This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Stark.’ See more responses here.
This seemed a good opportunity to recap a hike I did last year, but have failed to get organized into a post! The hike started at Punulu’u Black Sand Beach Park, home of the island’s most famous black sand beach.
As usual, there were a few Green Turtles resting on the beach. The trailhead, at the east end of the beach, isn’t marked, but hike up through a narrow band of trees and it opens out onto a lava bench. On this bench is Kāne’ele’ele Heaiu, an ancient Hawaiian heiau where human sacrifices were carried out.
Beyond the heiau, the trail is marked by flat stones. This is the ancient Ala Kahakai trail, which followed the coast from the northern tip of the island all the way down and around the west and south coasts, to the southeastern corner of the island. The hike follows the coast, passing through scrubby vegetation and across stark lava fields.
There are some tenacious plants growing along the way, notably Beach Naupaka, which tolerates rocky terrain and salt spray. There’s also a variety of birds and other wildlife to be seen.
Cairns mark the trail, though they’re not always easy to spot. It’s easy to wander off the trail, which is not a good thing given the large cracks in the lava and potential thin spots that one could fall into.
But if you don’t get lost or fall into a lava tube, eventually Kamehame Beach will come into view. This beach is important as a nesting place for both Green Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles. The nesting season runs from June to November, which was when I was there, so I knew I wouldn’t be walking on the beach for fear of disturbing anything. In fact, I thought I hadn’t seen anyone on this hike once I left Punulu’u, but when I looked at my photos, I saw someone at the far end of the beach. This was undoubtedly one of the researchers who monitor these spots for turtle activity.
The beach itself is quite steep and, even if it wasn’t turtle nesting season, I’d have been reluctant to walk it given the high surf on this particular day. The round trip hike is around 6 miles unless you get lost!
Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.
Graham's Island 
Great choices. I wish I had taken more photos of a spot I was at on Oahu..it was a botanical garden, but many spots were “stark” as it was February and it was pretty barren.
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Ah those ‘should have’ photos. I can think of lots of those, but I try to remember that seeing things and events is special, even without photos.
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Wow! How long did that take you? The terrain looks pretty demanding. You said green turtles but they look very dark – is that a result of the soil?
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It was around four hours I think. There were definitely places where it was necessary to slow down and pick my way along. Green turtles get their name from the color of fat beneath the carapace, not the carapace itself.
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What a formidable place to hike Graham. It is rather stark but also beautiful in it’s blackness.
Thanks for taking me along
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There can be quite a lot of variation in the color and texture of the lava, but it is quite primal, even a hundred or more years later.
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Primal is a good description
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beautiful post. Love the turtles!
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Thanks Carol. I don’t think I’ve ever visited that beach without seeing at least one turtle.
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I’m loving this, Graham! That first photo is adorable. They’re almost racing up the beach… at tortoise pace! The lava/black sand is so dramatic. That was one of my favourite things about the Canary Islands. Thanks so much for the link xx
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Those turtles were in the same spot on my return! It is a dramatic coastline and somewhat remote, so not much visited.
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Incredible photos, Graham! What perfect images to depict “stark!” We visited that beach but didn’t see the black sand trail on which to hike! That last shot of the beach is amazing!
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It was your good theme that prompted me to get this together. You wouldn’t find that trail without knowing it was there. Big Island Hikes has a decent description of it. Even then I went out at one spot and returned at another! Kamehame Beach is beautiful. If I do the hike again during nesting season, I might go around the back of the beach, where there’s a dirt track, and see if I can find one of the researchers to get more info about what goes on there and even wangle a sight of a nest!
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