Lulumahu Fall's

 

My adventure appetite had tasted the goodness of hiking, and I was itching to explore a new place. Hearing that the next hike also featured a grand waterfall, I was all in. The morning of the hike found me tired from a previous day at school. I almost called it off but my better judgment pulled me from my warm covers. Driving up Pali Highway was so gorgeous as the morning sun fingered through mountain peaks. I got to the turn off right as some of the other ladies pulled up. Donning my newly purchased hiking boots, I scrunched up my nose to the bug repellent spray in the air.

The hike started with a walk through some bamboo forests. There is a soothing and yet eerie sound of the wind moving in a grove of bamboo. Future photo shoot possibilities tucked their way in my mind as we walk on. I had read reviews of the dangers of getting lost on this part of the trail (good thing the path we took was well trodden and marked brightly with tape).

All of a sudden we stepped through the forest into an open grassy clearing. The views were simply magnificent from this spot and one could easily think this was the end of the hike. Picnic ideas floated through my mind as I stood absorbing the moment. From the picturesque mountains flanking each side to the lake in the middle, any way I turned was picture perfect. Some have described this area as from a scene in “The Sound of Music”. I couldn’t agree with them more as I was dying to belt out some song. I could have taken an entire morning just to sit there, but alas, there was still a hike to accomplish!

Part of the lake is seen in the left of this picture

Back into a thickly covered path, the sun’s rays had disappeared into a gently morning glow. A short way in, we came to a narrow rock path with a sheer drop on one side. A river (coming from the waterfall) cascaded down and past us. We gingerly walked in single file to the end of the walkway. What awaited us there was a bit of rock skipping to the other side of the bank. It was amusing to see which of the hikers cared or didn’t care to get their sneakers and tennis shoes wet. I scrambled over the slippery river rocks and made it safely to the other side dry. From there we picked our way parallel to the bank, always keeping it within our sight. Several people have gotten fairly lost on this hike due to its many “paths”, but as we found out, if you keep close to the bank’s edge there is no way to get lost from the waterfall.

 

A little graffiti to brighten the cement

Even though there was an incline, I found that it was easy for me. Having to pick our way through dense brush also helped to slow our time (and give me pseudo-breaks). I was glad that I had bought some real hiking books with traction as many parts were muddy. Roots and fallen trees keep us looking down almost constantly. Sounds of nature still tickled my ears and I smiled with the new chirps and calls I heard overhead.

I could sense that we were getting close as we came to an area with big boulders. The water trickled down and formed little waterfalls into a small area below. Climbing over the boulders, the familiar sound of rushing water filled our ears. Bits and pieces of the waterfall could be seen as we made the last turn and incline.

And there is way in all its glory. Lulumahu Falls was majestic and thundering. With a total of 3 falls (2 small at the top were hard to picture with the morning glare), this waterfall was pretty darn sweet. The pool at the bottom was bigger than the base of Hamama Falls, but still only knee deep in places. We sat around taking pictures, smiling and congratulating ourselves on our accomplishment. 



Yes, that little person is me