Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls

Trail- Pipiwai Trail
Location- Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii
Distance- 5 mile roundtrip
Difficulty rating- Does not matter, it is way too beautiful :)

This is the most beautiful trail with the unique Bamboo shoots. 

It is totally covered all the way with the terrain changing at every moment.

First overlook spot at 0.5 miles.

Trees, bridges, streams..you got everything you ask..

Pool ..oops, river...?

You have no idea till you encounter this. This part starts around 1.5 miles.  it was the most unique fantastic experience I have had. The thick Bamboo shoots, the rustling, the walkway..I have now words!

The Bamboo magic extends for almost a mile!

This is the endpoint, the climax! The beautiful Waimoku Falls! :) 

The 5 mile is so worth it! 

Happy Trails!

Iao Valley

Name: Iao Valley

Location: West Maui Mountains

Trail- Unpaved

When you are in Maui, you see two mountain ranges- West Maui mountains( Iao valley) and the Haleakala mountains.  It reminded me of the peaceful hermitages, with all the greenery, waterfalls and botanical gardens

The pristine waterfalls will make anyone's heart soar.

This is the Iao Needle. This reminded me of the place shown in the series "Lost". One of the most magical places.

There is an unpaved trail when you reach the top. If you make it through the slippery slopes, you have the most breathtaking views of the valley, which is not visible to others on the paved trail.

It can get pretty dangerous if it is rainy as there are no railings. You can continue on this trail for a long time. We returned back after 2.5 miles. The forest gets dense.

The tree on the way to the trail, this is probably the widest spot we ever faced.

As John Muir said,I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in!

Happy Trails!

Sliding Sands Trail

Name: Sliding Sands  Trail

Location- Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii

Roundtrip- 11 miles till camp (backpacking)

Rating- Strenuous as it starts at 10,000ft and goes downhill first. Need to be aware of the uphill climb!

This is my most favorite hike till date. As you walk amidst these dormant volcanoes, you are suddenly transported to another planet.

This is the view of Western Maui mountains (Iao Valley) as you are climbing up the Haleakala Peak.

First sight of the observatory and the peak at the Trailhead.

Are you on Mars?!

A land of wonder!

Such beautiful vistas, streaks and these are pictures from my super simple camera!

I could not get enough of the scene at hand (or leg? :P)

It is a straight 2000ft descent in about 2 miles. It is very easy to go down being lost in the beauty and serenity of the place.

When you stop to look behind, you are caught in a fix to determine which spot is the best.

The sparse vegetation.

The endangered species of the land- Silversword! They really are silver.

They look like these fuzzy balls scattered around the place. They are present at around 1.8 mile marker and nowhere else.

Proof of lava flow and solidification. When you walk on it, you have a feeling that you are part of history :)

This is very deceptive and you can go on without stopping. CAUTION: Stop! Assess the amount of distance and depth at a point and note that you have to climb back that steep ascent. At 10,000ft, the equations are totally different.

Once you are back, you cant stop looking back :)

This is a very challenging trail. It is best to backpack and walk the entire 11 miles to the camp to avoid the ascent back on the steep slope. Carry lots of water! Best part is, if you dont want to walk all the way, you can stop wherever you want and just turn back.

HAPPY TRAILS!