Maui Hiking

Aloha,

A special week has come to a close. Last week was spent hitting the trails on Maui with my active family visiting from the mainland.
After a couple of years of swimming for my main excersise, I have made a switch back to hiking and walking, and am very happy for it.  So is my dog, Annie, as she  loves  running and sniffing and meeting other dogs  on the trail.

Our first hike was one I call the  Bushwhack Hike. This hike is challenging because it's an old fisherman's trail that is often overgrown and difficult to find. Without a machete or a sickle it's impossible to navigate when in the overgrown state. One needs to really remember the topography and landmarks when hiking this area. Someone has put a few markers on the trees recently and that helps when standing in deep brush. The trail finally opens up to a cliff requiring some careful maneuvering to get to the beach. This hike will whoop even the hardiest of hikers. We all survived, a bit scratched up, and I ended up carrying little Annie for a good portion as the underbrush was so thick and overgrown with vines. Floating in the pools at the ocean after all the work of getting there, is a wonderful reward.

After a day of beach time rest and recovery, we were ready for a Haleakala National Park hike. The young folks in my family took off for a little beach retreat while us older members laced up our boots and headed up the mountain. I did not have a full 11 mile crater hike in me, so we went for a stroll down switchbacks, Halemau'u trail at 8,000ft level . This really is an amazing hike that leads down to the Holua cabins. I would recommend good hiking shoes or boots as the rocks on the trail are uneven at best. It was mostly clear when we started, and then clouded up on the way back . It can get a bit damp  because of the usual cloud cover. A rain jacket has come in handy here more than once. This trail is a mystical experience, native plants line the rocky path, and the vistas are  definitely other worldly.

If you are not ready for a challenging hike, Haleakala National Park has many other options available. The trail walk at Hosmers Grove usually is dotted with birds for the bird watching folks. The top of Sliding Sands Trail will give you a magnificent view into the crater and walking a short ways down the trail still can be a bit challenging  due to the altitude at the top. I happily share my knowledge and experience of Maui trails with my guests at Hale Ho'okipa Inn..
Maui offers many, many opportunities to enjoy nature on the trail, easy, or rugged. If I could hand everyone a script for a healthy, happy life, it would read :
" Walk Every Day that You Can"
Hope to see you Walking Maui, soon. With much Aloha,
Cherie

High Winds in Hawaii

Aloha,

Some typical Spring weather has been visiting the islands. Haleakala National Park had high winds up to 60 miles per hour today. Two sets of guests at Hale Ho'okipa Inn braved the elements up on the mountain. Yesterday morning also brought rain and even though the top of the mountain was above the clouds, they said they could hardly stand up and walk at the top. Today's guests did take a full day hike through the crater despite the high winds at the summit. A mile down the Sliding Sands trail the winds calmed down and they were rewarded with a great 11 mile hike.
I love this hike, but have not done it in awhile. I need to build up to it again..Maybe I'll go for it during the summer months. My first over night stay was during the summer several years ago, and it was truly an unforgettable experience.

Here's to hanging on to your hat....welcome to the windy and rainbow!! season in Hawaii..love that fresh air!

A hui hou,

Cherie

Haleakala, House of the Sun

Aloha from a Spring day on Maui,

Relief has come and we finally had some trade wind showers. It is raining right now and everything is greening up a bit. It does feel like spring is right around the corner.

I'm posting some beautiful pictures of one of my favorite places on the planet, Haleakala Crater.

The raw moonscape of this volcanic crater draws you in. This picture was taken by a friend of mine, David Frazier, on his early morning journey to the mountain. The dawn of this day held alot of promise as the sunlight stole away the dark blues of early morning.

The Sliding Sands trail is miles of red, black and gray lava rock dotted with the silver sword plants. The silver sword pictures posted were taken by a guest who stayed at the B&B for 5 nights. His name is Klaus Leemann and he is from Switzerland. It was interesting that during his stay there happened to be another guest from Switzerland in the house as well. Breakfast was lively this last week with some really great folks. Klaus took some beautiful photos during his stay, and it seemed that he really enjoyed the time he spent in Haleakala National Park.

Going down this trail is great, coming back up is another story. Because the climb in altitude is significant, it feels a bit like walking through cement coming back up Sliding Sands.

The tough and challenging hike through the crater is something I look forward to. I do have to spend time getting prepared for the 11 mile hike. Although it is a rewarding experience, I am definitely worn out a bit when the hike is over.

I go to Haleakala because it is visually stunning, and because it is magnificently quite. The silence of Haleakala is like no other place I have ever experienced. When you stop walking, the silence is total.......................................................... It empties you out.......... and fills you up. If you spend enough time enjoying the quiet, the layers and mind chatter slip away. The spacious feeling inside the crater, and the profound silence keeps me coming back again and again.

The last photo posted by Klaus was taken at the end of the day. Shadows are growing longer, and the wonderful day on the mountain is coming to a close.

Haleakala is in my backyard, and I am truly blessed.

Come and visit our island home, you will be glad that you did.

Mahalo for the great pictures!

A hui hou folks, see you soon.

Cherie