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Lahaina Pali Trail LbNA #7167

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Feb 7, 2004
Location:
City:Ma'alaea
County:Maui
State:Hawaii
Boxes:1
Planted by:Playmakers
Found by: nani
Last found:Feb 26, 2012
Status:FF
Last edited:Feb 7, 2004
Note: Letterbox was confirmed alive & well on July 31/09.

Description

Letterbox replaced by Playmakers - Feb. 4/07

This is a wonderful hike on the ancient Hawaiian trail around the SW end of West Maui.

Hundreds of years ago, Hawaiians had a trail that circled Maui called the ‘Alaloa’ or ‘the long road’. About 200 years ago, the current Lahaina Pali Trail was built on a small portion of the Alaloa that allowed land access around Maui’s SW corner from Lahaina to the capital, Wailuku. Prior to the building of this trail, travelers would walk along the coast where possible and would swim around any sheer sea cliffs that might have blocked their way. Sometime before 1825, the zigzagging Lahaina Pali Trail was built that offered a more direct route across the ridges and gullies of the steep slopes of the West Maui Mountains.

The Trail is about 5 miles long and is well marked, but steep and rocky in places. The elevation gain from the Ma’alaea end is about 1,320’, and from the Pali end about 1,460’. The trail head at the Ma’alaea end is located on the mauka (uphill) side of the Honoapi’ilani Highway #30 between North Kihei Road and the Kuihelani Highway #380. Access to the Lahaina Pali Trail initially runs along the power lines and then west, parallel to the Honoapi’ilani Highway. The trail head is about ¾ mile from the highway and is well marked.

Rather than simply hike to this letterbox and then backtrack along your route, you should arrange to leave a vehicle at the Pali end of the Trail. Pali means cliff or precipice, and is the Hawaiian name for the steep sea cliffs around the SW coast of West Maui. The Pali trail head is located in the Ukumehame area just past the 315’ long ‘Lahaina Tunnel’ on the mauka side of the Honoapi’ilani Highway leading to Lahaina.

Start early in the day (8:00 AM is fine) from the trail head just east of Ma’alaea and bring suntan lotion, snacks and lots of water. The initial part of the hike will take you on a steady uphill climb as you ascend the Kealaloloa Ridge, which is the main ridge on the SW corner of the West Maui Mountains. The Kealaloloa Ridge is the southern rift of the volcano that formed West Maui, and its caldera, or central pit crater, lies at the head of this ridge. There are several vents and dikes along this rift.

The full hike should take about 4 to 5 hours allowing for numerous stops and a snack break. There is an excellent trail guide available free of charge from many merchants in Ma’alaea entitled ‘Tales From The Trail – Maui History and Lore From the Lahaina Pali Trail’. You will be doing this hike in the reverse order suggested by the guide so that the sun and trade winds will be at your back.

Along the trail, you may see Pacific Humpback Whales as well as native Hawaiian plants and vegetation in the numerous gulches and hills you will be traversing. At the top of the trail, you will be able to see 10,023’ high Haleakala (‘the house of the sun) which forms East and South Maui, The Kealia Fish Ponds (now a National Wildlife Refuge) and the beautiful coasts of both West Maui and South Maui with all their wonderful beaches.

Clues

Start your hike from the Ma’alaea trail head (about 160' above sea level) and ascend about 1,120’ (about 1,280’ above sea level and about 200' below the highest point on the hike).

Along the trail are 16 numbered posts which are described in the Lahaina Pali Trail Guide. You will be doing the hike in the reverse order of the guidebook, but this provides a better hike.

When you reach post #12, look ahead up the trail. At about 50 yards on the makai (downhill) side of the trail, you will see a small rock perched on top of a medium sized rock perched on top of a large rock. These rocks are about 10 yards from the trail.

Once you get adjacent to the 3 rocks, go over to the rocks and line up the small rock with the Molokini crater (a small island) which is situated in the Kealaikahiki channel between South Maui and the island of Kaho’olawe. On this line, about 20 yards down the hill, there is what appears to be a lone lava rock. The letterbox is at the downhill side of this rock under another rock. Please watch your footing.

Once you find the Lahaina Pali Letterbox, enjoy your champagne (This stamp will be replaced in January, 2005).

Hint: If you reach a sign ‘Kealaloloa Ridge 2.7 Mile’, turn around and look back 50 yards to see the 3 stacked rocks mentioned above.

After finding the letterbox, continue on this wonderful hike across the Kealaloloa Ridge and back down to the end of the hike at the Pali trail head. The more adventurous may want to hike the 2.7 miles up to the top of the Kealaloloa Ridge for an absolutely breathtaking view into the caldera of the West Maui Mountains.

An excellent spot for a snack is in the Manawainui Gulch at post #9. Our favorite spot is a secluded area just makai of the trail down in the dry river bed.

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!