Oh Kalalau

From journals kept in the valley:

Sat., Dec. 22nd - early morning
The hike in wasn't as bad as I was expecting. My pack didn't ever really feel all that heavy until I was just plain tired of walking. We, good friends Ben, Sierra and myself, hiked two miles to Hanakapiai (ha-nah-kah-pee-ai) in the nearly full moonlight on Thursday and spent the night there. We rose early Friday morning and hiked another 8 miles here to a camp spot called Honeymoon Suite. The ground here is covered in narrow leafed plantain, perfect for packing on all the little cuts and scratches from hiking all that way barefoot.
Later
I slept alright in my new hammock last night though I got a little cold from underneath. This morning we went down to check out the beach and helped some guys come in off a boat. Then Sierra and I hiked up-valley to Rich's camp where we are now. That was a very tiring hike. After 8 miles it seems like 1 wouldn't be bad at all but it was a lot of steep, up hill. After dropping off our backpacks we went down to the river and bathed at "Outlaw Pools." I took a nap on a rock between two small waterfalls... so peaceful. The Mosquitoes though... ouch. We went back up to the camp, cleaned it up some, I set up my hammock, made a water run and then Ben showed up. Sierra's gone to gather taro and things for dinner now and I'm cozy and dry in my hammock. Long day.

Christmas Eve 2007
Yesterday I went roaming with Sierra. We walked a labyrinth and did a whole ton of weeding at "Community Garden." I also saw the "Unforgotten Garden" and we gathered oranges, breadfruit and kukui nuts. We took the kukui nuts up to "Big Pools" and smashed them up to rub on the oils after we bathed in the pools. Then we gathered shrimp from some pools around "Outlaw Heao" and headed back to clean a scrape on my finger that was starting to get sore and infected. We met Ben who had found four coconuts and we boiled water for my finger at "Couch Camp," then hiked back to Rich's, took a nap and had dinner of a salad of fresh greens from the valley with olive oil, nut. yeast and honey, breadfruit(baked in the fire, then peeled and cut up and fried, tastes just like potatoes and gravy!) and green papaya and wild lemongrass tea. Oh, life is good. It's so beautiful here! Almost everything you would think of in a tropical paradise, besides the voracious mosquitoes...
Today we hiked up to a camp on a ridge ("The Shelf") that Sierra and Ben are going to set up at. Sierra and I watched a helicopter come and land on a ridge further up valley. It's supposed to be illegal to land in the valley so the people here seem to think something suspicious is going on up there. We saw its blinking light where it landed then it took off and went out the opposite side of the valley as it came from. We want to go check out what's happening up there but then again we're scared to.
My hammock is treating me well though I've been sleeping with a tarp wrapped around me and my sleeping bag to keep it insulated.

Christmas 2007
It's a warm night. Either that or I'm really hot from the hike home to my hammock.
Christmas was a memorable one! I woke up and hunted for some lilikoi and got stuff ready to go as we had planned to meet at Couch Camp to make a big breakfast. I took everything down then washed most all my clothed in the river then cleaned up Couch Camp and scavenged some trash camps then Ben and Sierra came along. We cooked some DELICIOUS banana pancakes with lilikoi and honey on top. Oh, they were so good.
Presently, along came Santiago and he and Ben decided to go investigate the helicopter activity up-valley. Sierra and I took the breakfast things back to Rich's and got ready to go down the Christmas celebration at the "Sanctuary," a community kitchen camp on the bluff over the ocean. We brought along with us a taro root, two cocos and a little rack of bananas and headed down the "Hippie Highway."
A guy we ran into on the trail asked me (while Sierra was talking to Daniel) if this was the way up to all the ancient Hawaiian walls. I was like, "yeah man, they're all over!" He didn't seem to get it and thought there were some really big ones somewhere.. You see, the ancient Menehunes used the Kalalau Valley for growing food and they had the whole valley cleared and terraced with lava rocks, which I guess are scientifically traced back to Maui, not Kauai. Whoa. And now the valley is still covered with 3-4 foot tall terraces but the jungle has completely taken over and people have to find just the right spot to clear out and get a little sun for their gardens.
We arrived at the Sanctuary and immediately fell into the wonderful Rainbow Phamily scene happening. Sierra started making baskets out of sage and hao and then this guy, Neil, comes up to us and asks if we'd like to make any calls home with his satellite phone. What a treat! I called my mom and said hello but somehow lost the signal and ended up leaving a message a while later.
Meanwhile there was food and music galore. Fire baked pizzas all night and taro, coconut, and chocolaty, raw goodness bliss balls. I am stuffed. What a wonderful day.
On our way home we stopped by the river and watched the moon... I should sleep well tonight.

Dec. 26
It's true, I think I slept better than I have in a while, though today has been a tired, cold and wet one... I woke up late, after the first helicopters had started flying. It was pretty drizzly so I stuck around Rich's instead of heading to meet Ben and Sierra at Couch Camp as planned. Eventually they came up and we cooked some oatmeal and hung around some. Then they headed out to take care of a rotting dead goat by Outlaw Pools and possibly hike up to Big Pools. I, meanwhile, took a nap and slept into the afternoon. I woke and hung out at Rich's (still drizzling), played his nice little baby Taylor guitar and went for a walk up Spirit Ridge which gave me a spectacular view of the valley. If only I'd have had my camera... it would have gotten so wet and dirty though. I picked guava plums and lilikoi for lunch. Now I'm sitting in my hammock again, a little cold and damp and wondering if they'll be back this way again tonight... It's getting dark. How will I sleep tonight after having napped a good part of the day?

End of journals. Let's see if I can remember the rest of the time...

Sierra did come up that night. We chatted and cooked falafel and quinoa and stayed warm and dry around our little fire. It rained throughout the night, and I'd decided by the time I got out of my hammock in the morning of the 27th that it was time to move from the valley to the bluff where it was drier.
After saying goodbye to Rich's camp and the giant mango trees I was camped by, I walked with Sierra down the main trail to the minor trail that led to her camp (she wanted to go check up with Ben) and then continued the rest of the way down myself. I arrived at the Sanctuary in time for some fresh bread and stew and a fire to warm/dry up by.
I went and set up my hammock a while later then Sierra came down to figure out when we were going to hike out. I had originally said I wanted to leave Fri the 28th but since being down the aptly named Sanctuary I had really come to feel at home so we decided to stay another day.
I sat up around the fire with some folks until quite late (or early) half because I was enjoying myself so much and half because I was hesitant to leave the warmth if I didn't have a tarp to curl up in. The highlight of the night was when a cat, who we had seen climb up a tree inside the camp, fell out of the tree onto the tarp roof right above, almost on top of, someone's head. He then climbs to the edge of the tarp and literally stumbles right off the edge. We then see that his head is stuck in a cheese wrapper and the poor thing couldn't see at all! He stumbles around the camp for a little bit, almost into the fire until someone can get him and remove his little space helmet. :)
I ended up sleeping at Spencer's camp as he offered me some extra blankets. I slept in one of his fleece sleeping bags, the same as I had and stayed warm on the ground though I had to keep my head completely covered, both for warmth and for protection against the mosquitoes. I woke in the morning, had some coffee with hot cocoa mix and then went up to Ginger Pools to wash. I met up with Shawn, who had sprained his ankle the day before and was mostly confined to his camp. When I had finished washing, I returned to the Sanctuary and my hammock, telling Shawn I'd be back with some salves and some remedies. I got my satchel with all my necessities and went back up again. It was just me and him for a while, making conversation and keeping each other company. It seems we have a bit in common, he's a really cool guy. A little while later, Santiago and Jay come along and join in on the conversation and company. Soon, we have a little party going on as Spencer, Niel, Torrie, Sierra, Ben and Lonnejoin and others come and go. Shawn made some mulled wine ("is it mold? or mull-ed?") with cloves and fresh orange peel and Lonnie got out his shell jewelry collection. He gifted me with a little niihau shell bracelet, I wear it constantly. Sooner or later, it becomes dinner time-ish and everyone heads down the Sanctuary. Sierra and I lent our shoulders to help Shawn hobble down the trail.
That night was a party! Oh, it was the most fun. More good food, good music and good company. I've come to the conclusion that I have never bonded and become comfortable with such a group of people so quickly. I was not my usual corner personality that night. I was not a loud participant, but I WAS a participant. It was bliss.
Sierra and I discussed leaving in the morning and I was half trying to convince myself that I had to stay forever (at least a couple more days!) but I ended up being "sensible" and we decided to leave in the morning in order to allow myself a couple days to rest and readjust to the outside world before the family returned from their trip.
So, Sierra came down in the morning on the 29th and I packed my things up, said my farewells to my new friends and we set out up the coast on the now slippery, muddy, narrow, sometimes relatively treacherous trail. It took us most of the day, and when we finally got to Ke'e beach and the road Sierra asked a young, friendly looking couple if they would give us a ride to our homes, which they did. At first, it seemed so foreign to ride in a car, but soon it was a luxury and we were thrilled to receive rides that required hardly any more walking to our doors.
I arrived at the apartment to find Matt, Kim and Kela over. I jumped right in the shower and they left but they offered to bring me some soup soon. I was happy to see them and grateful for the warm meal, but very happy to clean off and rest.
The next day I was very sore. My legs, feet, everything. I did manage, though to get out to the store and buy some indulgent food, ice cream, chips and salsa and meat! I probably gained in that day whatever weight I'd lost living so lightly in the valley. Oh well. :)
So, the trip was certainly an adventure. It had it's moments of near breakdown and wanting to escape, but it had plenty of beautiful moments too. Overall, it was a complete success. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants really get off the beaten path and learn to live harmoniously with nature in the tropics.

Mahalo, Kalalau, I will return.