Keonelona Bay / Mahaulepu - Walk There Again

Welcome to "Walk There Again Wednesdays!"   Since we have a batch of them to share I thought it might be fun to put them out on a particular day of the week.  And, maybe, it will motivate us to get some other walks in as well?  It would be good if it did!

After a couple of days in Kauai where we did not take a hike, but instead visited farmers' markets, attended Christmas light festivals and visited an art festival, we did get ourselves back on the trail.  Part of the reason for the hiatus was weather related.  The entire island got some rain, including the drier west and south sides.   Since we were located in the southeast corner, we did not see much of the wind that resulted in damage at Koke'e Park and other locations.

More proof of mobility!

This time around, Tammy and I made sure to get up early so we could arrive at Shipwreck Beach on Keonelona Bay before many others got there.  This is the west entry point for the Mahaulepu Trail.  If that sounds familiar, we walked the east end of the trail earlier on the trip, starting at the Makauwehi Cave Preserve.

This end of the trail provides the option of walking on the bluffs that are next to the ocean or walking a little further inland under the shelter of trees.  We tend to like to walk out by the water early so we can take advantage of the trees on the return trip and cool down a bit.

This trail feels like it provides us with opportunities for all kinds of pictures. The obvious photos include something of everything that you can see while you are there.  The colors can be very dramatic depending on whether the sun is obstructed by some clouds or fully unhindered.

In fact, I think one of the things that draws us to Kauai is the richness of the colors.  And, it's not that the colors are bright.  Instead, the colors are deep and the colors are complex.  They aren't garish and they are perfectly natural.  It's just nature with the volume turned up a bit. 

There were still some scattered showers rolling over the island on their way to the ocean.  The good news is we only experienced light sprinkles on this walk - which really didn't bother us at all.  The heavier rain waited until it got over the large body of water, also known as the Pacific Ocean.

"Here," the clouds said, "it looks like you need a little bit more water.  You're looking kind of dry today."  Almost like a grandmother telling her grandchildren that they are so thin and they must eat more.  It didn't matter that they weren't thin or starving, just like it didn't matter that the Pacific Ocean was not in need of the extra water.

One of the neat things about Hawaii is that it does rain fairly frequently during the winter months.  But, it seems like it is usually scattered, so the sun is available to paint the sky with a rainbow.  

I think it became clearer to me why you can see a rainbow as a promise - thanks to Tammy pointing out that the presence of rainbow requires the presence of some sunshine and clear sky.  You see, a rainbow is a promise that works in whichever way you need it to work.  If you are in need of rain, the rainbow promises that there is some nearby and that it could come your way.  If you need clear skies, the rainbow reminds you to look behind you, because you can probably find the sun there.

The obvious pictures to take on this trail, as I said before, are the ones that show the contrast of jagged rocks with the tenacious plants clinging to sparse soil against the ocean with its wide range of blues, greens and grays.  It's actually pretty difficult to take a bad picture of something like that.  But, it is, I think, even more difficult to take one that fully exhibits how great that place really is.

The combination of the rounded horizon line in the ocean and the uneven footing often presents a challenge for keeping the image leveled.  More often than not, I found I was off just a little bit and it looks like the ocean is going to have to drain off to the left or right of the image I've collected.

Hence the reason I am happy about the development of digital cameras.  Take the shot... take lots of shots... and hope a few of them make you happy.

I was particularly intrigued by the roots sticking up out of the sand on the bluffs.  I mentioned those tenacious trees and bushes to you earlier.  Well, here is some of the reason they don't just go rolling off with the prevailing winds that blow in from the ocean.  

The roots snake in and out of the soil... if you can call this sandy stuff soil. As an Iowa farmer who is used to deep, rich, dark soil, it can be difficult to reconcile oneself with other soil types.  Even so, the visual textures were interesting, created by erosion over time from persistent winds and rain.

The strong winds tend to prune trees and bushes so they are lopsided.  Lower to the ground on the windward side and higher on the leeward.  The branches getting broken off on the front and growing longer in the back.   

Sometimes tenacity requires the knowledge of what battles one can win and which ones aren't worth expending the energy on.  These trees and bushes make themselves a bit more streamlined so they can keep living here.  It doesn't matter if they're symmetrical or horticultural specimens of perfect, and thus unnatural, beauty.  What they are is even more beautiful than the perfect specimen.  They are survivors.  They thrive because they have learned how to live where they are planted. 

Sometimes, even the base of the plant and its largest roots are exposed as the soil is washed and blown away.  Yet, the plant continues to live.  It's an image of hidden strength exposed.

Perhaps it isn't easy to see in the picture shown above.  So, you'll just have to take the words with the image.  I could have, if I wanted to, crawled under the roots of this bush/tree and sought some shade there.  Yet, when I touched the roots that were as thick as my arms I could not move them, even if I wanted to.  And to be truthful, I did not want to move them.  I gave them a cursory light push to judge their sturdiness.  Then, I moved on, not wanting to add on to the plant's trials.

I thought about taking many more pictures (digital camera, remember?).  But, the battery decided I had done enough.  That's the point when I realized the back up battery was happily ensconced in the charger back where we were staying.  Alas!

But, that's ok.  We were able to take a farmer-selfie before the battery quit on us.  Our shadow is all we endeavor to leave as an imprint of our visit to the Mahaulepu Trail.  But, the trail and its surroundings left a deep impression on us.