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Waihe'e River Valley LbNA #13199

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jan 19, 2005
Location:
City:Kahului
County:Maui
State:Hawaii
Boxes:1
Planted by:Playmakers
Found by: Choi
Last found:Feb 4, 2009
Status:FFaO
Last edited:Jan 4, 2016
Letterbox visited & confirmed by Playmakers - Mar. 7/07.
Letterbox replaced (was missing) on Feb. 4/09

The island of Maui consists of two large volcanoes, the largest of which is called Haleakala (House of the Sun) with the other being referred to simply as West Maui Mountain.

West Maui is the older of the two mountains and, over the years, numerous streams have cut into its slopes resulting in wonderful verdant green valleys, a number of which offer great hiking experiences. The Waihe’e River Valley starts in the heart of the West Maui Mountain and is fed by numerous small streams and all sizes of waterfalls as it makes its way downhill toward the Pacific Ocean.

At one time, all the islands surrounding Maui formed one big island called Maui Nui (meaning Big Maui). As the volcanoes sank and the seas rose, Moloka'i, Lana'i and a now vanished island called Penguin Bank formed one island about 400,000 years ago, while Kaho'olawe and Maui formed another island. Continued sinking separated the islands into today's configuration. Today, the islands continue to sink and in about 15,000 years Maui will be two separate islands.

Due to the nature of the Waihe'e valley with steep walls and draining a vast area of the interior of the West Maui Mountain, flash floods are always a possibility and we do not recommend this hike during periods of heavy rain.

The highest point in the West Maui Mountain is a small peak called Pu'u Kukui or 'Hill of the Candlenut Tree'.

This is a gentle 2-mile (each way) hike wandering along a dirt road, then through a forest and ending at Ali'ele Falls and a nice pool. The old tree swing has been cut down, however, the swimming is still great. We have not been able to do this hike for several years, but now that the area has changed hands, we are able to park our cars in safety, pay our $2 kama'aina fee ($5 for non-residents) and enjoy a wonderful hike up the Waihe'e River Valley. En route, we'll cross a couple of suspension bridges over the Waihe'e River. On the trail, we'll hike along two old irrigation ditches built in the 1880s and 1905. Near the end of the trail, we can observe the 2,000 foot Mana-nole Falls about a mile away through the vegetation. Total elevation gain is only 330 feet.

Head north from Kahului on Highway 340. Before the 5-mile marker is Waihe'e Valley Road on your left. In slightly less than 1/2 mile the pavement ends and you should bear right. Just ahead is a small hut to collect the access fee and control entry on the hike. Just past the control hut, you can park your car in safety at the start of the hike.

Clues

At the end of the hike, you will be at Ali'ele Falls and the pool below the man-made irrigation control dam.

Enjoy a swim and your lunch or snack before searching out the Letterbox. Typically, there are not a lot of hikers, however, if there is lots of activity, please use care in finding and replacing the Letterbox as it is fairly close to the open area at the end of the hike.

As you start your return trip, about 10 paces from the open area above the pool, there is a dead tree stump on a mound on your right adjacent to the trail. On your left is a tall tree with a "J" carved into it at about eye level.

The Waihe'e River Valley Letterbox is hidden under a number of rocks at the base of the stump on the right facing the trail.

Once you have found the 'Waihe'e River Valley' Letterbox and signed in, thank you for replacing the Letterbox to ensure the integrity of its hiding place.

Please ensure that there are sufficient stones protecting the Letterbox so that it is well protected from the view of passersby. Thank you.

We hope you enjoy the search and the beautiful scenery on this wonderful hike.

Please contact us by email at peter@brill.ca to let us know you found this box and the condition it is in, plus any other comments you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.

Happy Letterboxing!