Comments on: Wailua Headwaters http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/ Living and hiking on the island of Kauai Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:47:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Courtney http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-130509 Courtney Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:06:56 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-130509 Our friends hiked this in 5 hours the day after Thanksgiving. We were thinking 6, but it took us 7 because we got lost after crossing the river after the waterfall on our way back and had to bushwack straight down the ravine. Pictures I've seen could never make me appreciate the enormity of the canyon! Made me feel so small when we touched the back wall, and so loved to have been able to reach such a special place on our island. What an epic, awesome hike that I will not be doing again anytime soon! (Again, thanks for all your info and pics) Our friends hiked this in 5 hours the day after Thanksgiving. We were thinking 6, but it took us 7 because we got lost after crossing the river after the waterfall on our way back and had to bushwack straight down the ravine.

Pictures I’ve seen could never make me appreciate the enormity of the canyon! Made me feel so small when we touched the back wall, and so loved to have been able to reach such a special place on our island.

What an epic, awesome hike that I will not be doing again anytime soon! (Again, thanks for all your info and pics)

]]> By: Tara http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-108603 Tara Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:10:19 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-108603 Thanks for your description of the epic hike to the actual Blue Hole at Mt. Wai’ale’ale , aka, the back wall and headwaters of the Wailea River (we found that several sources often erroneously call Guardian Falls the Blue Hole). The hike is truly epic and heart-stoppingly beautiful, but - as your entry states – only for highly experienced and fit hikers ready to take on a full-day (10-12 hour) hike. If you're up to it, it's definitely worth the work. I’d also recommend a guide: Scott Silverston of Kauai Hiking Adventures. He was our personal guide for this hike in July 2011. He is awesome - very knowledgeable, friendly, and responsive. I highly recommend him to others for this, or any other hike, on Kauai. Thanks for your description of the epic hike to the actual Blue Hole at Mt. Wai’ale’ale , aka, the back wall and headwaters of the Wailea River (we found that several sources often erroneously call Guardian Falls the Blue Hole). The hike is truly epic and heart-stoppingly beautiful, but – as your entry states – only for highly experienced and fit hikers ready to take on a full-day (10-12 hour) hike. If you’re up to it, it’s definitely worth the work.

I’d also recommend a guide: Scott Silverston of Kauai Hiking Adventures. He was our personal guide for this hike in July 2011. He is awesome – very knowledgeable, friendly, and responsive. I highly recommend him to others for this, or any other hike, on Kauai.

]]> By: Melanie http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-80232 Melanie Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:50:25 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-80232 Did this hike today starting at the first spillway and up through the streams a bit. DO NOT recommend for novices as it was a four hour total hike just to get to the diversion. Beautiful area though! Did this hike today starting at the first spillway and up through the streams a bit. DO NOT recommend for novices as it was a four hour total hike just to get to the diversion. Beautiful area though!

]]> By: Aaron http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-78937 Aaron Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:33:25 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-78937 My wife and I were there May of 2008. We drove all the way to the Jurassic Park Gate. We wanted to continue, but hadn't planned for it so headed back to town. How far is the hike to the "three-way convergence" falls? I would love to hike to the back wall, but given your description, may not be a great idea at this time. Is the hike to the 3-way convergence better marked? We're headed back May 2010 for our 10th anniversary and would love to explore the area further... Thanks for your great post! My wife and I were there May of 2008. We drove all the way to the Jurassic Park Gate. We wanted to continue, but hadn’t planned for it so headed back to town. How far is the hike to the “three-way convergence” falls? I would love to hike to the back wall, but given your description, may not be a great idea at this time. Is the hike to the 3-way convergence better marked? We’re headed back May 2010 for our 10th anniversary and would love to explore the area further… Thanks for your great post!

]]> By: Ben Starr http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-75622 Ben Starr Thu, 07 May 2009 04:46:13 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-75622 Flagging on this route has been removed as of May 2009...probably due to the publication of the first part of the route in the famous "blue book." Lots of casual hikers are now poking around above the "three-way convergence" and I assume this is why the flagging was removed. New trails are being bashed in which can be extremely misleading. Because of the now-complete lack of flagged assistance on the route, this CANNOT be considered a day hike. Dangerously narrow, fragile, and exposed side trails made by confused hikers, pigs, and hunters will take you off the route and high onto the wrong ridge before you realize how far off the route you are. Due to the removal of flagging, I don't recommend that anyone serious consider reaching the back wall on a day hike. If you do attempt, make sure to turn back with enough time to reach the trailhead before sunset, or be prepared for a bivouac. Scrambling on the slick, slick rocks along the river is incredibly dangerous at night. I was far back into the route near the "nice little pools and falls" falls last week, and saw a considerable number of people attempting to reach the back wall who referenced this blog, the SummitPost route description, and Bob Burd's blog. This hike is NOT AS EASY as it may seem from the posts, and the potential for injury or death is quite high, especially for casual hikers. Flagging on this route has been removed as of May 2009…probably due to the publication of the first part of the route in the famous “blue book.” Lots of casual hikers are now poking around above the “three-way convergence” and I assume this is why the flagging was removed.

New trails are being bashed in which can be extremely misleading. Because of the now-complete lack of flagged assistance on the route, this CANNOT be considered a day hike. Dangerously narrow, fragile, and exposed side trails made by confused hikers, pigs, and hunters will take you off the route and high onto the wrong ridge before you realize how far off the route you are.

Due to the removal of flagging, I don’t recommend that anyone serious consider reaching the back wall on a day hike. If you do attempt, make sure to turn back with enough time to reach the trailhead before sunset, or be prepared for a bivouac. Scrambling on the slick, slick rocks along the river is incredibly dangerous at night.

I was far back into the route near the “nice little pools and falls” falls last week, and saw a considerable number of people attempting to reach the back wall who referenced this blog, the SummitPost route description, and Bob Burd’s blog. This hike is NOT AS EASY as it may seem from the posts, and the potential for injury or death is quite high, especially for casual hikers.

]]> By: Trevor http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-26675 Trevor Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:57:12 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-26675 Wow, thanks for showing this. Amazing. Wow, thanks for showing this. Amazing.

]]> By: Justin http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-25845 Justin Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:51:33 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-25845 AWESOME write up. Love the pics as well. How far in were you able to drive, I was here last year and went past the arboretum crossed the little stream, then stayed on the road as it turned to dirt, then came to the "T", took a right, then turned around after a few hundred yards no sure if i was on the right track... that 2nd stream crossing right after the the road goes dirt by the powerline trail entrance isnt "the" stream is it?... AWESOME write up. Love the pics as well. How far in were you able to drive, I was here last year and went past the arboretum crossed the little stream, then stayed on the road as it turned to dirt, then came to the “T”, took a right, then turned around after a few hundred yards no sure if i was on the right track…

that 2nd stream crossing right after the the road goes dirt by the powerline trail entrance isnt “the” stream is it?…

]]> By: Andy http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-25680 Andy Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:46:28 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-25680 Thanks to the first two readers for your encouragement. About the third comment above, I was about to delete it as spam, but then I saw it links to another hiking guide who has trips in Arizona. Having hiked to Havasu Falls near the Grand Canyon and loved the place, I can't help but support him. However, this is not an endorsement, and you should be careful of businesses who leave comment spam, especially when it doesn't make any sense. I am trying to contact the guy for an explanation. Thanks to the first two readers for your encouragement.

About the third comment above, I was about to delete it as spam, but then I saw it links to another hiking guide who has trips in Arizona. Having hiked to Havasu Falls near the Grand Canyon and loved the place, I can’t help but support him. However, this is not an endorsement, and you should be careful of businesses who leave comment spam, especially when it doesn’t make any sense. I am trying to contact the guy for an explanation.

]]> By: grand canyon hiking http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-25663 grand canyon hiking Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:10:10 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-25663 “All work and no play make John a dull boy”. Make sense isn’t it? Yeah, even though machines deserve to have a break. Especially us people, we often get tired and fed up with the everyday work. Try something new. Hiking will be of great help when it comes to therapeutic getaway. “All work and no play make John a dull boy”. Make sense isn’t it? Yeah, even though machines deserve to have a break. Especially us people, we often get tired and fed up with the everyday work. Try something new. Hiking will be of great help when it comes to therapeutic getaway.

]]> By: Fred http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-24629 Fred Thu, 29 May 2008 20:07:59 +0000 http://great-hikes.com/blog/wailua-headwaters/#comment-24629 These pictures are the reason I believe Kauai is the most amazing place on earth. Absolutely beautiful. Keep up the good work! These pictures are the reason I believe Kauai is the most amazing place on earth. Absolutely beautiful. Keep up the good work!

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