the occasional dress shoe thrown in for good measure.

After getting back to our car (and blessedly changing into flipflops!) we continued on to view the other side of the canyon from various lookout points along the road. This picture gives you one of the views we saw along the way.


So we wound our way back down the Canyon Drive, and stopped right there in Waimea for some food (a local pizza joint - very good, actually) before heading home. When we got back to our condo place, we hopped right in the jacuzzi. Our condo place, The Cliffs Resort it's called, is a decent condo unit type of place that is very roomie for the two of us, full kitchen, all that. The also have a surprisingly nice recreational place with tennis courts, playground, volleyball, a pool with attached hot tub, and a separate adult hot tub area, all of which are warm and nice. The jets of hot water felt particularly great after our hike. Then we went on home to crash into bed.