Waipio Valley hike

Let’s talk a hike today out to the gorgeous Hamakua coasts and to this beautiful gulch called Waipio valley, an unspoiled and verdant valley where taro plants are grown and processed to make the legendary Hawaiian poi that people love or hate. The valley is huge and desolate sans wild horses and the few taro farmers that take care of the watery plots that requires their care on a daily basis.

 

 

 

Getting down to the valley requires an extreme four-wheel drive down a 20 percent grade road or a quick down hill walk and then you are into another tropical world atypical of Hawaii and tourist traps. We drive up to the ocean and pass through many wild horses that are looking for some assumed treat that they are already expecting!

 

 

We stop at a scenic taro farm, the tour leader’s friend is allowing us to enter the fields and take some photos. The place is gorgeous and brilliant for images of the entire gulch and studies of the taro fields and all the nature-inspired vistas. It seems like everyplace that I turn is a picture perfect moment and I’m just awestruck by all the beauty in this valley.

A scenic overlook from the valley floor with a taro farm patch

 

 

Detail taro patch image

 

 

From the farm we start walking along the river front through some worn pathways but barely a trail. The lush jungle is punctuated with fragrant aromas of wild ginger, plumeria and other tropical aromatics.

 

 

Beautiful wild flowers abound including these interesting balloon shaped Euphorbia plants, a type of succulent growing wild in the area.

 

 

Gorgeous views in the distance of the largest free-falling waterfall on the island called Hi’ilawe, it seems so far away to hike to from here.

 

 

More peek-a-boo views of the valley floor with beautiful tropical booms from these red Heliconia plants.

 

 

We make it to one of the smaller tributary waterfalls and take a break, the jungle is a deep green patina and it seems to get darker in the early afternoon light.

 

I look up at the lush tree canopies overhead and see a really interesting composition like green coral looking up.

 

From this point, it doesn’t seem like we will be able to reach the main Hi’ilawe waterfall before dusk and decide to hike back to our cars for the slow drive uphill from the valley. One last look at the entire valley from the top – it’s just magnificent – so majestic and spiritual. I’m so glad we were able to visit today even though we were not able to make it to the falls. A return visit is more like to follow and this time we will have an earlier start.

 

Thanks for joining us on our hike today, if you would like to view more images from the trip. please visit my Flickr site and I hope you enjoy them.
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