Kalalau Trail

The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook by Andrew Daughty calls this the ultimate hike and also the most famous hike in all of Hawaii - 11 miles of switchbacks, hills and beautiful scenery. Much of the trail is narrow and not without hazards.

After ACL reconstruction surgery on my right knee in '07 and my left knee in '08, it was time to see if all the pain and exercise would allow me to achieve my hiking goal on Kauai.

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With a full pack on my back, I started the trek early. All the information I read addressed how difficult the trail was - I wanted to complete the 11 miles in the first day. I didn't know it when I snapped this shot, but my destination is before the farthest cliff in this picture.
The scenery was indeed varied - and this was just during the first few miles!
About 3 miles into the hike, I took a shot back to the starting point - which would be at the bottom of the farthest cliff. I was still hiking in the shade of the cliffs, so the hike was going well, but it seemed that the trail was either going straight up or straight down. A little level hiking sure would be nice about now!
After lunch, I reached an area that might be considered an area with "hazards". Most of the trail was perched on the edge of the cliffs, but without any vegetation, it became obvious how precarious the trail was. The problem here is there is nothing to grab if you misstep.
This is where all that experience without guard rails comes in handy! The trail wound along without any vegetation for a long way.
It's difficult to tell from this shot, but the trail is about as wide my two shoes. The day I came down this stretch, it was dry and I had to be careful I didn't slip on the crumbly soil. The way out was another story - I had to be careful not to slip and slide after the crumbly soil turned to wet slimy mud.
The scenery may have been spectacular, but I spent most of the time watching where I put my feet.
I didn't know it, but my destination is just past the green patch near the ocean at the center of this shot.
All most there, but in keeping with the rest of the trail, if you're not going up, you're going down.
Most of the day was cloudy, which was fine with me because I didn't overheat, but the camera was not able to capture the colors correctly.
No short cuts on this trail.
Hmmm, I thought the forecast called for clear skies.
It's a good thing the trail is 11 miles, I'm not sure I could have gone 12.
Too bad the sign is at mile 10 at the side of Kalalau Valley - I still have to hike into the valley, cross the stream and find the camping area.
The next morning brought more clouds.
The view of Kalalau Beach a couple of steps from my tent was spectacular. The sand had been pulled off the center of the beach exposing the rocks, but sand was on either side of the rocks. The clouds brought rain which washed out the day I had planned to explore the valley. Fortunately the rain stopped before my trek out, so the trail was not hazardous.

That's it for pictures