Today I’m going to let you in on a local secret. An awesome hike through some
of Hawai’i's most beautiful scenery to an incredible one hundred yard
waterfall.
The Big Island gives up her treasures reluctantly. But when she
does, what a show!
The coolest thing is, the trail is blasted out of vertical rock, half-way up
the valley wall, going behind the falls. You can actually get your head wet
and see the pool at the bottom, over a hundred feet straight down.
Amazingly, I’ve hiked it a half dozen times and never seen another person on
the trail!
Preparation
Mosquitoes!, rain?, sun?, snack/lunch, water, boots optional, I do it
barefoot.
Don’t forget your camera, a tripod is good for group shots using
timer. The wider the lens the better. Waterproof disposables work well under
the falls.
How to get there
Drive or hitch to the end of Hwy. 270, you will end up in a parking lot with a
beautiful ocean/valley view, called Pololu.
Walk back up the road about five
hundred feet. On the left is a locked but low fence on a dirt road. Jump the
fence. It’s to keep the free roaming cattle inside.
Follow the dirt road to
the edge of the valley to your left. The road will end up at the trail-head
after 1 mile through the pastures.
The trail is wide, level and and well
maintained. Twenty minutes down the path and you’re there. You’ll never forget
it as you round the bend and see it with your own eyes, hear the roar and feel
the spray.
On the way, there are a couple of smaller waterfalls. Nice, but nothing like
the Big Kahuna.
Look for Kukui nuts (aka Candlenut), used in Hawai’ian leis; the black and white Jobs tears, another ornamental seed; wild Orchids; and Ohia-Lehua blossoms of a native tree associated with Pele, the goddess of the
volcano, because of the fiery red flowers resemble lava (also yellow, but
rare).
Koa is another native tree with beautiful but very expensive hardwood. You
can recognize it by the crescent pseudo-leaves, similar to a eucalyptus,
without the menthol smell.
Birdwatchers, keep an eye out for I’iwi, an all red honeycreeper with a curved beak.
If you don’t feel comfortable jumping fences, I’ve heard you can get
permission from the landowner, Chalon Inc. A Japanese owner, with an office in
Hawi, next to the post office, just off Hwy 270, up 250 a couple of hundred
feet. If you tell them you know how to get there, they’ll give you permission,
or so I’ve heard. I have always just gone for it!
Good hiking!!
Check out these sites for more info on hikes and camping in Volcano National Park.
Hawaii's Traditional Shore: Lahaina, Maui to Kailua-Kona, Big Island
Starting Price: 6495 USD
Duration: 11 days
Hawaiian Seascapes: Kailua-Kona, Big Island to Kahului, Maui
Starting Price: 4995 USD
Duration: 8 days
