Saturday, March 24, 2012

Hiking on Maui

We’ve been home for a week now, but want to post some pics from a couple of hikes we enjoyed in the mountains of west Maui. The first, to the Ioa Needle, was with Peggy, Verne & Tom.

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There are paths down to a stream which was running pretty fast due to the rain that had fallen recently. Along the way were colorful tropical plants, growing naturally in the woods.

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The second hike was in Kapalua, recommended by our hiking buddies above. The five of us had planned on doing the 7+ mile hike during the second week there, but unfortunately were rained out. By the time we felt the terrain would be dry enough, Peggy, Verne, Carole & Tom had already gone back home, so Bill and I hiked the trail by ourselves. It’s a pretty nice system they have. A shuttle bus takes you to the beginning of the trail from the Village Center.

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The trail begins at a higher elevation and winds its way through the woods, across fields, along a mountain ridge, and beside a golf course before ending up back at the village center parking lot. We had perfect weather for our hike. Here’s some of what we saw along the way:

   interesting tree trunks                                                           interesting tree roots 

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   helpful signposts                                                                     plant identification sign (note the plant name!)

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   abandoned pineapple plants                                               fallen trees – Bill lifted this for me to pass under

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It was an invigorating morning and we’re so glad we took this hike. It’s one we look forward to repeating on our next trip to Maui!

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