This man was multi-tasking on the coast. After setting up his fishing rod, he went down to the shore to pick opihi. Such an undertaking is not for the faint of heart. Misjudge a wave, and he could be swept into the ocean in an instant.
Opihi are a kind of limpet and are a favorite delicacy here in Hawaii, most often eaten raw, straight from the shell.
The Ala Loa Trail (King’s Trail) south of Waikoloa.
Keawaiki Beach with its lone palm tree and Hualalai volcano in the background.
This hike is a 7 mile loop directly north of the Keawaiki to Kiholo loop hike that I posted about here and here. One could combine the two, but it would make for a long, hot walk, though with several opportunities to take a cooling dip. I chose to start the loop at its northern end, heading south on the inland lava field before it got too hot. The return, along the coast, is still over lava, but usually features a cooling sea breeze.
A Bay is officially known as ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay, but most people find A Bay easier to pronounce. There’s bathrooms and showers at the beach here so I find it a good place to start and finish.
From the parking area, head inland to pick up the old King’s Trail which is marked by a sign, though it’s obvious without it. The King’s Trail heads south in a ramrod straight line. Eventually, this trail intersects with a dirt road headed toward a cluster of palm trees on the coast. Follow this road down to the Brown estate, which is surrounded with barbed-wire. The trail goes down the side of this fence to Keawaiki Bay and its lone palm tree.
The Golden Pools of Keawaiki (though they’re actually inland of the next beach down the coast). The golden color is due to a unique algae.
Heading north again, the next bay is Pueo Bay and a small trail inland from this leads to the Golden Pools of Keawaiki. The color of these pools is due to a unique algae that grows here. There’s no swimming in these pools, but further up the coast, after passing Weliweli Point, another lone palm tree marks Akahu Kaimu Bay. Just inland from the palm is a large freshwater pool which is perfect for a cooling dip. When I visited, there was no one else there, or indeed within a mile of the spot.
Heading north along the coast again, the lava transitions to the kind of sandy beaches that Hawaii is renowned for. The southernmost beaches are usually sparsely populated or just plain empty. These beaches lead back to A Bay and its welcome facilities.
For more information about this, and other hikes on the Big Island, go to bigislandhikes.com. (This hike is listed as Keawaiki Bay to ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (A Bay), starting from the southern end.)
The freshwater pool behind Akahu Kaimu beach, marked by another lone palm tree. After a hot, dry walk, a dip in the pool was very refreshing.
A sandy beach straight out of the brochures at the south end of A Bay.
I enjoyed the message in front of the local Catholic church during the recent IRONMAN race, which is a decidedly merciless event consisting of a 2.4 mile open-water swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon run. Looks like someone might be about to have a problem with his bike chain, too.
For more information about IRONMAN, go to Ironman.com.
A final few photos from last weekend’s IRONMAN world championship here on the Big Island.
Above, competitors pull over to wait out time penalties they’ve been given by race marshals. For cyclists, the violations are usually drafting violations.
Second, one of my favorite IRONMAN participants, the wheeler-dealer. I like to think this support guy rides the course shouting, “Wheels, we got wheels. Get your wheels here.” Sadly, every time I’ve seen him, he’s always been very quiet and with this same inscrutable expression.
Bottom, a rider whizzes past tropical foliage on the way out of Hawi.
For more information about IRONMAN, go to Ironman.com.
Nutrition and hydration are key elements for IRONMAN competitors. There are aid stations at regular intervals along the course and at some of these it’s possible to stash a goody bag of personal favorites (within legal limits of course). The photo at right shows these bags arranged by number, ready for distribution.
Most of the competitors will have to stop to pick up their bags, but the professionals, going through first, will (hopefully) be handed theirs while on the move. The photos below show Camilla Pedersen of Denmark receiving her bag from one of the IRONMAN volunteers.
In the top photo, Michael Weiss of Austria and Tim O’Donnell of the U.S.A. show they’re ready should the IRONMAN organizers decide to award bonus points for synchronized water bottle use.
For more information about IRONMAN, go to Ironman.com.
Yesterday saw the world championship for the IRONMAN triathlon taking place on the Big Island.
In the top photo, Daniela Ryf of Switzerland powers out of Hawi after the turnaround of the cycling leg. Only another 50+ miles of cycling to go, oh and running a marathon. She went on to win the women’s event in 8 hours, 46 minutes, 46 seconds, a new course record.
The events is not all fun and games however. Below, Tim Reed of Australia looks dejected as he walks his bike back into Hawi after withdrawing from the event. Not sure what the reason was, but the bike looked OK.
For more information about IRONMAN, go to Ironman.com.
As part of the National Park Service centennial celebration, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been offering a guided tour of Puapo’o lava tube. This tour has been offered in the past, but not for several years.
Puapo’o is a pristine lava tube meaning that its rock formations are intact and life in the tube is largely undisturbed. Contrast this with the park’s popular Thurston lava tube, where all the finer lava details have long since been broken off by visitors.
There’s a hike to the tube, which is deep within a forest rich in tree ferns.
The tube entrance is accessed by a ladder and then it’s on into the dark. Whereas Thurston lava tube is well lit and has a mostly flat floor for easy walking, Puapo’o, which is about a mile long, was lit only by our headlamps and rocks littered the tube floor. It’s not a tour for the claustrophobic or nervous.
Those rocks on the floor match recesses in the tube ceiling show where rock falls have happened. A month before, one of our rangers had been leading a tour when there was an earthquake, a common occurrence in the park. The group left the tube, but the next visit found a new rock fall.
We scrambled over rocks, and sat in the dark in a large, amphitheater-like part of the tube. As we progressed, the rangers pointed out different lava formations from lava-sicles to bathtub rings to puapo’os for which the tube is named. And even in this pitch dark place, there is life – moths, crickets, and spiders, one a huntsman and the other a tiny, near invisible thing that builds gossamer webs. Also, living on the tube walls, are unique microbial colonies, which are being studied for medical uses.
Eventually, we scrambled up a rocky slope and out through a narrow opening, back into the forest.
For more information about the Puapo’o lava tube tour, go to nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava-tube-tour.htm.
During the summer months, the west coast of the Big Island sees more southwest or westerly swells. These tend to roil the waters and reduce visibility. So it was a pleasant surprise recently, to dip into the water and find good visibility for the first time in a while.
The good visibility wasn’t matched by the appearance of rarely seen, exotic fish. Only the ‘usual suspects’ were to be found, which is no bad thing. I enjoy watching even the most common of fish. However, I confess I was feeling a tad disappointed at having my camera and good conditions, but not seeing anything that especially fired my enthusiasm.
As if on cue, I looked up to see three spotted eagle rays coming toward me. One quickly slipped away and a second came and went. The third (second photo) cruised back and forth nearby, keeping an eye on me as I kept an eye on it. It had clearly lost its tail at some point. I’m not sure if a new one will grow back. In the bottom photo, the venomous spines at the base of the tail can be seen, though the venom is not nearly as toxic as that of some ocean dwellers.
After a while, the two remaining rays headed out toward deeper water and disappeared taking with them any disappointment I’d been feeling.
For more information about eagle rays, go to bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2014/hayward_paig/index.htm
Graham's Island 