Any Snow on Kauai?

In a comment to a previous article, Mark suggests that we need artificial snow here. Skiing is as close as the Big Island this time of year, as a matter of fact they were at it just this week:

Photo credit: KITV News 4 via the Honolulu Star Bulletin

Winter storms leave snow on the volcanos of Mauna Loa (”Long Peak” at 13,415′ or 4089m) and Mauna Kea (”White Peak” at 13796′ or 4205m), though it rarely builds up. People ski at Mauna Kea since the road goes all the way up to the telescopes at the summit. Get a friend with a 4-wheel drive and some chains, but don’t take your expensive boards because I bet more than a few rocks poke through. I’ve always wanted to fly over there with my randonnée skis but I’d have to be lucky to time it right. And then I don’t know if I could handle the uphill skiing after driving up there from sea level.

So the Big Islanders are lucky to see some snowy peaks, but it got me thinking: has it ever snowed on Kauai? The highest point here is 5243′ or 1598m near Mt Wailaleale, but sometimes we get a cold winter storm that might freeze up there overnight. I have never heard someone mention snowflakes falling in Kokee, the highest road on Kauai at 4000′ (1240m), but then again, I’ve never asked. A quick Google for “snow on Kauai” yeilds no evidence, although I did learn that a Kauai chief once wooed a snow-goddess of Mauna Kea and the large Poliahu heiau (stone-walled temple) in Wailua, 3 miles from my house, is named after her.

I’ll start asking around, some of the old timers here might be able to tell me, though I’d really like to find someone who has seen the snow falling themselves.

A is for …

Three of things that I enjoy most about Kauai are summed up in the following picture:

Update: Even though Mark’s comment does not doubt the photo was taken in winter, I feel I should reveal it was taken on December 27, 2005. I don’t remember avocados throughout the previous winter, but either I wasn’t paying attention or the very hot and dry December had some influence.

Old Koloa Town Torn Down

Once again in Koloa for an ice cream after an afternoon of snorkeling back in December, I was saddened to see that they finally began tearing down the old Koloa town. This photo, taken from the “terrasse” of the Lappert’s ice cream shop, shows all that’s left of the cottages in the third picture of my previous post:

According to yesterday’s Garden Island newspaper, I’m not the only one who thinks the planned developments will destroy the atmosphere of the oldest missionary and sugar mill town on Kauai. Resident there are fighting to save the stately old trees across the stree from this photo, yet you can tell they expect something other than tourist shops:

[D]evelopers should build either affordable housing on the site, or storefronts for businesses like a laundry mat, a dry cleaner or a hardware store, providing services for residents that are not available in Koloa today.