Category Archives: Hawaiian History

Keawaiki to Kiholo and back

The Ala Kahakai Trail near Kiholo, Hawaii — The ramrod straight Ala Kahakai Trail.

A few weeks ago now, I hiked the Ala Kahakai Trail from Keawaiki to Kiholo returning along the coast. Back in the days of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the Ala Kahakai Trail ran from the northern tip of the island down the west coast and around to the southeastern tip, a distance of about 175 miles (282 kilometers). These days, the trail is broken into shorter lengths with private property in between, though more segments of trail are slowly being added. This section is about 4 miles long.

Goats on the Ala Kahakai Trail near Kiholo, Hawaii — Goats on the trail.

The trail starts out clearly marked and very straight, with goats your most likely companion. But after half a mile or so a tree marks the end of this stretch and the way forward is erratically marked by cairns. I did this hike several years ago without a problem, but this time I couldn’t remember which way to go. There was a cairn up to the left and another up to the right. The one on the right was the bigger one so I figured that was the one to go for. Size matters, right? But when I reached it, I couldn’t make out where the next one was. A smart person would have backtracked to the tree and followed the other option. I chose to carry on. It’s not like I was going to get lost. To my right was the coast and to the left the highway with little more than a mile between the two at the widest spot. However, hiking across lava fields is tricky. Lava tubes can be a matter of inches below the surface and collapsed tubes can have cliff-like walls. A wrong step could pose a challenge for search and rescue!

Lava fields near Kiholo, Hawaii — Cairn ahead.

The landscape is stark, crossing the 1859 lava flow from Mauna Loa, the most recent flow in this direction from the volcano. Eventually, I saw houses at Kiholo ahead and figured out I was too far makai (towards the ocean) so I cut inland and found the trail again, marked by lumps of white of bleached coral and a slightly worn look.

A view of the lagoon at Kiholo, Hawaii — Kiholo lagoon. The pale lump on shore is a turtle resting.

A Green Turtle in the lagoon at Kiholo, Hawaii — Kiholo lagoon. The pale lump on shore is a turtle resting.

There’s a park, with limited facilities, at Kiholo, but the trail I took turned back north near the mouth of Kiholo lagoon. The lagoon was once part of a huge fishpond built by King Kamehameha I in 1810, but the 1859 flow wiped it out. The lagoon has a wonderful color and is a great spot to see turtles both in and out of the water, but give them plenty of space. It’s also good place for a swim, but not for snorkeling because freshwater intrusion makes for poor visibility.

A trail along the coast near Kiholo, Hawaii — Heading north on the trail.

A monk seal on the shore near Kiholo, Hawaii — Heading north on the trail.

At the head of the lagoon, the trail mostly follows the coast north. It’s a bit easier to follow than the Ala Kahakai Trail, but one still has to pay attention. I came to one spot where the coast was lower with little rounds of pahoehoe lava surrounded by water. Out near the waves, I saw what I first thought was another lump of lava, but then wondered if it was perhaps a monk seal. I decided to walk down and sure enough it turned out to be a resting monk seal in what I thought was an excellent spot for it: Easy access and very little chance of being disturbed. After I got home, I reported the sighting and learned that the seal was likely RA20. She’s a monk seal that I’ve seen several times before, twice at Kekaha Kai Park with new pups, and also at Upolu. It was good to see that she was in great shape and looked like she had recently molted.

A tide pool near Kiholo, Hawaii — Tide pool colors.

Ruddy Turnstones on the shore near Kiholo, Hawaii — Tide pool colors.

A little farther north, the coast opens to some beaches and an array of tide pools that can be quite colorful. There’s more birds here, feeding or bathing in the pools, and I even saw a Humpback Cowrie getting washed by the waves.

A swing on the beach at Keawaiki, Hawaii — Swinging towards Keawaiki.

Finally, Keawaiki came into view. At the southern end, some scrubby trees provided shade and a swing, though I didn’t try it since it was only about six inches off the ground. Beyond that is the private Brown Estate, surrounded by palms and fencing, and then Keawaiki beach and a short walk back to the car.

Posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.

The Numbers Game #132

A view of the North Kohala coast from the air in Hawaii — A view of the North Kohala coast from the air.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 749. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A Hawaii Amakihi about to feed on mamane flowers. — Hawai’i Amakihi.

The sign outside Kohala's Tong Wo Society building. — Hawai’i Amakihi.

This channel connects Kiholo fish pond and the ocean — The entrance to the fish pond at Kiholo.

A wind turbine at Hawi Wind Farm undergoes repair — The entrance to the fish pond at Kiholo.

Red, white, and blue, and yellow, too

The statue of Kamehameha 1 at Kapaau, Hawaii.

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Red, White, & Blue.’ See more responses here.

Yesterday marked the 250th anniversary of Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America. This photo encompasses some of how Hawaii came to be part of this nation.

The statue is of King Kamehameha 1. He was born in Kohala and was the Aliʻi (chief) who, in 1795, united all the Hawaiian islands under one ruler. This rule, under him and his successors, lasted until 1893. It was overthrown in a coup by the ‘Committee of Safety,’ who were mostly of U.S. descent, and supported by the U.S. military. The Committee declared a Republic of Hawaii with the intent of having the U.S. taking over, which it duly did in 1898. It remained a territory of the U.S. until August 21, 1959 when it became the 50th state.

The flag on the left is the USA’s stars and stripes. On the right is Hawaii’s state flag, featuring the British Union Jack in the top corner. That’s there because of the British influence with the Hawaiian royalty. This dates back to Captain James Cook, who was the first European to make contact with the Hawaiians. Subsequently, British advisors and support helped the Hawaiian Kingdom come about and survive. There’s a story that in 1812, when the U.S. and Britain were at war, King Kamehameha designed this flag with elements of both nations’ flags, so as not to offend either. Alas, there’s no evidence for this assertion!

So how do Hawaiians feel about celebrating July 4th? Well, I’m not Hawaiian, but any day that’s a public holiday is welcomed, and any excuse to set off fireworks is popular too, though it was surprisingly quiet here last night! I know some Hawaiians who served in the U.S. military who are proud of being part of the U.S.. I also know there are others who want to see Hawaii restored as an independent nation. No doubt, there are many in between. However, I don’t expect to see the return of the Hawaiian Kingdom any time soon.

Pu’ukohola sunrise

Sunrise at Pu'ukohola in Kawaihae, Hawaii

Sunrise at Pu’ukoholā Heiau in Kawaihae.

Lahuipua’a Fishpond

Lahuipua’a Fishpond is the largest of several fishponds in Kalāhuipua’a Historical Park, on the grounds of Mauna Lani Resort. These ponds were where fish were raised for feeding the Hawaiian ali’i (royalty). The ponds are still used for raising fish in the traditional manner.

The Numbers Game #122

Opening ceremonies at the Kamehameha Day Parade in Kapaau, Hawaii — Opening ceremonies at the Kamehameha Day Parade in Kapaau.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 244. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A Ruddy Turnstone on the coast in Hawaii — A Ruddy Turnstone on the coast.

A Green Turtle on the rocks in Hawaii — A Ruddy Turnstone on the coast.

This bench is one of two on the summit of Puu Waawaa, and this is the view looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains. — View from Pu’u Wa’awa’a looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.

A Hawaiian zebra blennie in a tide pool on the Big Island — View from Pu’u Wa’awa’a looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.

Lili`uokalani Gardens

A bridge at Liliuokalani Park in Hilo, Hawaii — This stone bridge is near the center of the park.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘National Garden Month.’ See more responses here.

A while ago, I spent some time in Lili`uokalani Gardens, in Hilo. The gardens cover almost 25 acres, including Moku Ola, better known as Coconut Island. They date back to 1917 and are named after Queen Liliʻuokalani, who was the last ruling monarch of Hawaii, before the kingdom’s overthrow by the U.S.A. in 1893.

An entrance to Liliuokalani Park in Hilo, Hawaii — The North Torii gate entrance.

A plane coming in to land seen from Liliuokalani Park in Hilo, Hawaii — The North Torii gate entrance.

Over the years, tsunamis have damaged the gardens, which are situated on the waterfront. But reconstruction, after these events, has restored and improved the gardens and kept them as an integral part of Hilo’s downtown.

Palms in Liliuokalani Park in Hilo, Hawaii — There aren’t a lot of flowers, but there are many palms and other trees.

The Fukuoka Lantern in Liliuokalani Park in Hilo, Hawaii — There aren’t a lot of flowers, but there are many palms and other trees.

For more information about Lili`uokalani Gardens, go to https://www.liliuokalanigardens.org/

Lapakahi path

Trail repair at Lapakahi State Historical Park

The main path down to the water at Lapakahi was heavily eroded in the recent rains. New poles across the path, together with a layer of crushed coral, have fixed much of the damage. It will be interesting to see how much survives the next heavy downpour!

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii