Raiders of the North Shore...

Aloha!
Its the Wahine here! Rocco is still snoozing so I thought I would make some coffee and write a new blog about our adventures yesterday! Rocco convinced me to go on a hike to Hanakapi'ai on the north shore of the island and I am so glad we went. It was such an amazing experience... tiring, but amazing. Here is some information on the hike for those interested from Kauaiexplorer.com:

Cool Because
You get a river, a beach and a waterfall in an ancient pristine valley
Topography
Trail begins at Ke`e Beach traveling along high ocean-side cliffs. Narrow path passes in and out of several valleys with steep inclines and declines. Trail conditions may range from muddy puddles to dry, crumbly rock. Path leads to Hanakapi`ai beach with option to follow along Hanakapi`ai river to waterfall that drops into large, deep pool.
Not Good For
Those that do not have strong endurance and are not in good physical condition.
Hazards
Extreme inclines and declines on uneven, narrow footpath on high cliffs. Loose rocks underfoot and from eroding cliffs above. Trail is slippery when muddy. Strong sun, little shade. Heavy backpacks can cause overexertion. Filter all water. Strong currents and flash flooding can occur at the river. Dangerous shorebreak and riptides at Hanakapi`ai beach - use extreme caution.

DIFFICULTY
Strenuous (9 out of 10)
LENGTH
4 Miles (one-way)

Good thing I read this AFTER the hike because I probably wouldn't have gone. :) It was really tough but WELL worth it. The beach at the end of the hike is incredible. I kept seeing signs leading up to the beach such as:

And wondering "How dangerous can it REALLY be?!" We were so hot and tired, I just kept imaging jumping into the ocean to cool off once we got there... Well- once we got there, I quickly realized why it wasn't such a good idea and saw how so many people had drowned there... Pictures really don't do it justice but the waves were HUGE and so powerful. There was an area where the water was very calm and shallow so at least we could wade in and clean all the clay off our feet. Speaking of feet... I have to give Rocco some credit for making us purchase these dorky REI shoes that he claimed would be perfect for hiking and for walking on beaches were there was lava rock, etc. I was less than thrilled about purchasing these but figured anything would be better than "Aqua Socks." Well those shoes have been SO nice for snorkeling, hiking, and even walking around the town. So... here is goes, "Those shoes were a good idea after all honey."

So after the hike, which took us roughly 4 hours, we stopped in Hanalei at "Bubba's Burgers" for a late lunch. Hanalei is beautiful (thanks for the tip Amanda!) and we plan to go back there this week for some more beach time and to watch the locals surf.

After our 1.5 hour trip home (which is a beautiful drive), we were absolutely exhausted. We managed to take showers and eat pizza in the condo and that was it. We were done!

Here are some pictures from the hike!