Do You Think You Have What It Takes To Do The Kalalau Trail?
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Whoever said, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” had to be thinking about the Kalalau Trail at the time because this trail is all about the journey. It’s an 11 mile trek from start to finish and it’s not for the faint of heart. After hiking to Havasupai Falls in the Grand Canyon, I was sure that this trek would be a piece of cake. I could have never been farther from the truth. If you decided to hike the Kalalau trail, you better be in some semblance of shape or you will fail. It’s 11 miles of peaks and valleys and don’t let it rain otherwise your journey will become that much harder. For those who can tough it out will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular views in the world and it’s well worth the torture.
I actually took this shot after I completed the hike. It’s amazing I had the energy to climb on top of that sign.
The trail head looks like any other trail head. There’s a sign announcing the trail and there will be multitudes of day hikers at the head ready to set off on their trek. For the first two miles there will be people everywhere. This is the most frequented part of the trail. This section offers up some spectacular views, but none that compare to what you will see when you separate yourself from the day hikers by venturing out farther.
Once you arrive at Hanakapiai Beach, this is pretty much where the majority of people turn around and head back to their cars. It’s not really the ideal place to swim. The beach is rocky and can be dangerous, especially in the winter. Along your hike, you will encounter plenty of signs highlighting the number of swimming deaths that have occurred. This serves as an effective deterrent for those who are not strong swimmers.
After Hanakapiai Beach, it’s at that point you can opt to head up stream to visit Hanakapiai Falls. It’s another two miles upstream, through the jungle, to the falls. We opted not to go to the falls being that we had three days to make the hike and wanted to spend the majority of our time at Kalalau. Once you leave Hanakapiai, encounters with other people starts to become sparse. It’s about that time, the interesting characters start to come out. Along our journey, we encountered a hippie girl making the trek to the end barefooted, we saw a man with nothing but a cloth covering his manly part as well as a young guy with nothing at all! I must say life becomes interesting at that point.
With me not being in the best of shape, we opted to setup camp at Hanakoa. In order to camp here, you must have a permit, although I didn’t see anyone around to check. Hanakoa is really nothing spectacular. It’s a campsite entrenched in trees. There are no spectacular views; however, the river that passes through allows for some pretty spectacular swimming holes.
A refreshing swim is just what a body needs after a grueling 6 mile hike. Pay no mind to the signs that warn you of potential flash floods. Seriously, the water can apparently rise relatively quickly so it wouldn’t hurt to stay vigilant. Camping at Honakoa allows for some great opportunity to mingle with your neighbors. We met some very nice people at the site. One couple invited us over for a cup of tea.
I made the mistake of bring a tent with me. Next time, I will go with the hammock option. Aside from having a more restful sleep, it weighs significantly less.
The next day, we were up at 6 in the morning. With only 3 days to make the hike, and one of the days spent, we wanted to maximize our stay at Kalalau beach. We got an early start back on the trail. It’s at this point the trip becomes interesting. The day before, our neighbors at Hanakoa spoke about a particular portion of the trail known as the “Crawl”. The Crawl is a portion of the Kalalau trail that is literally on the edge of the cliff.
Rudy, ready to tackle, “The Crawl”. She’s one tough woman.
The traction in the area is not exactly the best and it becomes even more terrifying when it’s raining! Remember the girl I spoke of who was making the trek barefooted? Well, at the Crawl is where we met her. The views were amazing and left you in awe as well as terrified at the same time.
Also along the way, we encountered a herd of mountain goats traversing across the mountains like it was a casual stroll in the park. The goats look innocent enough, but later I will tell you just how sinister they can be. The goats have no problem traversing this terrain. They make it look really easy.
If you look closely behind me, you can see the goats.
You initial thought, when you see these creatures, is how cute they are. Little do you know how sinister they can be.
Six hours later, we made it to Kalalau beach. Being that it’s in Hawaii, obviously the beach was beautiful. When we arrived we came across a character that welcomed and congratulated us on our trek. He warned us not to swim in the ocean this time of year because the current was strong. Instead he recommended we swim in shallow pool that was created by huge waves that rolled up on the beach days ago. That sounded good to us. After setting up camp, we strolled down to the ocean to stick our feet in the water. The waves were ferocious. After walking along the beach, we headed to the pool that the waves created the day before. Rudy started to swim in the water. It was a Blue Lagoon moment.
Rudy makes tracks to the pool for a swim.
The Kalalau trail is an amazing hike and I recommend everyone make the trek. You won’t be disappointed. A few things to note.
1) Do not leave your rental car overnight at the trail head or it may be trashed. There is a kayak company that will watch your car and give you a ride to the trail head for a fee.
2) Don’t forget to get a permit to overnight at the campsites. No one came around and check while I was there, but I understand there is a fee that you have to pay if you get caught without a permit.
3) If you want to get an early start to your hike on a Sunday and need propane for your oven, make sure you buy it the night before because some stores are closed on Sundays and others don’t open until 10am.
4) There are plenty of water sources along the trail, but make sure you treat the water. Unfortunately for us, we had iodine tablets and it made the water taste so bad that I didn’t want to drink it.
5) Lastly, steer clear of setting up camp near the cliffs if you camp on the beach. Rock kicking goats make it a dangerous place.
There are no shortages of spectacular views along the way.
This will be your fresh water source during your stay.
Lots of good places for sunbathing.
Away from civilization in a tropical paradise is liberating.
This hike is intense for the average job, but if you go slow, steady, and press on… You can make it!
Be sure not to miss the spectacular sunsets!
“The crawl” is intense… Even for people not afraid of hikes. If you really want to make things interesting… Try crossing when it’s raining.
Another view of “The Crawl”. This, by the way, was the highlight of my trip!
It kinda makes you wonder how many have fallen off… I don’t wanna be that guy!