Monday, January 21, 2019

Makamakaole Falls (Maui County, Hawaii)


For my second hike of the day, I chose a short hike to the Makamakaole Falls. This trail starts on the side of the road, along an area I've heard called the highway of death. After driving a distance along this road, along the northwestern side of the island of Maui, I can understand why. Several blind curves and narrow passes make the road bad enough, but considering some of those spots have drop-offs just a couple of feet from the edge of the road that fall hundreds of feet into the stony ocean shore below, the road earns its name.

I find a wider spot to park and search for a trailhead, which is no more than a fashioned cave through some incredibly thick foliage. The trail is narrow, but worn, and leads about a tenth of a mile before emerging on a tall green hillside. The falls is apparently along the small stream that carved this lush deep valley.

Arriving at the actual falls, it's not as impressive as one might think, but the seclusion, clearness of the water, and perfect depth of the pool at the bottom would make a perfect lover's rendezvous. The waterfall itself carves its way through stone, cascading over a couple of falls before feeding the pool. I take it in for a few minutes before returning to the car via a slightly different, but similar route.

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