One of my favorite trips thus-far! Great company (Keith and Karen, yay!), awesome hikes, and even better views. Thank you, Keith, for planning this awesome trip!! It was my first trip where I didn't plan anything (I have major control issues LOL) so it was really freeing to not have to worry about anything. But it also goes to show how much faith I have in Keith to pick super cool shit :D
Day 1: Sunset at Haleakala Crater
We landed in Maui at around 1 PM, had lunch, ran some errands, got some peanut-butter sandwich materials and headed straight over to Haleakala for Sunset.
There was a huge crowd (Although I imagine it would be more crowded at sunrise - don't forget you need to get a permit!) but we found a good spot to huddle to watch the sunset. Always beautiful to see sunsets - no matter where you are :) Especially if you have some beer and cheezits to enjoy it. Everyone left a couple minutes after sunset, which meant we had the area to ourselves to watch the stars come out. Good times were had!
Day 2: Pipiwai Trail
This was the trail I got murdered by mosquitos. Damn you, mosquitos!! A month later, and my legs still haven't fully recovered. My boss even told me not to wear shorts anymore to work because my legs look so bad (thanks, boss LOL). The hike itself reminded me of the bamboo trail in Japan. Very pretty.
We also explored the infinity pools at Makahiku Falls. You have to climb under a barbed fence at one point, but it was great to see the pools in all its glory. It was raining quite a bit when we were there and I remember we were just about to get into the pools when I started hearing the water become lounder and lounder. Flash flood time! We got our asses outta there. We later watched the water come down the falls from a distance - much stronger than a couple hours prior. Nature is both very scary and very cool..
Note: we were crazy excited about our Jeep Wrangler. My dream car (in white!). I do have to say that the backseat is uncomfortable to sit. The seats only go straight up, and doesn't really lean back. No matter - it just meant that I slept most of the time...hehe.
Day 3: Secret Falls
We saved the best for last, of course! This was hands down, my favorite waterfall EVER. To see this particular waterfall, you usually have to be on a helicopter to even get a glismp of it. It was an amazing hike (right off Road to Hana) and we were alone the entire 7 hours on this trail. It's really a magical experience to be able to experience something so large and thunderous and be reminded of how small we are in comparison. It's weird to say, but even though we were alone, I never felt like I was truly by myself. We later found out that the cliffs surrounding this trail are all sacred burial grounds - and maybe it all contributes to this?! Keith and I also agreed that it would be an amazing place to share with an S/O. One day, maybe?? Haha!
This hike was also a reminder that I am severely out of shape. We were waddling up-river (some parts waist-deep) the entire time and I was crazy tired. We came back to the car just as the light went dark (thank god!) and I was swearing up and down thinking we had walked at least 2-3 miles each way! Nope. .7 miles each way. How embarrassing....