Kalalau Valley

I really hate it when people ask "what is your favorite _______?"

Chances are that my answer will vary from day to day, based on the previous day's experience or how well I slept last night. Favorite song? Today it's "We Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who (Keith Moon's drum work was beyond amazing!) But a random pick by my iPod or 15 second blurb on NPR might create another ear tick in my head for something by Jimmy Buffet or Carole King. Does that make me fickle? I hope not.

So with that nod to baby boomer nostalgia finished, I will say that for the past four years I have had a consistent answer for "what is your favorite/most beautiful spot on Earth?" The Kalalau Valley… hands down! I probably reminisce about the view there at least once a day… no kidding! And that is no slight to a thousand other places that I've visited and fallen in love with like the Hanalei Valley (also on Kauai), Piccadilly Circus in London, the Gateway Arch in my hometown of St. Louis, the view of Rome and the Vatican from the rooftop of the Hilton Caravaggio just to name a few. And I still have a long list of places yet to see that might (maybe) challenge Kalalau for resonance within my soul (I have high hopes for seeing Iguazu Falls in South America or the Pyramids of Egypt some day).

There are two ways to best appreciate Kalalau while getting an overall feel for its immense beauty, from the overlook above and from the sea. You can't go wrong either way, but I'd have to give the edge to the overlook. There is something about being able to look down across this fantastic valley and then out to sea where you can get a hint of the Earth's curvature. The word awesome was invented for sights such as this.

To get there, follow Waimea Canyon Drive (Highway 550) all the way to the end of the road to the Pu'u o Kila Lookout. No matter what the makeup of your group is (elderly, young, vigorous or handicapped), a simple drive to this lookout will reward everyone. There is a nice switchback ramp from the parking lot to the overlook point that makes it wheelchair accessible.

If the weather is right, you can enjoy the view for hours. If it's not right (and there is no way to predict that), then for gosh sakes, just be patient! The clouds roll in and out as if by whim.

We first saw Kalalau on an absolutely perfect day in September of 2004. The sky was crystal clear, the sea was brilliant blue and the valley was an unbelievably verdant green. I think I might have just sat there and stared for hours! Two years later, after prepping our companion couple for weeks about this fantastic place, we drove up Canyon Drive (stopping at various places to enjoy Waimea Canyon and its unique beauty) until less than half a mile from the lookout we discovered we were within clouds and mist! One of my more spectacular hypes, shot to smithereens! Thinking back, we should have just lingered there for an hour. Things might have changed (and probably would have).

This last time (in May '08) we were more patient. We already planned to do a little hiking down the Pihea Trail, as long as things were at least semi-dry, which they were. The clouds were just low and at first, any view of the huge valley below was impossible. "Just wait!", some other folks suggested. The clouds were visibly moving, so we tarried a while. Sure enough, they moved out to sea and Kalalau was laid before us in all her green glory!

The Pihea Trail is what I'd call a good compromise hiking trail. For the idle strollers that prefer something more akin to a shopping mall degree of difficulty, it's easy enough that they might stumble through the first quarter mile or so of this 1 mile trek to the overlook on the other side of the valley, before saying "okay… it's beautiful, but I'd rather wait in the car." The more committed hikers can press on, with what is probably an easy to moderate degree of difficulty. While there are a couple of places that will have you walking across a little bog or two on a boardwalk, there are others where you'll find yourself grabbing for a tree root to pull you up a short rise. Take note of the tree root, chances are that it's practically polished by thousands of other people that have grabbed it in the very same place.

It's one mile out to the opposite overlook (reachable only on foot), and one mile back. And if you have more time and more desire for adventure, there is a branch off that will take you another 3 or 4 miles too.

Now, for the serious hikers and campers, there are the various segments that reach the valley from Ha'ena State Park at the northwest end of Kuhio Highway at Ke'e Beach (another mystical place that I like. Here, you can take the Kalalau Trail for a vigorous 2 mile introductory day trip, or a full bore exploration of its 11 mile length that will take you a full day just to get to the end of the trail at Kalalau Beach (no road here, only trail or boat access). If you're going to do that, be prepared with good hiking shoes, food, water and camping gear. You won't make it in and out without spending the night! Oh, and if you're going to do that, get a permit from the Hawaii State Parks office. The cost is $10 per person, per night.

This is the Na Pali coast in all of its glory and contradictions. You can motor to a spectacular and very accessible overlook, or you can shoulder up the back pack and do some serious hiking. We saw some hikers from our snorkeling boat, and trust me, it doesn't look easy.

There's considerable anecdotal evidence that a number of people make their homes in the Kalalau. Be aware that they aren't supposed to be there, so the likelihood of you being a welcome visitor should you stray far enough from the trail to encounter them is about as remote as the location itself. Just stay to the trail, respect the land and the sea and you'll be rewarded!

Trust me, as far as I'm concerned, this is the most beautiful place on Earth... at least the most beautiful place that I've been to so far, as of May 2008... wink, wink.