Stop 4 Waipi`o Valley
After an adventurous morning at Akaka Falls State Park, we finally reached our most exciting and physically challenging stop of the day, Waipi`o (curved water) Valley. The valley was located on the northeastern Hāmākua coast of Hawai`i, an area subject to rocky shoreline and/or landslides (Fletcher III 80).
As we made our way down to the overlook, we saw in front of us a cliff from the right side of the valley. To our left, we were able to see the barely paved path that would lead us to the bottom of the valley. To our right, the beautiful, rich aquamarine color of the Pacific Ocean gleamed out at us as its reflection of the sun and clouds shimmered through the ripples. Approaching the overlook, we saw a display and illustration of the valley and its history. The display provided expressive, meaningful information that advised tourists just how sacred the area was. Once we arrived at the overlook, we were able to see the black sand beach across the |
end of the gorge coalescing with the ocean. The luscious green vegetation from the valley extended toward to the left of that and the freshwater stream originating from Hi`ilawe Falls trickled through into the ocean. The scenery was breathtaking and from the overlook, we continued toward the road to begin our hike.
Brief Waipi`o Valley History
As stated above, Waipi`o Valley held a rich history and sacred meaning to the Hawaiians. The valley was in fact home to many early Hawaiian kings, including Kamehameha the Great. Sacred sites such as the Paka`alana Heiau (temple) was one of many located in the valley. Kings were said to be laid in ancient burial caves along the cliffs after death. The kings' mana (divine power) would watch over and protect those who lived in the valley (Fischer). Oral history allowed Hawaiians to pass down significant cultural information to their kin and those stories are now published in books and online today. |
Hiking Down the Valley Unless we had a 4-wheel drive vehicle, the only way down the valley was to walk on the main road. Refer to Figure 3 in regards to the importance of a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Research and a student presentation of Waipi`o Valley before the trip informed the group of how steep the road was going to be. The 800 feet drop within less than a mile held true. The barely paved road and 25% grade were factors that made it extra difficult on the knees when descending down the valley. The cliff we had seen from the overlook peaked behind the vegetation on our side of the valley as our hike continued. This particular cliff was formed from a landslide. We were able to differentiate this formation a part from an eroded cliff because of its steepness. Typically cliffs with more gradual slopes are formed through erosion and weathering. |
Once we reached the the valley floor, our senses were triggered by the tropical rainforest-like atmosphere that surrounded the entire gorge. The air smelt crisp and clean. A concoction of the rich wet soil, succulent fruit off the trees, the salty ocean water, and leafy green vegetation blended beautifully as we made our way to the county road at the head of the valley.
All property in the valley was private and picking fruit, walking into what looked like abandoned homes, and exploring gardens were prohibited. At the end of Waipi`o Valley Road was our first destination; a county road that would bring us close enough to see the largest waterfall in Hawai`i, Hi`ilawe Falls. We reached the county road hoping to see this gorgeous feature.
Hi`ilawe Falls was about 2,000 feet high and a popular attraction within the valley. On this particular day, the falls was hardly visible. The flow of the water was miniscule compared to what we had seen in pictures. The cause of this shortage may be from the lack of precipitation, which was a primary source of water in the valley. Hi`ilawe Falls was the source of the freshwater perennial stream (gaining stream) that ran through the valley into the ocean. A stream of this type meant that it's always flowing due to baseflow. |
Not seeing waterfall in its fullness was unfortunate, but we continued back toward the end of the valley. Following the same road that brought us down to the floor, we took the alternate trail that would lead the group to the black sand beach we had seen from the overlook earlier.
Black Sand Beach
Although there had been talk about mosquitoes and wild horses in Waipi`o Valley, the group didn't really encounter either of the two. The alternate trail brought us to the black sand beach. The black sand came from the igenous rock basalt. When lava flowed into the ocean, its reaction with water caused the hot molten rock to shatter into small, fine-grained pieces, resulting in beautiful black sand. The group had to cross the stream from Hi`ilawe Falls that collided with the ocean on the beach. It was a challenging process for the few who didn't have much leg support. The strong winds on the beach and waves trying to push up stream didn't help in the crossing process as well. There were people swimming in the ocean and a couple gutsy parasailers taking advantage of the powerful wind current. After the hike down the valley, a dip in the ocean was much needed. Being tossed back and forth in water with such force and power was one of the most thrilling experiences from the trip. The adrenaline and rush received from the strength of the ocean was unexplainable. After some time spent in the water, we made our way back toward the main Waipi`o Valley road and took on the hike of our lives. For most, the hike up wasn't bad, though not the most pleasant. It was both physically and mentally challenging. One can say the numbness that took over the lower half of the body helped in forgetting the stress and pain the 25% grade road brought upon us. The majority of the group made it back to the overlook within 15-20 minutes. Some of us even "raced" up the valley. Good or bad, the hike was a memorable and unforgettable portion to our agreeable experience at Waipi`o Valley. |
DISCLAIMER: We are NOT encouraging you or members of your party to run up the valley. Doing so can result in the "spewing out" of one's lunch in an unfashionable manner.
Sources
Fischer, John. "Waipio Valley: History of the Valley of Kings on the Big Island of Hawaii." About.com. The New York Times Company. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. http://gohawaii.about.com/cs/bigislandland/a/waipio_valley_2.htm.
Fletcher III, Charles H. "Coastal Hazards." Atlas of Hawai`i. Ed. Sonia P. Juvik and James O. Juvik. Third ed. Honolulu: University of Hawai`i, 1998. 79-81. Print.
Fletcher III, Charles H. "Coastal Hazards." Atlas of Hawai`i. Ed. Sonia P. Juvik and James O. Juvik. Third ed. Honolulu: University of Hawai`i, 1998. 79-81. Print.
Banner photo by Ross Auna