The 2,250 foot lush green spire rising out of the Iao Valley was used in centuries past by the indigenous peoples of Hawaii as a lookout tower during wartime. The Iao Needle as it is known is a point of dense rock, which remains after the adjacent stone was worn away by millennia of erosion.
As I being this short hike, a light drizzle begins. In my short time on Maui, this seems to be the norm. Most of the trail is paved. A bridge cross the creek running beside the needle and offers an amazing view of the tall spire. This place reminds me of a lush version of Zion, with the Needle representing Angel's Landing.
The pavement ends as the trail heads down towards the river and into a lush forest populated by a myriad of tropical species of foliage. It reminds of a tropical rain forest. The total hike here is just shy of a mile, but the scenery more than makes up for the short distance.
No comments:
Post a Comment