Bogley

CarpeyBiggs · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 2685 Location: the promised land

Finally posted my impressions from our backpacking/camping trip to Kauai earlier this year.

If there was ever a place that is easy to go to on a budget, and camp the whole time, I think Kauai is it. Tons of really good camping options all over the island. Biggest expense by far, was airline tickets, followed by rental car. Too bad airline tickets are so damned expensive. We were there 10 days total.

Things I liked:
1. It was Hawaii. Duh.
2. It was warm
3. Scenery was awesome.
4. The ocean.

Things I didn't like:
1. It rained. A lot.
2. Those damned Kauai roosters, keeping me up at night.
3. The garbage all over the Kalalau.
4. Helicopters. I really hate helicopters.

More pictures here: http://www.danransom.com/TripReports/?p=190

#1 - Lauren on the "exposed section."

#2 - #5 Kalalau Beach

#6 - Lauren again, on the trail at about mile 8.

Kalalau Trail, Dec. '08
It’s mid-December, cold in Utah, and we still haven’t received much snow in the mountains. What to do? Uh, why not Hawaii?

And with about that much forethought, I called Lauren, and the plan was on. We had about a week to figure out an itinerary, and since we both wanted to do it on the ultra-cheap, it wasn’t too hard. Camp on the beaches of Kauai, and spent 4 nights on the famous (or infamous) Kalalau Trail.

We arrived in Kauai in the middle of a ridiculous storm. I’ve never seen so much rain. We expected to camp every night, but within two hours, we had been beat into submission, and settled for a “budget” hotel. In other words, we slept in a concrete box. Hey, at least we were dry though. (We ended up 8 for 9 on camping, so still budget-friendly…)

Turns out, the storm was unusually powerful. Caused a ton of floods, shut down roads, and effectively shuffled our plans for the next week. We couldn’t even get to Hanalei to buy fuel for our stove, so we had no way to cook all the food that we had strategically packed into a separate suitcase back in Colorado. (I think I’m officially a dirtbag now.) Thank god for $5 footlongs in Hawaii.

So, with a few day delay, we did in fact make it out onto the Kalalau Trail, and not a minute too soon. We were both getting pretty anxious to do something besides sit in the rain. The Kalalau is rumored to be the finest backpacking destination in all of Hawaii. Kind of made it an easy decision when deciding where we wanted to go. But beyond a few descriptions we had read describing the beach, trail, and valley as perhaps the most beautiful place on earth, we really had no idea what we were in for.

Perhaps I was expecting a bit too much. I am, afterall, from Utah, where it is relatively easy to find real wilderness experiences (you know, the kind where you are removed from modern conveniences, don’t see crowds of people, experience solitude, peace, etc…) But this… This is far from a wilderness experience. The scenery was every bit as good as advertised, but the experience in general left me feeling unsatisfied. Ripped off, to a certain degree. And certainly frustrated, if not angry.

The first two miles of the trail are crowded with the usual tourists, which I have absolutely no problem with. I enjoy meeting people on the trail, and swapping some tales. After two miles, it’s time to cross the Hanakape’i river. At the trailhead was a sign posted “Do not cross river, you will drown! Water levels too high.” Apparently left by the park ranger. We did a little questioning of some folks coming back down off the trail, and their accounts of the crossing were nothing like that on the sign. At any rate, we decided to wait a day. Again, no big deal, better safe than sorry.

Upon reaching the crossing, we found it to be little more than some rock hopping. Literally, didn’t have to get your feet wet. Now I understand that the river could have been flooded the day before, but it was obvious from the evidence near the river, that it wasn’t life threatening the day before. This was the first in a pattern of over-exaggerations about the place, that by itself didn’t annoy me, but by the end of the trip, I was plain exhausted of.

Once the river was crossed, there were some toilets that seemed poorly maintained, as the stench from them was overpowering. We quickly continued on. A few hours later, and we reached the second river crossing, the Hanakoa. This may have been the most depressing place I have ever experienced while backpacking. Garbage was thrown everywhere, the place was muddy, buggy, and swampy, and genuinely trashed. There were even feral cats tearing through the garbage. Our permit called for us to camp there the first night. At $10 a night, there was no way I would sleep there. We kept on moving.

Within a couple miles, we reached the section that is known as “crawlers ledge.” It is, no doubt, a place that demands your attention. But it is not THAT exposed. And I am terrified of exposure. Certainly no need to crawl, even in the muddy conditions we had. It is in fact, quite safe. Still, a very beautiful place. One of the really “wild” sections on the trail. The raw beauty of the barren cliffs and the unrelenting pounding of the surf was pretty dramatic.

An hour or two later, we arrived at the Kalalau river crossing, and the beach. Because of the storms, there was almost no one on the beach, save one of the “locals” who had lived there since May. We scouted around for some campsites, and I was immediately disappointed again. Shattered surfboards, abandoned beach chairs, all sorts of piles of garbage, caches of gear people had left behind, and the list goes on. This was the beach I had heard to be one of the most pristine and beautiful on the island? Wow. Again, the place was positively trashed.

The garbage, in and of itself, was not a terribly big deal. It was exponentially compounded by the rest of the experience. Namely, those damned helicopters! Without any exaggeration, there were two instances where a helicopter flew over us within 75 feet of our head. Seventy-five friggin’ feet. What in the hell? Once when we were resting on a small pinnacle before heading down Red Hill, and another time while in a nice orchard in the valley. Certainly, this can’t be legal. It’s bad enough you have to hear helicopters flying over your head every 15 minutes throughout the daylight hours, but to be buzzed closely, and nearly landed on? Completely inexcusable.

What’s more, we had another helicopter (from Inter-Island Helicopters, easily identified by their trashy looking helicopters with doors off) that landed on the beach. Again, without exaggeration, 75 yards from where we were camping. WHAT THE #@!%? I couldn’t believe it. We went through the hassle of getting permits, paying $10 a night per person, and hiking all the way out to this beach, under the assumption that it would be an experience in a place relatively removed from this type of nonsense. What a bummer.

In general, my feeling is that the park is either cash-strapped, or is simply poorly managed. While we were picking up our permit, we went into the office, where a couple of guys from the Big Island were trying to draw a permit. The lady behind the counter explained to them that the storm was too dangerous, and no permits were being issued for the hike. Too bad, as these guys had flown in specifically to do the hike, hoping for a permit. Bad planning on their part? Probably. But what happened next is beyond explanation. We asked to draw our permit that we had reserved over the phone the week before. Without as much as a moment’s hesitation, the lady pulled the paperwork, accepted our payment, and issued the permit. Thirty seconds earlier, she had told two dudes that the trail was too dangerous, and refused to issue a permit. Huh???

Obviously, it worked out for us, but where’s the logic in that? We reserved, so we can go. But it’s too dangerous for anyone else. Hmm…. Truly bizarre.

It is obvious there is little in the way of enforcement for the helicopter companies. I have no idea what the ceiling is they should be flying at (I’m assuming above 1,000 feet?) but I don’t think we saw more than 2 or 3 aircraft that actually observed that. The ironic thing is the park is very popular, and relatively expensive and difficult to draw permits for. What exactly are people paying $10 a night per head for? Certainly there must be some solutions. Volunteer organizations in place? Clean up efforts? Increased enforcement? Explaining to permit holders to look out for bad-mannered helicopters, and reporting them? I can’t believe a resource like this would be essentially trashed.

Despite the obvious short-comings of the trail, it should be said that the scenery is unparalleled and breathaking. It is, as one local told us, “the garden of eden.” We were not disappointed. It is a place, however, that is in no way an opportunity for solitude, for wilderness, or even a feeling of remoteness. Count me as one who was underwhelmed, and perhaps expecting too much.

But hey, it’s mid-December in Utah, and there aren’t too many opportunities for backpacking in shorts and a t-shirt around here. So, I guess it’s all a compromise.

p.s. I hate helicopters.

Jaxx · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 2637

We have been spoiled living here in Utah. I have found that the majority of people that complain about living in Utah are not the outdoors type.

Sucks that you expectations were not met. It's always a bummer. Hawaiins are to busy hanging loose to worry about cleaning garbage. Mabey we could start a SUWA type organization over in Hawaii. Except we would actually do something, like cleaning up the garbage. Anyone want to donate to the fund?

Great pictures as always!

trackrunner · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 1931

So I had to look into who manages this park. When you had mentioned park ranger I thought it was NPS. Shocked that the NPS would allow helicopters to buzz the place.

Turns out it is a state park and access is limited to this area in the name of conservation. I guess it only applies to foot traffic. Wouldn’t want all that scenery for the big spending helicopter tourists blocked by an eyesore of backpackers. Those darn hikers ruining it for everyone. Dan you bast@#d You ruined some couples honeymoon. While they were enjoying the scenery it was ruined by two sweaty backpackers lounging on the beach. How can you live with yourself? /Sarcasm

All joking aside it sounds like the park is understaffed and doesn’t know this is going on. Doesn’t sound like there is much enforcement either. I read that permits are required but most people hike it without permits.

Or the park views hikers as a threat to nature & conservation than helicopters or trash, and that helicopters have zero impact.

Having read some of Dave Black's stories, over at the ACA forum, on park managment on the islands makes you wonder what their rational is. :ne_nau:

Nice pics by the way :hail2thechief: :blahblah:

Felicia · Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 1074 Location: So. CA

Dan, your pictures are beautiful!

mbgriffi · Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 4

So I normally hang out on http://www.nwhikers.net which is the PNW version of this site. But I signed up this when I did my Timp hike a few years back, and the Kauai post caught my eye in the Bogley updates....

CarpeyBiggs wrote: Finally posted my impressions from our backpacking/camping trip to Kauai earlier this year.

Great pics! :2thumbs:

CarpeyBiggs wrote:
Things I liked:
1. It was Hawaii. Duh.
2. It was warm
3. Scenery was awesome.
4. The ocean.

Couple more :

5. It's America
a) They speak English
b) They take US $
c) You don't need a passport
6) It's close to the west coast

CarpeyBiggs wrote:
Things I didn't like:
1. It rained. A lot.

Try living in the PNW :)

SNIP

CarpeyBiggs wrote:
We quickly continued on. A few hours later, and we reached the second river crossing, the Hanakoa. This may have been the most depressing place I have ever experienced while backpacking. Garbage was thrown everywhere, the place was muddy, buggy, and swampy, and genuinely trashed. There were even feral cats tearing through the garbage. Our permit called for us to camp there the first night. At $10 a night, there was no way I would sleep there. We kept on moving.

That is really too bad, I camped here with a friend in 2005, sounds like its really really gone down hill. :(

Also makes me not sad we didn't make it to the end as maybe it would have been nice than it is now. (he was way out of shape and ended up dry heaving from heat exhaustion on the trail and almost loosing a lung, which is why we stopped at Hanakoa).

CarpeyBiggs wrote:

It is obvious there is little in the way of enforcement for the helicopter companies. I have no idea what the ceiling is they should be flying at (I’m assuming above 1,000 feet?) but I don’t think we saw more than 2 or 3 aircraft that actually observed that. The ironic thing is the park is very popular, and relatively expensive and difficult to draw permits for. What exactly are people paying $10 a night per head for? Certainly there must be some solutions. Volunteer organizations in place? Clean up efforts? Increased enforcement? Explaining to permit holders to look out for bad-mannered helicopters, and reporting them? I can’t believe a resource like this would be essentially trashed.

For my 40th my wife gave me a helicopter ride, and I was shocked to learn that there were NO regulations on flying anywhere as long as it wasn't in air lanes for planes, that as long as you stayed up a 100 feet you could fly anywhere you wanted. Things may be different in Hawaii, but I was blown away that it was that unrestricted.

As for the dirt, its a very very well known destination for hippies to go hang out using very little money, and they don't necessarily have the greatest ethic with regards to garbage. They violate the permit requirements and limitations all the time, but they hide in the hills when the rangers come. Given that the site is remote, requiring 13 miles 1-way hiking or boating in makes it easy to dodge rangers I'd guess. Also I heard rumors of them growing up in the hills and trading the ganga for food from dudes that come over in little zodiacs. Either way the hipppy presence (I would think/hope) accounts for much of the garbage, not the backpacking group. Makes me want to take going there off my list, or at least reset my expectations.

cheers
mbg

greyhair biker · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 4540 Location: GreenRiver, Wy

I hope you don't judge the whole island of Kauai from your experiences. You really need to get back there...and pick a different time of the year to go... the wettest spot on earth is Mt. Waialeale with an annual average rainfall of 460", and some of the most beautiful hiking on the planet.

http://165.248.241.70/Seward/Sada/Water/Waialeale.html

The biggest mistake people make is to give up and not come back. I'm sure people judge Utah from just one experience as well...big mistake. Try to 'centrally locate' in the Kapaa area - cheaper yet a bit bohemian and still pretty. FIND A LOCAL who is willing to give out some secrets in the interior to hike to. I love to drive up Kuamo'o road(hwy580), stop at Opaekaa Falls for a quick break, and then head up the road as far as it will go....to a trailhead...and go hiking. It's the trailhead for the BlueHole hike to Waialeale.

http://www.hawaii-guide.com/index.php/kauai/spot/waialeale_blue_hole_hike/

Another beautiful area to go hiking is Waimea Canyon....the KoKe'e State Park area has miles and miles of trails, actually reminiscent of southern utah parks. Very beautiful for miles and miles.
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/Kauai/html/sites/waimea_canyon.html
I love Kauai almost as much as I love Maui....can't tell can you? :haha:
Try it again and good luck! :2thumbs:

CarpeyBiggs · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 2685 Location: the promised land

mbgriffi wrote: Couple more :

5. It's America
a) They speak English
b) They take US $
c) You don't need a passport
6) It's close to the west coast

CarpeyBiggs wrote:
Things I didn't like:
1. It rained. A lot.

Try living in the PNW :)

Thanks for the post MB. I've had a little bit of communication with folks from Hawaii after posting this on a few forums. In regards to the helicopters, they are required to stay 1500 feet above the trail and beach. It is quite obvious that the pilots don't care, and there is next to no enforcement. Apparently many of the locals are sick of it too.

Ironically, I spent 11 days in the PNW in 2007, and I don't remember raining a single day, except up high in the Olympics. I gotta get back up there for more. Loved the Olympic Coast, and of course, the North Cascades are ridiculous... :2thumbs:

CarpeyBiggs · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 2685 Location: the promised land

greyhair biker wrote: I hope you don't judge the whole island of Kauai from your experiences. You really need to get back there...and pick a different time of the year to go... the wettest spot on earth is Mt. Waialeale with an annual average rainfall of 460", and some of the most beautiful hiking on the planet.

http://165.248.241.70/Seward/Sada/Water/Waialeale.html

The biggest mistake people make is to give up and not come back. I'm sure people judge Utah from just one experience as well...big mistake. Try to 'centrally locate' in the Kapaa area - cheaper yet a bit bohemian and still pretty. FIND A LOCAL who is willing to give out some secrets in the interior to hike to. I love to drive up Kuamo'o road(hwy580), stop at Opaekaa Falls for a quick break, and then head up the road as far as it will go....to a trailhead...and go hiking. It's the trailhead for the BlueHole hike to Waialeale.

http://www.hawaii-guide.com/index.php/kauai/spot/waialeale_blue_hole_hike/

Another beautiful area to go hiking is Waimea Canyon....the KoKe'e State Park area has miles and miles of trails, actually reminiscent of southern utah parks. Very beautiful for miles and miles.
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/Kauai/html/sites/waimea_canyon.html
I love Kauai almost as much as I love Maui....can't tell can you? :haha:
Try it again and good luck! :2thumbs:

Yo GHB. We were there 10 days, only 5 on the Kalalau, so we spent some time exploring other parts of the island, including Waimea and Koke'e. We went in December for a reason though, because it is warm there. Why go to Hawaii in the summer? Way too many cool things to do right out the back door here.

I tend to think Kauai in general was quite overrated. Especially considering the costs involved. But, like I said before, if there ever was a place that you could get by on the cheap (after you get there), it would be Kauai. Skip the hotels and just get campsites, and save some serious coin.

Oh yeah, and before you board the plane back home, go the fanciest resort you can find and use their shower on the beach to get cleaned up. Might've been the highlight of the trip... :haha:

Kauai photos are here: http://www.danransom.com/TripReports/?p=187

Mtnbeer · Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 16 Location: SLC

My wife and I went to Kauai last May (2008) and I had a similar experience as you did. I thought Kauai was overcrowded, poorly managed, and overpriced and we were there during the off-season.

We did the same as you and camped the whole time, although we didn't backpack the Na Pali coast. We did do some hikes and I agree, while the scenery is spectacular, everything else was not. The feral chickens were extremely annoying (and they were everywhere: remote jungles, beaches, middle of Lihue, along roads). There was trash everywhere. The "remote" Na Pali coast was anything but "remote" with helicopters, tour boats along the coast, and kayak touring groups passing by every few minutes. We did a hike to the beach on the north end of the Na Pali coast one evening and passed 50 groups (not individuals, but groups ranging in size from 2 to 20 people) as we were hiking in.

We spent most of our time on the southern end of the island near Waimea Canyon. I took a surfing lesson there and was talking to the instructor about what changes have taken place, as he grew up on the island. He told me that the big resorts on the southern end of the island have sprung up only in the past five years (and it shows). The infrastructure is overwhelmed with the increase in tourist traffic and there is a constant traffic jam on the roads north and south of Lihue for about 30 miles in either direction.

In my opinion, there were very few things on Kauai that seemed authentic. Befofe we left, everyone told us, "oh, you'll love Kauai!" An example of our difficulty to find authenticity, on our last night on the island, we were flying back to the mainland out of Lihue. We dropped off our bags at the airport and went to find a place to eat. My wife asked the tourism office where a great place to eat was and the tourism person replied, "Well, the Mariott is pretty good." My wife quickly realized that she didn't understand the question, so she then asked, "where would you eat"? The woman and a security guard standing nearby both chimed in with "The Barbecue Inn". Well, it took a while, but we found the place. From the outside, it looked like a hole in the wall, as it was behind a salvation army store. However, we went in and it was tastefully decorated and the food was the best we had on the trip.

Other than eating at the Barbecue Inn, I wouldn't go back to Kauai. The Big Island is a whole nother story. In my opinion, it was the most authentic of the islands and was much more reasonably priced and not as crowded.

ststephen · Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 250 Location: Felton, CA

Great photos! Thanks for sharing.

Boy does this bring back memories! This was the second backpacking trip I took my wife from before we were married (1983).

Hanakapiia was not trashed back then. Too bad.

Is it still very clothing optional? I remember lots of naked people especially at the waterfall on the beach every morning waiting to take their shower.

We also camped a year later on the Big Island at a state park over on the Kona side. Looking at a map I think it was Spencer Beach. The campsite bathroom was a cinder block building with no roof. But, this meant that it was always fresh smelling and bright and cheery. I remember taking a shower in the warm Hawaiian sun shine and having rainbows all around in the spray. Or, maybe it was the "Kona Gold" :naughty: