Strong winds during the day form lines in the sand.

During the winter months, huge waves crash against the cliffs. The ocean engulfs the beach and carves caves into the young rock. In the summer, the caves offer shelter from the sun and wind.

Walk along the Na Pali Coast to the end of the beach for an amazing view.

But, don’t do what Cory’s doing here … you’ll give your friends a heart attack.

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When I got back from Kalalau I went to get a haircut. I told Hayleen, the lady that cuts my hair, about my trip and she said that Kalalau was one of her favorite places. She didn’t do the hike but she was able to see the Na Pali Coast from a cruise ship. She told me that when the ship got to Kalalau it slowed down and did a U-turn. Then they told everyone to go out on the observation deck. When Kalalau came into view the entire boat went silent. There was not a peep out of the couple thousand passengers on the deck. She said that even the babies were quiet. And then, after a few seconds passed, all you could hear was a barrage of *click-click-clicks* from cameras.

As you walk down the beach in Kalalau you feel like you’re in a different world. This was my favorite part of the trip. We walked the beach both days we were in Kalalau. We tried to soak it in as much as possible knowing that it would be quite some time before we would ever return.

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On the second day of our trip the weather was perfect. We had hiked 11 miles on the Kalalau Trail, set up camp and witnessed an epic moonrise the day before. So now what?

Well, it was time to explore Kalalau Valley.

And go for a swim.

The Kalalau Valley is about 2 miles deep and half a mile wide (I looked it up on Wikipedia). The main trail that takes you to the back of the valley is called the Kalalau Valley Trail. The trail takes you to a swimming hole and if you know where you’re going, you can find a side trail that leads to Kalalau Falls.

We set out to find the falls, got lost and ended up on a different trail that follows a stream full of waterfalls. We were told by some locals that this trail is much more beautiful than the Kalalau Valley Trail so we were stoked.

In this post I’ll show you the route we took to find this trail and point out a couple good swimming holes.

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Ah, the great outdoors.

The Kalalau camping area is where you can kick off your shoes and put on slippers …

… get some rest …

… and take a shower in a waterfall. (Clothing optional.)

We camped in Kalalau for 3 nights. I haven’t camped since I was a little kid so any type of camping would have been fun. Kalalau camping was on another level though. You have no cell phone signal, the only supplies you have are those you backpacked in with, and the only way to get out is to hike the 11 miles Kalalau Trail back to civilization. (In an emergency though, you could hitch a ride on a fishing or tour boat back to town.)

It’s all relative but for most of us, this was roughing it. We were grimy, living off of limited supplies, and pooping in the bushes. So why do it? Well what you get in return for giving up the comforts of home is seclusion. No contact with the outside world means no stress. You have adventure during the day and relaxation at night. Your only real concern is maintaining your water supply. Other than that, you can just cruise, talk story or sit quietly and listen to the chirping of birds and crashing of waves.

I know that what I’m writing here may sound silly to you, being that I live in Hawaii, but I live in Honolulu. Like, right next to Waikiki. I love the convenience of living in Town, but there’s tons of sirens and city noise around me and ice-heads occasionally roam the streets outside my building. Every night, someone randomly screams at the top of his lungs for no apparent reason. I run out to the lanai to see what’s going on and, silence. It’s weird.

So what I’m saying is, even though I live in Hawaii I still enjoy “getting away.” Camping was good times.

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We traveled to Kalalau during a full moon.

That decision proved to be well-founded.

Sitting on Kalalau Beach in the brightest moonlight I’ve ever seen was not bad, not bad at all.

Here’s the thing though, just because you are there during the full moon, there’s no guarantee you’ll get to see it. Hawaii weather being Hawaii weather, clouds can hamper your view at any time. (Like during the Super Full Moon, or when we hiked up the Haiku Stairs for the full moon.) And in fact, two out of the three nights we were there, the sky was cloudy.

But on the first night of our stay, which was the day before the official full moon of July, we were treated to clear skies. It was a wonderful reward for completing the grueling 11-mile trek to get here.

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This is the Kalalau Trail. 11 miles of hiking along the Na Pali Coast on the North Shore of the island of Kauai. All the while carrying a 30-40 pound pack of camping supplies. This is one of the most famous hikes in the world and last weekend, we finally got to experience it.

But the hike is really just a means to get to the real reward. That reward is getting to experience this special place called Kalalau. See that sliver of sand in the photo above? That’s the beach and it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. Beyond the beach is an incredible section of the Na Pali Coast that feels like a prehistoric land. And if you head toward the mountains you’ll be inside the huge Kalalau Valley filled with forest, boulders, streams and waterfalls.

Last Thursday, Cory, Jennifer, Jenelyn, Seth, Troy, Reanne and I traveled to Kalalau. We hiked in, camped for 3 nights and hiked back out. This blog post is the first in a 5-part series that documents a small part of what can be done in Kalalau. There’s plenty more adventure to be had in Kalalau, but here you’ll see what we were able to experience on our brief stay.

It all starts by hiking the Kalalau Trail…

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