Haleakala – Into the Crater (The Halemauu Trail)

Posted on by Chris Murray

Near the trail head

Dust in our eyes from the Sliding Sands Trail blew us off the top of Haleakala. We decided to try our luck with the Halemauu Trail.

The parking lot at the trail head is clearly marked just below the 8,000 foot level. We were greeted by a couple of overly friendly Nene. The composting toilet at the parking lot was spotless the day we were there – hand sanitizer and everything.

Approaching the crater

The first part of the hike is gently downhill through native scrub. While still a little windy, it was much more pleasant than at the top of the mountain – no dust and occasionally a little shade.

The steep part

The first approach to the crater’s edge is spectacular if somewhat daunting. The switchbacks in the photo below descend almost 1,000 feet to the valley floor. Click on the photo to enlarge and zoom in on it.

While not as common as on the Sliding Sands Trail, people ride horses up and down those switchbacks.

The round trip from the parking lot to the Holua Cabin on the valley floor is an arduous 8 miles. It can easily take 4 to 5 hours. Bring food and plenty of water. As with anywhere at higher elevations on Haleakala, bring layers of clothing. It can get very cold.

You’ll also want to bring your camera. The views of the Ko’ olua Gap and crater interior are spectacular.

For an easier hike with all sorts of amazing views, take the one mile hike to the end of the ridge jutting out into Ko’ olua Gap. We stopped there for a picnic lunch.

On top of the world

Click here to see our blog on the Sliding Sands Trail.

Kite Beach – a good day to fly

Posted on by Chris Murray

Taking off

To get to Kite Beach, located on Maui’s north shore in Kahului, you drive through an industrial area and past the waste water treatment plant. It’s not your average tourist destination. (See map below.)

When there’s a steady wind, that’s where the kite boarders go. On a good day the sky is full of kites. We’re not talking flying kids kites here; these kites will fly you.

Flying high

It’s a big beach. Beginners, and those who are more tentative, work their skills at the west end of the beach. If you’re ambitious you can even take a lesson there.

Those who know what they’re doing board, and fly, at the east end of the beach – right in front of the small dirt parking lot.

Coming in for landing

The protocol for kite boarders is to travel in a big clockwise circle; sometimes coming close to shore and turning back way out at sea. This keeps lines from crossing. Since lots of boarders are skimming across the waves at speeds in excess of 20 mph, an abrupt stop would not be good.

The best kite boarders catch air. BIG AIR. The fellow in these pictures probably reached 20 feet vertical and flew 100 to 200 feet.

Touchdown

Then he stuck it. He, and several others that morning, did it over and over again.

It’s great entertainment. The best tricks are done close to shore.

To get to Kite Beach from the south, head toward the airport on Dairy Road. Turn towards the West Maui Mountains on the Hana Highway then follow the map below.

Map to Kite Beach

Dale Zarrella’s Damien taking shape

Posted on by Chris Murray

We’ve written about Maui artist Dale Zarrella in this blog before. (See Maui Artist Dale Zarrella at Work, Frank Lloyd Wright and the King Kamehameha Golf Club, and Dale Zarrella and Helper Create a Vision in Sand.) His koa wood sculpture of Father (now Saint) Damien is entering the polishing phase. Saint Damien, “the Apostle of the Lepers” was canonized in 2009 for his work in the 19th century caring for those quarantined in the leper colony on the peninsula of Kaluapapa on the Island of Moloka’i.

If you look closely at the picture below, Damien has his hand on the shoulder of a young child. Next to Damien’s shoes you can see the child’s toes sticking out beneath the robes that hide his leprosy ravaged body.

Zarrella often works with large blocks of monkeypod but chose the the harder koa wood for Damien because “he was a tough old bird.”

Dale Zarrella’s Saint Damien – September 2012

As we’ve noted before, Zarrella works outdoors overlooking the sea at the north end of Charley Young Beach. He began this piece with a plaster study, about one-quarter life size. A bronze cast from the study now resides in the Vatican Museum in Rome. This life sized sculpture is destined for the Damien Museum in Honolulu.

Haleakala – The Night Sky

Posted on by Chris Murray

The Milky Way above Mount Haleakala. Photo by Wally Pacholka as seen in mauimagazine.net

It’s said that a large percentage of the American population has never seen the Milky Way – especially young people. It’s just too bright at night in the urban/suburban areas where they live. Of all the generations of mankind that have ever lived, this is a recent, and somewhat sad, phenonmenon.

Fotunately, this is not a problem on Maui. Go anywhere on the island on a clear night where there are no bright lights shining in your eyes and, in the summer,  you can see the milky river of light of the Sagittarius arm of our spiral galaxy slicing across the sky or, in winter, the somewhat dimmer Perseus arm. (In the northern hemisphere in summer, we look toward the center of our galaxy; in winter in the opposite direction toward deep space. That’s why the Milky Way looks brighter in summer.)

In the photo above (which I wish I could say I took), Jupiter shines brightly below the arc of the galaxy disk. This is a time elapse photograph, so the Milky Way won’t look as bright to the naked eye; but it still will impress.

The best (and coldest) views of the stars on Maui are from the top of Mount Haleakala. There are serious research telescopes on top of the mountian – not like the world-class telescopes of Mauna Kea on the Big Island, but impressive nontheless. You can’t look through the big scopes, but you can look with your naked eye or, if you have them, binoculars or a small telescope. Even small binoculars will reveal a wonder of stars and (if you know where to look or are just plain lucky) other wonders of the night sky. Even people with very ordinary night vision can see the Andromeda Galaxy with their naked eye,  2.5 million light years away! With binoculars, other galaxies, ghostly nebula,  the moons of Jupiter, and brilliant star clusters await those with patience and a little knowledge or luck.

If you’re out on a clear dark night on Maui, stop somewhere dark and look up. You won’t be disappointed.

See our other posts on Haleakala titled Haleakala – The House of the Sun, Haleakala – Come Prepared, and Haleakala – Into the Crater.

Haleakala – Into the Crater (The Sliding Sands Trail)

Posted on by Chris Murray

Horse back riders on the Sliding Sands Trail

There are several great trails into the Haleakala erosion crater. If you click on the picture to the right you can see a line of horses and riders ascending the Sliding Sands Trail. It’s only when you see something like this that you get an idea of the scale of the place.

While this is all explained in the Maui trail book in our condo, the trail head is a short walk around the cinder cone on the south side of the parking lot. From the start of the trail it’s 2,500 vertical feet to the crater floor – so the hike down is pretty easy. The hike up is another matter. Depending on your physical condition and how you react to the thinner mountain air, it will take 1.5 to 2.0 times as long to hike out as it takes to hike in. Keep this in mind if you’re hiking later in the day. It gets dark (and cold) fast when the sun goes down. Even in summer it can be chilly in the shadow of the west rim of the crater in the late afternoon.

Haleakala Crater – Photo by Dick Morgan

As you can see from the photos, you are entirely exposed on this trail. Use sunscreen and carry water. We generally hike with a daypack with water, snacks, extra clothing and anything else we might need.

Consider adding a hike to your Haleakala experience. If you come early for the sunrise, you can hike in and out before lunch and then enjoy a meal in the Up Country. Alternatively, if you’re not into starting your day at 2 or 3 AM so you can see the sunrise, you can hike in the afternoon and time your return to see the sunset from the top of the mountain. It’s a whole lot like the sunrise, but without the busloads of tourists and people standing five deep at the best vantage points.

Speaking of sunrise and sunset, did you know that Haleakala means “house of the sun” in Hawaiian? To find out more, click here.

For another great (but harder) hike into the crater, click here to see our blog on the Halemauu Trail.

Haleakala National Park – Come Prepared

Posted on by Chris Murray

There’s lots to do on Mount Haleakala: hiking, biking, horseback riding, star gazing, watching the sunrise (or sunset), camping, birding, or just escaping the heat of the beach for a day.

Haleakala Crater – Photo by Dick Morgan

While you’re there or on the way, you have a good chance of seeing rare plants and rare birds and, at the top, a landscape not unlike the pictures from Mars. There is also a chance you’ll see nothing. If the mountain is shrouded in clouds, wait for another day. If you can see the top from outside our front door at Maui Vista, it’s worth a try. Even so, the weather on Haleakala can change rapidly and the erosion crater can fill with clouds in minutes. On the other hand, it can change for the better just as fast.

If you go, be prepared. According to the National Park Service, the average temperature at the summit is 17 degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler than at sea level. And that’s an average. It can be very cold especially at night and in the shadows. If the wind is blowing and you don’t have layers of clothing, you will not stay long.

In addition to the drop of temperature, several other things happen at 10,000 feet. First, many people feel light-headed due to the thinner atmosphere. Take it easy until you know how the altitude affects you. The thinner atmoshpere also means the UV rays are even stronger than at sea level. Fortunately you’ll probably be wearing more clothes than your normal beach wear, but remember to bring sunscreen. Finally, if you’re active, you may need more water than usual. There’s precious little water and no food at the summit. If you plan to stay a while, bring your own.

It’s about a two hour drive from Maui Vista to the top of Haleakala over good, but windy roads. It’s a National Park so, if you don’t already have a pass, there is a $10 entrance fee per vehicle. The pass is good for three days and includes the driver and all passengers. There are also things to do and places to eat in the Up Country below the park. (See our posts Kula – a Drive in the (Up) Country and Grandma’s Coffee House in Kula.) Make a day of it!

See our other posts on Mount Haleakala by clicking here and here.

Haleakala – The House of the Sun

Posted on by Chris Murray

The photo to the right is of a print by Dietrich Varez which hangs on the living room wall of our Maui Vista 2418 condo. It depicts the story of Maui slowing the sun.

Legend has it that Hina, the mother of the demi-god Maui, made kapa cloth from the bark of local trees.  But when she dyed the cloth in the morning the kapa would still be damp in the evening.  “The sun moves too quickly across the sky,” she cried.

In those days, from their Big Island home near Rainbow Falls not far from modern day Hilo, it was clear that the sun rested at night in the crater of Mount Haleakala for part of the year. So, upon hearing his mother’s lament, Maui took his canoe and traveled across the water and, while the sun was resting, climbed the 10,000 foot mountain and looked down on the sleeping sun.

As the sun stretched to begin its day, Maui lassoed it with a rope of twisted coconut fiber and held on tight. Maui demanded the sun move more slowly so his mother could dry her kapa cloth. Bargaining with Maui, the sun promised to slow its journey for half the year and move at its accustomed pace the other half.

Maui released the sun and returned to tell his mother the good news. Delighted, she made a new cape for her son and, thanks to the sun’s slower pace, it dried that very afternoon. Ever since, the warm days of Hawaiian summers have lingered several hours longer than the days we call winter in colder climates.

Thank you Maui!

Strategy for buying the best groceries on Maui at the best price

Posted on by Chris Murray

Aloha! When I first walk into any Maui grocery store, I am in sticker shock over the price of a gallon of milk, butter, yoghurt and bread. However, a little experience goes a long way and I don’t think I spend much more on food on Maui than on the mainland because I employ the shopping techniques listed below. Also, since the weather is warm, I eat differently than back on the Mainland and don’t need so much of the high priced imports!

1. Don’t buy what you don’t need. Take a look around the condo before you make your list. You might find a few things in the kitchen that folks have left behind. Also, we generously stock the hall closet with paper products and have a drawer in the bathroom with various items. We do this so you don’t have to spend $6 for four rolls of T.P. at Foodland! We also prefer you use our supply of laundry detergent. It is the right kind for the washer.

2. Take a few minutes to comb the sale flyers on the Internet for Foodland, Safeway and the Times Market. Start your grocery list based on what’s on sale at a couple different stores. If you will be here for a week or more, you might consider a Costco run…especially if you want alcohol and/or fish. Local fish can be VERY expensive… $25 per pound when I last checked the local market called Eskimo Candy. It’s about half that at Costco and much of it is wild caught in Hawaiian waters.

3. Before heading out, grab the cooler, ice packs from the freezer and cloth bags from the hall closet. (Maui banned plastic bags in 2010.)

4. The nearest “farmer’s market”(which is really a family owned produce stand) by the Aloha Outdoor Market is just past Foodland on the Makai (water side) of the street. It’s open daily, but has different operators and therefore different produce on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Regardless of the day of week, this is by far, the cheapest and most local produce around. Go there first and put your produce in the cooler before you proceed to the grocery store. Then, go to your other two stores knowing in general, Safeway has the best sale prices. I find Safeway is large enough so that one brand of just about anything I need is on sale.

5. If you go to Foodland, take the door key with the Makai card attached in order to get the sale price. The Time Market does not require a card. Safeway does, but we don’t supply one. (I think they will give you one if you ask. Lots of people already have one.)

6. Avoid buying drinks in small containers. Maui has a five cent container deposit which is difficult to retrieve. On an early trip to Maui we bought a Costco 48 pack of small bottled waters. Ouch. (Also see next item.)

7. There is no need to buy bottled water (also imported from the Mainland). Maui gets its water from the local mountains and it tastes fine. There are four plastic water bottles in the cabinet opposite the freezer.

8. Check out the local products at Long Drugs. I had been in that store a dozen times before I realized it has organic grass fed Maui beef in the refrigerator in the back, local produce just across the aisle from the beef and Hawaiian ice-cream in the freezer case near Checkout Stand #2. Be daring and try the Melona bars (actually Korean). Much like a  healthy fruit popsicle with a dash of sweet cream. While you’re up front, check out the bread products by Checkout Stand #1. The sale price and quality is often hard to beat.

If you’re willing to do a little planning and be flexible, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on food to eat really well. Aloha!

Catching a Wave at Ho’okipa

Posted on by Chris Murray

Catching a wave at Ho ‘okipa – Photo by Dick Morgan

Perhaps the most consistent surfing waves on Maui are at Ho’okipa (pronounced Hō ō key pă) on the north shore about two miles east of the Paia stoplight on the Hana Highway. There’s a great overlook with parking at the east end of the bay. The first two photos in this post were taken from that vantage point.

This is a very popular spot for locals. Spectators are fine, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, stay out of the water.

Oops – Photo by Dick Morgan

Sometimes when the surf is down the wind is up. In that case, you’ll miss the surfers but catch the windsurfers. Sometimes you’ll see both. This guy was off to a good start but not a great finish.

Catching air

For perhaps obvious reasons, the surfers and windsurfers tend to stay apart. Whenever we’ve been there the surfers were by the eastern overlook where the big rollers are and the windsurfers farther west. There’s a smaller overlook above the area most popular with the windsurfers. If there’s room, you might get a better view from there.

While you’re in the area, catch a bite to eat at one of the restaurants in Paia. So far our blog has reviewed Cafe Mambo (our favorite for island style pub food) and Mama’s Fish House. Look for other Paia restaurant reviews in the future.

Keawala’i Congregational Church in Makena

Posted on by Chris Murray

Founded in 1832, the Keawala’i Congregational Church is one of the oldest churches on Maui. The lava stone structure that still stands was built in 1855 using a mortar made of coral. It replaced the original house of worship made of pili grass. Over the years the three foot thick walls have been repaired and the wooden roof and bell tower replaced, but the bones of the 1855 church remain.

Sometimes referred to locally as “the old stone church,” the Keawala’i Congregational Church is located on a small sandy cove between Makena Landing and Maluaka Beach about six miles south of Maui Vista. From Highway 31, follow the signs pointing to “Makena Landing” and “Keawala’i Congregational Church.” Turn left as you get to the bottom of the hill. The church is just up the road on your right. You can’t miss it. Park across the street in the Maluaka Beach parking lot and look around.

If the doors are open you can look inside at the simple handsome interior. Hymnals are provided in both English and Hawaiian and the church owns an early 19th century bible written in Hawaiian. Two services are held each Sunday – one in Hawaiian.

The son of a friend of ours was married in the Keawala’i Church in 2010. If you’re interested, you don’t have to be a member to arrange for a wedding, reaffirmation of wedding vows, baptism, or funeral/memorial service. Contact the church for details.

The church’s small graveyard by the sea is worth a visit. It has old and newer headstones.

At the far end of the graveyard is a simple and dignified grave for the remains of a woman from pre-missionary times. Her bones and a comb were found with the remains of a buried canoe when one of the large hotels was constructed in Wailea.

While you’re in the area, enjoy the beaches. Both Makena Landing and Maluaka Beach are great for snorkeling, swimming, and relaxing. Check out our post on Makena Landing to learn about snorkeling with turtles.