Rated by some as the finest day-hike in Maui, the trail drops to the floor of the crater, meanders up, down and around, taking in the abundance of wondrous sights. The final three miles entail climbing back to the top of the mountain over a rugged surface but surrounded by captivating scenery, usually covered in low and volatile clouds. Truth be told, this is one of the finest hikes that we have come across. Nature has the incredible ability to destroy and then re-create beauty from the ruins, albeit in different forms. The havoc it wreaks on humans is beyond our comprehension—we leave that to the Master of nature to answer. In the meantime, we answer to our editor for our behavioral lapses.
The hike was a little less than 12 miles (13 miles in some guides) encompassing parts of last week’s two trails in the national park. With a steep climb over rough rocks at the climax, our feet knew something was happening under them. However, as Sir Winston Churchill once remarked nastily to a woman at a cocktail party: “Madam you are very ugly” to which she replied “And you, Sir, are drunk.” “Yes, Madam, but in the morning I’ll be sober; you’ll still be ugly.” Are you listening feet? You should be ready to stride Monday morning.
We mentioned in a previous missive that we would have to find our way to the commencement point as there is a seven-mile gap between the beginning and end points. It is not a loop trail. We decided to hitch but wondered how that would work. It’s all part of the adventure. We drove up the tricky mountain road as fast as we could, realizing that each car behind us was a potential ‘carrier’. We parked, changed and stood at the side of the road ready to secure a ride. Within five seconds, the first approaching car, which we had overtaken earlier, stopped. It was a couple from Christchurch (just to be clear for some of our ‘slower friends’, they were not driving from New Zealand. Okay. Okay. We only want to be sure).
We swopped stories and before we knew it, we were on the trail ahead of the mules and horses. By the way, that is one of the hazards of this trail. Animals don’t obey the rules regarding “pack-it-out” which means …you know what it means.
The trails are surprisingly quiet in this wonderland. When we reached one of the huts used by campers, we noticed a ten-year old boy conversing with his mother. She only spoke in German and he answered in English (American). This went on for a while. The exchange ‘tickled’ us so we mentioned it to the mom. ‘That’s the way it is and always will be,’ she explained. It made us smile warmly.
It has been an incredible two weeks. Our fitness has returned; we have hiked many parts of Maui that have lifted the spirits; we are captivated by the mountains, craters and cloud formations. We enjoyed two wonderful Shabbats and so much more. We feel blessed and ‘bloody tired’ but the latter is because the editor has a somewhat cruel streak. It is time to move on towards Kauai—we hope you’ll follow us—it makes us feel even more fortunate. A special thanks to those who provided us quips, hints and comments.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
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