This week Gavin and I had the same two days off of work so we decided that we were going to go on some long hikes. We have a huge list of hikes we are trying to work through so it's always exciting to get out and explore something new.
We headed up Waimea canyon to hike Nu'alola Trail. This one is an out-and-back one that takes you to a lookout over the coast. It's about a 7-mile hike. It's straight down the mountain then right back up. We pretty much had the whole trail to ourselves we passed very few people. We both have so much fun hiking together. We get talking and into the zone that it doesn't even feel like we have been going for hours.
The view here was just breathtaking! Gavin brought his drone and flew it around. I always panic when he flies his drone because I am just so worried that it will get lost or broken somehow and I wouldn't even want to see how sad that would make Gavin. I always give a sigh of relief when he lands it. Pictures from the top of the coast. As you can see we can see down the Napali Coast. Doesn't that water look amazing?
When we got back to the car there was an older couple maybe in their 60s that were just about to start the trail. From what I could see they didn't have any water or anything with them. The husband was just wearing this huge camera around his neck. He was told that this hike had the best view of the coast. We told them it was very beautiful but a very long hike. They definitely weren't going to make it there and back before the sunset. They said they were just going to go in a little bit of the way. I sure hope they didn't end up going all the way to the end.
The next day we hiked to Hanakapai Falls which is on the Napali Coast! Usually, you have to book a permit to hike to the falls or even the first two miles but because we are local we don't need to. This hike might be one of my favorite hikes on Kauai so far. The view of the ridges and the deep blue water can't be seen anywhere else. The trail also has the thickest most beautiful green plants I have ever seen. I am in awe at the beauty of this island ALL the time. I really feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. The first 2 miles were packed with people. People come from all over the world to hike this coast. It's estimated that about half a million people hike part or all of the coast each year.
At the end of the first two miles of the trail, you can stop at Hanakapi beach and swim before either hiking the last 9 miles to Kalalau or back to the car. Gavin and I on the other hand decided to hike 2 more miles up to the waterfall.
We pretty much had the trail to ourselves. It was a little bit of a rainy day and people weren't willing to hike in the rain. We passed a group of people who said the trail was way too muddy and dangerous to continue. We decided to press forward with caution. But to our surprise, it wasn't super horrible conditions at all.
We made it all the way to the waterfall and it was HUGE maybe one of the tallest waterfalls I have ever seen. It was tall and big that you could feel the mist from super far away. I could hardly see Gavin swim in the falls because I was getting blasted by mist and drops. I don't think a lot of people hike all the way to the waterfall because of the length of the trail. It's 8 miles round trip and it's defiantly a trek. Hands down though one of the prettiest hikes on the island. As you get closer to the falls there are pools of water you can swim in. All of them were deep and clear. As we hiked back out and to the car we noticed a few people we parked by in the parking lot. They were still making their way to the beach 4 hours later...
After we were so tired and hungry we went local style and sat on our beach chairs in the parking lot. We pulled out our cooler and ate some snacks while watching the chickens run around.
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