Archive for September 2nd, 2009

The nene were well into their daily foraging routine as the morning light crested the Paliku ridges and raced to illuminate. There were some sounds coming from inside Kapalaoa cabin as bodies moved from slumber to remember. One could feel the early momentum surging toward the hike to Paliku cabin.

Now of the three cabins in the crater it may just be universally agreed upon that Paliku wins the chi chi ,bo bo, ya ya award. Oh, by the way, big disappointment at Kapalaoa in the fact that the wooden picnic style table inside had been formaicaed over in a transparent attempt to bring tackiness to the wilderness. Paliku has it all. You're still in the crater with amazing vistas but its a bit warmer and much greener and the vibe in the cabin is one of having arrived rather than just passing through.

Ty and I knew this well but the lam-misters and frenchy hadn't a clue. I have this little thing I go through upon awakening and finding myself sore, sleep deprived and partially ossified with plenny more hiking ahead. What I do is ask myself, "what the fuck, you could be home drinkin' hot chocolate and watching Maddow, whatchu dooin'?"The response is always the same. Too late now, sucka. From there it just gets easier.

Noemie had popped her lenses in and wiki'ed her stuff into her pack and was out in front of the cabin breathing the morning in. Any eye contact with that girl solicited the signature smile. She looked fresh as the proverbial daisy. She ate and drank nothing. The cabin cleanup went quickly with Emily and James at the helm. Ty and I replaced the bunk matress to its designated slot, packed up, did some dishes, filled our water bottles, locked the back door and walked out into the cool bright morning.We all departed the cabin and with the click of the combo lock made our way to the trail.

At first its a bit like the trail leading to Kapalaoa. Kind of small grain cinder lined with flax and fern plants. But then it segues into a lava pathway strewn with loose rocks. There are old flow outcroppings on the left and a beautiful meandering arroyo on the right. One can look up at the ridges and see the remnants of rock slides spread out at the keyline like a river delta caught in a freeze frame.

About a quarter mile down this path on the left is a small access point through the rough sculpted lava. It was here that I found a camp site on my first trip into Haleakala in June of '70. Spent nine nights tent camping and ten days roaming the hills electric like I owned the joint. I'd go to the cabin once every day or two to get water for cooking and drinking.

This one time there were a couple of San Fransisco socialite moms with three or four kids doing the sliding sands to kaupo hike. All North Face and Kelty. I was hanging by the cabin brewing up some tea when they arrived. The youngest boy who couldn't have been more than seven or eight looked pooped. He was carrying a small pack that sagged a bit under the weight. We exchanged greetings and I smiled at the kid and said, "looks like you're ready for a rest". He just rolled his eyes back. Turns out he was charged with the task of carrying in a six pound london broil as well as the packets of freeze dried beef stroganoff, dehydrated daiquiri mix and his sleeping bag and toothbrush. We talked a little about this and laughed a bit about that and as I got up to go they invited me to come back at sunset for daiquiris, which I did. Acid and daiquiris. I felt like staying up there forever.

We wound our way around and through rock formations and thickening vegetation. Narrow rocky trails require full attention and a sure footed pace so one has to slow way down to take in the surroundings. Even though the once molten lava is fixed in stone, there is a very dynamic feeling to it all. Brilliant blue sky framing subtle earth tones and mountainous moonscapes all under the radiant and healing sunlight. Miller time.

Ty was the first to spot some ripe Ohelo berries which although somewhat bland tasting impart real refreshment and began to appear regularly along the path. We took rest when tired and kept a leisurely pace. The trail eventually intersects with the one from Holua cabin at the base of a large cinder cone, Puu Oili where we all kicked back and broke out the goods.

I twirled a slim one, fished the bag of trail mix out of my pack and took a long pull off my water bottle. It was chilly enough in the breezy shade to scare up a few goosebumps. Ty and I sucked some smoke and passed it on to the cooing James and Emily. We all sat quietly munching a snack or two, re hydrating and waiting for that point when you're nearly too relaxed to keep moving. At that moment its either kick back and have a snooze or build a small fire under the toosh that is your will to forge ahead. It would have been a nice time to play a little shakuhachi to pump up the breathing, except for the fact that I forgot to bring it. I held my stiffened arms and splayed hands up and made a Frankenstein meets Jerry Lewis moaning sound in the hope that someone would give the ol' guy a little help. Not a chance.

As you come around the Puu, the trail opens out into a lava field , smooth and shimmering in the sunlit heat. Its my favorite area because its so open and speaks so transparently of the spectacle of molten rock making its way toward the gap. It also affords one of the best views both east and west.

A couple of years back i sat with my dad on his death bed and told him that Ty and I had agreed that some of my ashes be spread in the crater by the hill called Oili. I asked him if he'd like to have a pinch of himself join the party. He smiled and nodded, so as our little excursion approached the favored location, Ty and I hung back and let the others go on to Paliku.

We sloughed our packs and started searching the area for the "spot". After a few moments we came across a bubble cave which for some reason had what looked like a couple of hundred feet of loosely coiled speaker wire tossed on the ground. We figured some hippy found the cave while tripping balls, got caught up in a fantasy about living there and got as far as bringing in some speaker wire for his surround sound, solar powered music system. The novelty must have worn off.

To the left of this strange anomaly was a lava outcropping with deep grooves forming near concentric circles from peak to base. There were three distinct levels. So we talked it out and sprinkled the last of dads ashes in the upper groove, reserving the middle for me and the foundation for Ty. We walked back to the path, keeping a slanted rock landmark in sight. It was a cool moment for us both and further cemented the bond that has been such a blessing in our lives.

From there, its less than a mile to Paliku. The trail opens up the view down the gap, across the channel and to the big island where the volcanoes appear to just hang suspended in the passing clouds. Misty drafts raced up the gap curling off the ridges as the final leg of the trail revealed the roof of Paliku cabin coming into view. We passed through tall grass and the first of the raspberry thickets that grow around the cabin and down the gap. It's not a long hike but I was ready to strip off my shoes, socks and shirt and lay motionless in the cool green grass.

Unfortunately I fell asleep and burned my face to a crisp. I awakened to the sound of an egg frying on my forehead.

Check the website for this weeks food items. Its right there under the "csa" tab at the top of the page.

The more you show, the more we'll grow. Sweet dreams, Jp