Maui: Waihe'e Ridge Trail

Rich red earth in places, lush foilage and light filtered by overcast created rich colors.

Dec 28: I woke early for this hike and when I got up I felt unsteady on my feet -- a little off balance. I took this as a continuation of symptoms of dehydration and made myself a smoothie. And I packed two bottles of water along with the Platypus in my backpack. I also left later than I had planned in order to test my steadiness. I used the time to study the maps and guide book to make sure this was something to try, and headed out, getting to the trail head about 8:30 a.m., later than I had planned.

The photos that follow follow the timeline of the hike, which  more than delivered on promises of spectacular views as well as some interesting subjects. The first photo, for example.

I've never seen a honeybucket so stuffed. Popular spot, I guess.

The trail head gate on the right is not for the corpulent. I had to remove my backpack to pass.

This end-of -hike photo shows the initial ascent and an overflow of visitors, below.

This was my first view of the actual trail.

The tree at left is eucalyptus. There were lots of those, some straight as utility poles.

A grove of Norfolk pine.

On the north slope one waterfall fed a lower falls.

On the south flank of the trail, the slopes were equally steep.

The rim path meandered toward its destination.

At the one-mile mark stood the dramatic tree that opened this post.

Dainty flowers along the path.

My Waterloo--the slippery slope to the top

The photo above marks where I turned back. I was tired on this hike, but believed I could complete all 2.6 miles to the top. But about 1.5 miles in, I encountered this steep, slick path along a narrow ridge with steep fallaways on each side. Even under the best of conditions I don't handle heights well. It was time to recognize that I had done more than I expected, and head home. Back at the trail head I ate my lunch, then ended up napping in the car. It was then that I realized how tired I was and that I needed to focus on preparing for the next day, when I would be flying home late at night.

A view of the sea during my descent

A scene at a bend in the trail

A moss-covered knob overlooking the valley to the north

A curiosity--a fern with branches

Increasing contrast on this photo clarified the dramatic erosion furrows on this mountain's flank.

Statistics for the day:

Distance: 3 miles
Elevation gain: 974 feet 
Conditions: Not bad. Humidity varied; wind chill helped with warm temperture. Overcast with low ceiling over valleys and beaches. Path slick with hardened clay and mud in patches.
Load: Negligible: Cameras and water.

Statistics, year to date:

Distance: 1,512.5 miles

Elevation gain: 65,767 feet; 6,288 feet to fifth Rainier