Makauwehi Cave and Mahaulepu - Walk There Again

Tammy took the repaired Achilles out for its first Kauai test drive on a trail that we know fairly well - and one that is probably one of the easiest on our "walk there again" list.  The good news?  The repaired leg did well.  The bad news?  Well, since we let weather and stresses of the world stop us from getting our weekly "walk theres" in after we left the month of October, the stamina wasn't what either of us wanted it to be.

But, it's all good.  Why?  Because we got to where we wanted to go and we got back!

Proof of Tammy's mobility!

For those who do not know, most trails on Kauai have obstacles of some kind or another.  Roots, rocks and uneven surfaces abound.  Nothing on this trail that should hinder most people enough to prevent their participation.  But, they are all things we need to be aware of as Tammy builds strength and mobility.  

At least we did not have to worry too much about excessive moisture on this trail because it is located in a drier location on the island.

Most of the trails we walked this time around are maintained by the Grove Farm as part of the Makauwehi Cave Preserve.  And this section allows both horse and pedestrian traffic.  Of course, the pedestrians need to be aware that the horse traffic may leave special "presents" for us to discover every now and again.

Now I mentioned to you that the trails in Kauai can provide obstacles in the form of roots and rocks and other things.  And, since Tammy is still recovering, we are trying to be more aware of such things.  However, since Rob still likes to take pictures as they go down the trail, it might be more important for HIM to pay attention to obstacles.

Oh, hey, Tammy!  Check out this neat green moss or lichen on the trees... ooops!

Actually, trails like those found at Backbone and some of the other locations we walked in Iowa this fall have their share of obstacles too.  So, it isn't entirely different in that regard - but we do find that we have to watch our feet MORE in Kauai than we do in Iowa on the trail.  Maybe that's because we live in Iowa more weeks of the year than we have in Kauai in total.

And no, walking out to do chores for the chickens does not count, even if you do find yourself tripping over a cat in the process of doing those chores.

The ultimate goal of this walk was to get to a particular point on the coastline that we found last time we were here.  But, the process of getting there has its share of things to look at.

What we both particularly like about this area is that it has been protected, thus far, from the development that seems to overtake the beautiful places in the world.  Everybody wants to live in or visit someplace wonderful and they don't necessarily see that their presence just might make a place less wonderful.  I get that - because we like visiting these places ourselves and we are fortunate to be able to do so.

Grove Farm is also working to restore the land after its earlier history  as a sugar plantation.  I think people who have read the Genuine Faux Farm blog for a while have some idea of how I feel about any type of monoculture - and that would include a sugar plantation.  So, it is good to see real efforts to reverse the harm done to the land.  

When we walk we try to be as aware as we can be that we should walk softly and respect the world around us for what it is.  Then, maybe, all of us can continue to have opportunities to experience places like this.

We can stay on the trail and breathe in the fresh air and observe the flowering bushes and hear the wind move the grasses.  The blue sky was offset by fluffy clouds, one of which seemed determined to put a few droplets on our heads.  

And not far away is the ocean.  If we grow tired of the things of the land and the air, we can watch the water.  

I always feel better when the ocean waves.

The final destination of this walk brought us to a beach we've been to one time before.  It's not one of the hugely popular beaches with lots of people sprawled out on the sand drinking, sipping drinks with little, pink umbrellas in them.  Instead, it is a place where you can see color and watch it change as the sun moves in and out of the clouds.

It is here that Tammy and I are reminded how deep and rich the colors of nature can be.  And that's worth a lot, in my opinion.

The walk back was uneventful and, like many such walks, we were more focused on simply returning than we were on exploring and viewing.  That's not always the case - but it is when we know we walked about as far as the recovery progress says we should go, leaving enough energy to successfully and safely return. 

The next time it went even better.  But we sure did enjoy walking here again.