Apr 24 - May 1 - Cascadia Weekly

Cascadia Weekly #2.17 04.25.07 Do it 3 | Letters 4-5 | Views 6-7 | Currents 8-16 | Get GET Out OUT 18
| Words & Community 19 | On Stage 20 | Art 21 | Music 22-25 | Film 26-29 | Classifi eds 30-38 | Food 39
18
STORY AND PHOTO BY JOHN D’ONOFRIO
Among the
Chickens
Adventure on alpine Kauai
OK, LET’S get this out of the way right up
front: the Island of Kauai is not technically located
within the regular geographical boundaries
typically covered in the pages of this publication.
In fact, it is roughly 2,400 miles west
of our lovely burg. But sometimes—at that certain
time of year when spring seems to procrastinate
before actually wrapping us in her aromatic
skirts—you have to make the journey.
This is such a time. The liquid grey skies of
our sweet little corner of the country suggest
a hike of a different kind. And what a hike:
a 10-mile loop high above the fabled Na Pali
coast in Koke’e Park, Kauai’s high country. Not
to mention the chickens.
When most folks think about a trip to Hawaii
they’re not thinking about grunting up
glorifi ed pig trails in the clouds. There’s the
beach—palm trees and all that. And we will
avail ourselves of those aquamarine shores.
But for now, the cloud forest beneath Mt.
Wai’ale’ale (the wettest place on Earth) will do
quite nicely. It’s a warm rain, you see.
We rise with the dawn and load our packs.
We walk to the trailhead of the Nu’aholo trail
and plunge into the greenery of the cloud
get out
hiking running cycling
forest. Our itinerary stitches three separate
trails into a grand loop that will take us to
the brink of the Na Pali cliffs, then across a
traverse high above the sparkling ocean on the
Nu’aholo Cliffs trail and then fi nally back to
the Awa’awapuhi trail.
The path alternates between root-choked
and muddy, but the skies are clear. The route
takes us generally downhill through dense forests
of strange and wonderful trees and across
open meadows of green, wind-ruffl ed grasses.
Unseen, the infamous wild mountain chickens
of Kauai can be heard clucking in the underbrush.
I fi nd this immensely cool.
As we approach the edge of the great cliffs
we work our way down gullies of bare red dirt
and out onto a great fl ying buttress 2,500 feet
above the gleaming sea. The fl uted columns of
the Na Pali coast rise around us in the noonday
sun. We drop our packs and eat lunch on this
green perch as we watch the cloud shadows
move across the ocean. Describing the Na Pali
coast is a dubious business: think of Shangri
La by the sea.
We head out onto the Nu’aholo Cliffs trail and
trace a sometimes-precarious line high along
the cliffs. The trail plunges into the jungle,
where giant prehistoric ferns with fi ddleheads
the size of dinner plates rise above our heads.
We arrive at the second grand lookout and
the wild mountain chickens of Kauai are all
over us. Resplendent in all the colors of the
rainbow, they fl ash like trout lures in the late
afternoon sun.
Clouds begin to gather as we start up the
Awa’awapuhi trail. We reach the trailhead as
a light rain drifts through the trees and head
back. It’s a warm rain.
get out EVENTS
THURS., APRIL 26
WALL CLIMBER: Big wall
climber Micah Dash will
present a show featuring
highlights from climbs from
Pakistan to Yosemite at 8pm
at WWU’s Fraser Hall 4. The
event is free. For more info:
650-7533.
TIDES, CURRENTS: Sea kayaker
Sharmon Hill leads a
free clinic dubbed “Tides
and Currents” at 6pm at REI,
400 36th St. For more info:
647-8955.
SAT., APRIL 28
PLOWING MATCH: The 66th
annual Plowing Match starts
at 11am at Lynden’s Northwest
Washington Fairgrounds. The
event promises “unique sounds
and smells” and perhaps even
some asphalt plowing. For
more info: nwwafair.org.
TRACKING CLASS: Learn
about “The Five Arts of Tracking”
at a class from 10am-
3pm with Earthways Nature
School. Cost is $35. For more
info and location: 599-1393.
TULIP TREKKERS: Join the
NW Tulip Trekkers for a walk
along parts of Fairhaven and
the Interurban Trail at 10am
at Fairhaven Runners, 1209
11th St. For more info: 392-
0101 or nwtrekkers.com.
SUN., APRIL 29
DIRTY DAN CHALLENGE: As
part of Dirty Dan Days, sign up
for the Dan Harris Challenge
starting at 8am at Boulevard
Park. Entry for the nine-mile
rowing and paddling race is
$20-$25. For more info: danharrischallenge.com.
MON., APRIL 30
CONSERVATION, CONFLICT:
Bellingham trail guide author
Ken Wilcox will present
a slide program based on his
new tome, Wilderness Alps:
Conservation and Confl ict in
Washington’s North Cascades ,
at 7pm at Village Books,
1200 11th St. For more info:
671-2626.
BOCCE BALL: All are welcome
to join in to play Bocce Ball
at 5pm at the Fairhaven Village
Green. For more info:
Fairhaven.com.
TUES., MAY 1
BIKE 101: Gain confi dence
on the trails and roads by
attending a free “Bike Maintenance
101” clinic at 6pm
at REI, 400 36th St. For more
info: 647-8955.