Off the Beaten Path in Maui
Maui has so much more than just a beautiful coast line. I have posted several photos and have seen so much that is beyond words. The beaches and shorelines seem endless and must be visited to
appreciate. There are no private beaches on Maui. That’s right; all beaches are open to the public – All of them!
Today I had the opportunity to go to Iao Needle. I won’t go into all the details of it being the scene of massive battles back in the 1700’s, or the sacred grounds throughout the region. What I saw was a lush landscape, steep walled valleys, and a chance to step beyond the tourist sidewalks.
The park was one that many go to visit. Once you park the car (no moped today) you are met with hundreds of steps up into the valley for a better view of the needle. The Needle was tall and narrow. How it was used as a lookout amazes me, who could climb such a mound? But that’s what we were told.
Once you get to the top landing, you are at the end of the paved tour. Maps, stories, cameras, videos – the usual stuff was there. But I notice someone walking down the hill, where was she coming from? There was a small dirt path that was about 12” wide that disappeared into the forest. My wife knows that the rules do not apply to me, and she was up for a hike.
So we went! This small meandering path twisted and turned following the edge of the mountain side. As we walked deeper into the Rain Forest, the vegetation was thick and no one else was around. At times, we had to tunnel through the bushes bent over or sidestepping around a rock, all the while just a few feet from the edge. I had to take a short video of the type of terrain alone this path.
As we got higher and higher, we were outside the trees and the sun was hot. A short climb up and over the ridge exposed the other valley with similarly spectacular views. At this point, we were a good couple miles into the forest with no civilization. Not knowing how far this path went (we found out later that the path takes you several hours to complete), so we headed back down.
Talking with the natives, we learned that this is a special place for the people of Hawaii. Many lives were lost a long time ago, and people find spirituality in this area. I guess this path is used by these native people to get in touch with this spirituality. That explains the path.
The posted sign now makes sense. If someone were hurt while out there, who would know and how could they be reached? It’s hard enough walking the path being in good health. This could be disasterous if someone got hurt, or lost.
So I got a chance to see more of Hawaii today. The Rain Forest was a sharp contrast to the ocean views that I have experienced. I’m looking forward to seeing even more of the great island in the Pacific.
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