Aloha Friends!
Hopefully you had a fun Halloween, with just the amount of shenanigans that you enjoy. It's been years since I've been able to dress up at work, but since Lahaina takes Halloween very seriously, there was absolutely nothing wrong with us dressing up like scary dolls and asking all our co-workers if they wanted to be our friends....for eternity.
The trade winds are back, so the heat of August and September has abated a little bit. When you drive into upcountry Maui, the temperature drops in a most pleasant way. It was in the low 70's at the trail head, compared to to the low 90s when I left the west side of Maui. Hiking the Waihou Springs Trail felt like hiking back in Colorado or in Wisconsin - the smell of pine in the air, needles underfoot, and a crisp breeze. It's the closest we're coming to fall here in Maui, as far as I can tell.
This hike isn't very long. You may have to jump across the creek depending on the water flow (or use a downed tree, like I did). The spring trail switch backs down into the valley and on the way down, you can hear the waterfall and if you turn uphill, you can see it. I was hoping at the bottom of the spring trail that I would see the full waterfall, but that was not the case.
How to get to the trail head: From Makawao, take Olinda Road up to mile marker 11.9 where there is parking and a sign for the Tree Growth Research Area. You'll walk through the gate and be on the trail.
It's hard to believe the November 3, 2014 is my one year Mauiversary. The year has gone by so fast! When I arrived, it was 2am - after 12+ hours of flight delays. On the drive to the hotel, I knew the ocean was there, but I couldn't see it.
This was one of the first pictures I after arriving here on the Valley Isle.
Maui No Ka Oi
