Such a windy day today! Our condo gets highway traffic noise by early morning. Kapaa has some severe traffic woes on its single 2 lane road which is backed up for a mile almost all day. Should we kayak on the Wailua River or attempt a hike, we debate. We find trail reviews which talk about 3 Sleeping Giant/Nou Nou access trails – they say the front trail is 3 miles and fairly flat, the east trail is half that distance but moderately difficult, however google maps shows the road is all backed up, the west trail apparently is challenging and slippery if wet. I am reluctant to do the west trail, so we attempt the front one. We encounter thick mud just a few feet in and turn back. Next I am convinced to try the west trail, with trepidation, though it is reassuring when people coming down say it is just fine. We head up, I am anxious on the uphill sections, going up is fine as there are footholds and I have my poles, but I imagine I will need to slide on my butt coming down later. We pass through a forest of trees with rings on their trunks, lining the trail like a road to a distant castle.
The view from the trail looking down on Wailua and Hanalei is majestic even with the misty cloudy skies. Oh no, a huge boulder wall over 3 ft. high must be scaled. I almost turn back, but a couple coming down says it is only 5 min more, don’t stop now… “the boulder is the worst part”. We take their word and I heave myself up this rock and we head up, more slick uphill climbing until we finally arrive at the pavilion. Alas, the bushes are so high you can’t see out, but a litle spur leads to a nice view of Hanalei, the mountains and misting rain in the distance. I chuckle as a young woman asks her friends if they think her grandma could have made it up and someone responds that she would have turned back a long time ago!
The way down is much less treacherous than I had imagined and the tall boulder is easier coming down than going up. We reach the grassy path and I am quite pleased to be still nimble enough to have made it all the way.