While this is technically not a hike, I still wanted to share the beauty of this land with you.
Waipi'o valley, also known as the Valley of the Kings, has a very long history in Hawaiian history and is sacred to Hawaiians. It is about a mile wide and about nine miles deep. The valley is accessible by foot, horse or by 4WD only. The first thing you notice as you approach the steep, 25% grade, one-lane road, is the black sand beach. The road is less than one mile long and descent 900 feet. (An interesting tidbit of information, Lance Armstrong biked up the road in less than 9 minutes.)
Once we reached the valley floor, we piled onto the mule-drawn wagon.
Shall I mention that it was raining and that the rivers (five in all) were raging?
Taro field.
First river crossing. There are no paved roads in the valley, no running water and no electricity past the first mile or so. If you need emergency medical care, a helicopter has to come in and rescue you.
Before Captain's Cook time, the valley was believed to be inhabited by 20,000 Hawaiians. The valley was abandoned for a number of years after the 1946 tsunami. About 60 people live there now, cultivating taro and growing exotic fruits.
Feral horse
One more river crossing before transferring back to the jeep for the steep ascent.
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