Bucket List Item

Years ago when I first started teaching at Lakeridge I read an article in Backpackers Magazine about backpacking the Napali Coast on Kauai. I was intrigued because it was beautiful, somewhat dangerous, and different than anything I had ever done before. It was in an article about the best hikes to do in America. I learned after I bought permits and plane tickets that it is also on the list for one of the top 10 most dangerous hikes in America. I will say I never felt in danger, but you are on some pretty big cliffs. If you have a fear of heights you probably want to skip this one.

Luckily for me I have awesome friends who also thought this hike sounded amazing. This was the reason we went to Hawaii! Unfortunately for us there was a tropical storm close to Kauai so we were delayed one day and lost one night on the hike. This meant we had to cover more miles in a shorter time, but it all worked out.

 It started to rain as soon as we started hiking. We had rain on and off the entire first day.

 The views are the best.

The first rest stop is at a beach 2 miles in. You do not need permits to go this far. It is an amazing hike. If you are ever on Kauai it is worth your time.

You aren't supposed to swim because the waves are crazy, but lots of people do.

 Hiking this trail was amazing. We spent a lot of time on cliffs overlooking the mountains and an equal amount of time in overgrown jungles. It was fun to see the contrast. I definitely preferred hiking on the cliffs with the beautiful ocean in view. A look at the jungle.

 We hiked in 6 miles the first night to get to the Hanakoa valley campsite. We got there as the sun was setting. It was raining and there were tons of mosquitoes. We pretty much set up camp and hunkered down in our individual tents. It was hard to sleep because it was so humid.

 We woke up early the next day and had 5 miles to go to get to Kalalau beach where we would camp for the night. The skies were clear which was a very welcome change. Due to the weather the previous days the trail was really muddy in a lot of places which was a little annoying.....just saying.

 The day was gorgeous.

 The terrain of the hike was interesting. You gain and lose a lot of elevation which makes the hike so challenging. In 11 miles you gain 5,000 ft elevation but you lose that as well. A little training is definitely recommended.

 There were signs about all the hazards.

Finally we hiked far enough to see the welcome sign.

 Looking down on the beach we needed to hike to.

We were so tired. It was great to get in to camp, set up, and relax on the beach. It was very humid!!!!

 We had a nice little place to camp. Luckily it was dry because our gear needed a break from all the rain. We showered in the waterfall.

 We watched the sun set.

Such a beautiful place.

 The next morning we hiked 11 miles out. I had hiked a lot this summer so I actually felt great on the way out. All those miles paid off. It was a long day but it wasn't horrible. It was hot though. I finally just rolled my hiking capri's up.

 

Super cute, I know.

I love all the signs warning people not to swim.

 One last good-bye.

The best thing about finishing a backpacking trip, even a short one, is eating real food. It was so nice to get some food. We were supposed to camp the last two nights but we all vetoed that and got a hotel. Best choice ever!!! Hot showers and a hot tub here we come!