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Danger of AvalancheThe
Wainiha Valley, Kauai, Hawaii

I have fallen in love with this slow-paced paradise.
by Marlene Affeld
This intriguing island has cast a mystical spell. I am enchanted, enthralled and throughly enjoying my extended stay in Kauai; learning and sharing the company of new friends in the breath-taking Wainiha Valley.

There is a primal rhythm to the days I have spent in the valley. I awake with first light and the haunting calls of a plethora of birds and wild fowl, their voices joyously lifted to the rising sun. By dark, after a full day of activity, I sleep. Life is good, the gods are smiling.

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Residents of the valley tell me that visitors are either captured by the powerful magnetic draw of the valley or they are immediately uncomfortable, overwhelmed by the green intensity, the steep canyon walls and the strong energy that seems to radiate from the dark red soil. Some people find the dense humidity oppressive and the overly-friendly mosquitos tiresome. 

Others are not welcome by the spirits of the valley. To me, the valley feels like coming home.

A scared, magical place, the Wainiha Valley is a dramatically deep valley accessed by winding Powerhouse Road, and a narrow beach with colorful sands and coral reefs; an ideal spot for viewing the sunset. 

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Located above Ha‘ena on Kauai’s scenic northern and windward coast near Tunnels Beach, the Wainiha Valley includes one of Kauai’s largest river systems, fed from the generous rains that bless these magnificent mountains. The area rewards the eye with spectacular views of the Wainiha River, veiled in ghostly mist, as it winds its way to the sea through a riotous canopy of guava, papaya, coconut palm, banana and avocado trees.  

These trees are but a sampling of the diversity of plant life in the valley. Wainiha is home to 127 species of flowering plants found only in Hawaii, 41 of which are found only on Kauai. 

Wainiha Valley is now a part the Hawaii’s third-largest private nature preserve. The 7,050-acre parcel of A&B land includes a summit region of Mount Waialeale. The preserve safeguards the rich abundance of life that has evolved in the pristine ecosystem of the upper Wainiha Valley and Alaka’i Summit Plateau. Remarkable, verdant examples of healthy native lowland forest, rarely found elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands, can still be found in Wainiha’s twin valleys. 

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Crater of Mt. Wai’ale’ale, Kaua’i, Hawaii - Photo by John Fischer

The highest mountain, Mount Waialeale, at an elevation of 5,148, is located at the center of the island. The mountain takes its name from a small lake on the peak, Waialeale, a Rippling on the Water. This sacred mountain is rarely seen from the rest of the island. I have been told that occasionally at dawn, the mist parts and it may stand clear against a crystal sky, however, by early morning it is most always encased in a ghostly cloak of clouds. 

The ancient inhabitants of the island held Mount Waialeale in great reverence and showed the respect they felt in the presence of this majestic mountain. They labored to reach the peak of the mountain and there constructed an alter to Kane, the mighty god of all living creatures, the spirit of living water, the powerful god of sunlight, the proud lord of the forests and all creatures that lived within them. 

Historically, the island priests, chiefs and their entrogue made annual pilgrimages to the mountain top to pay their respect and homage to the powerful Kane

The Alaka‘i Swamp is a rugged, wind and rain ravaged plateau cradled between the vertical canyon walls. It is a wilderness of exotic, rare plants and birds. The 12,000-acre plateau rests on the flank of Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale and at the head of Kauai’s five largest aquifers. Not only is the Alaka”l the island’s primary source of water, its rich native ecosystems include rare mountain bogs and the islands’ most diverse high-elevation rainforest; flora and fauna yet to be discovered. 

Mount Waialeale and the Alaka’l Swamp are the wettest places on the island, receiving more than 451 inches of rainfall each year. The clouds open and vent, it rains there on average of every 30-40 minutes. I was quite surprised to learn that this area of Kauai has the distinction of being one of the wettest places on the planet.

Kauai Geology

Kauai, long regarded by many to be the most beautiful lsland in the Hawaiian archipelago, is a small island of 614 square miles, 2,500 miles from the nearest continent, isolated and serene.

Kauai is an island distinct from the other Hawaiian islands. Kauai’s unique separateness is in a large part due to it’s location. Kauai is distanced from Oahu be a very wide and treacherous channel. Of the major islands, Kauai is the most remote.

Kauai is a land of diverse micro climates that vary from desert like arid conditions on the leeward coast to this incredibly lush tropical rain forest of the North shore. From hibiscus the size of dinner plates on the north shore, the leeward coast boasts amazingly brilliant cactus and succulents.

Set like a emerald-green crown jewel, surrounded by the aquamarine immensity of the Pacific Ocean, the 335,000 acres of Kauai are resplendent with dormant volcanoes, countless cascading waterfalls, remote canyons, and jaw-dropping vistas. The temperature hovers at about 78 degrees with sunshine and gentle trade winds.

Tomorrow is another day of discovery, an adventure. Wishing you a happy sunrise.
About the Author...

Article reprinted with permission from Marlene Affeld and Starr Hendon at

NanduGreen.com

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Canyon & Mountain Facts:

The world's highest mountain, from its base on the ocean floor, is Mauna Kea, on Hawaii. It is 10,203 m ( 33,474 ft ) high but only 4,205 m ( 13,796 ft ) is above sea level.