Hawai’i – Hilo – Day 10

We started our day heading over to Akaka Falls State Park.  Bear and Bearbette posed by the sign.

Here is the view from the parking lot

It looks like a ways off – gonna be a long walk I think – little did I know that it wasn’t a exceptionally long walk but it was definitely a major up or down trek.  They fortunately made the trail with stair steps and railings which made the going a lot easier.

I zoomed in to see the falls from here.

The park is about 11 miles (18 km) north from Hilo. There are two falls in this park –  ʻAkaka Falls and Kahūnā Falls.  The pleasant 0.4-mile downhill and uphill hike will take you through a lush rainforest filled with wild orchids, bamboo groves and draping ferns. You have a choice to go left to Akaka Falls or to the right to the Kahūnā Falls.

Going to the right is the easiest as the steep trail descends at a good clip but we found the walk back up from Akaka Falls was not as steep which made the trip easier.

You know I am with Carol – so if there are flowers …..

As you follow the paved footpath, you’ll first see 100-foot Kahuna Falls.

Continue to follow the loop around the bend,

In the southern US, we have vines that cover trees – but those choke out the tree killing it.  – In Hawaii – this is their version though the tree is not killed, though it seems like it completely is completely covered.

and you’ll discover towering Akaka Falls which plummets 442-feet into a stream-eroded gorge.

They tell me that the beautiful Akaka Falls is perhaps Hawaii Island’s most famous waterfall. As we continue our walk now back up to the parking lot, we see more lush plants.

gold dust day gecko (phelsuma laticauda)

and bananas.

we crossed over part of a stream with a small waterfall – 

me trying to get those waterfall shots.

As we drove back from Akaka Falls, we went through a quaint little town – Honomu

and of course, Carol found some flowers for Bear and Bearbette.

Along the main road from where Carol’s brothers live, there are a number of waterfalls visible from the road.  We crossed one bridge and there was a place to pull the car off to the side so that we could walk back on the bridge.

Carol and Bears posing while I squat down on the opposite side of the roadway so that I can see the waterfall between the rails on the side next to Carol.

We then headed to a place where Carol’s brother used to surf.  It was down a winding back road which lead to a park, which no one that doesn’t live here would ever find. 

But there was a cool bridge – I just didn’t like the vines hanging down. Oh well, here is the bridge.

Yes we are deep in the woods. But there is light around the corner –

Here Bear and Bearbette stopped to put on bug spray before venturing further as the mosquitoes were biting. That is the roadway bridge in the background.

But there is a waterfall – really – no kidding and bear and bearbette rested on a log on this side.

The surf wasn’t up only the waves coming in to the park – 

It was time to go back to the house to rest as we were going back up to the volcano as they said the sunsets were great up there.

Later, we headed back to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park to see the sunset – but…. no, it was cloudy and rainy. The clouds were on top of us, but there was a ring just on the horizon with no clouds.  So hopeful, we proceeded on.  The lava lake surface on this day was higher than what we saw yesterday.  It was less than 75 ft  below the rim of the Overlook Vent.

No sunset. Now it was raining and very windy.  We donned our plastic ponchos trying to last out til it got dark as they saw the crater glows.  Well, we didn’t make it.  We lasted for 45 minutes after sunset but it was getting cold and we were trying to protect our cameras. So we gave up, but not before we got these

And – please bear with me – as I don’t do video very much and with the wind and no tripod – here is a short video of what we were seeing –