Sign Up  /  Login

Waihe'e Ridge Trail LbNA #7837 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Apr 14, 2004
Location:
City:Waihe'e
County:Maui
State:Hawaii
Boxes:1
Planted by:Playmakers
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Status:m
Last edited:Apr 14, 2004
NOTE: Letterbox was reported missing on July 21/09. This the 5th time that some sorry soul has removed the initial Letterbox and its four replacements. We will not be replacing this Letterbox again but it is still a great hike.

This Letterbox was again missing and again replaced on March 4/09. When you find it, please make sure it is well hidden when you leave. Thank you.

Note: This Letterbox has been replaced as of February/07. It had gone missing and in its place was a new & different Letterbox. We could not trace the new Letterbox & can only assume our Letterbox was mistakenly replaced by a novice, uninformed 'Letterboxer'.

This is a hike up the Waihe’e Valley Ridge on the northeast side of West Maui with an elevation gain of about 1,450 feet. The total round trip is just under 5 miles and offers great views across the Makamaka’ole’ole Stream Valley, up and down the Waihe’e River Valley, along the NE coast of Maui and finally, weather permitting, into the depths of the West Maui Mountains.

The best time for this hike is early morning before the clouds move in which would then diminish the views, especially at the top of the trail.

From Kahului, get onto Highway 340 and head north. At 9/10 mile past the 6 mile marker turn left (mauka) at the sign to the Maluhia Boy Scout Camp (at the corner immediately past the big sign for the ‘Menendes Ranch’). Go to the end of this road and park to the left. The Trail starts through a gate leading to a steep cement road that gains some 200’ in short order. The Trail is very easy to follow and initially passes through a forest of guava, kukui, swamp mahogany and Cook Island pines. Listen for the distinctive, beautiful song of the Japanese Bush Warbler.

On your ascent, you will see the Waihe’e River Valley on your left most of the way and the Makamaka’ole’ole Stream Valley and Makamaka’ole’ole Falls on your right on a couple of occasions. Whenever there is a short worn path off the main trail to a valley edge, the 20 or so steps are well worth a brief diversion where you will have excellent views both up the Waihe’e Valley and down toward the ocean.

Once you see the Waihe’e Valley, you may be able to see the Waihe’e River Valley Trail way down in the valley which runs for about 2 miles up the valley to a nice swimming hole and a waterfall.

After your first view of the beautiful Waihe’e River Valley, you will be out of the forest and hiking along the Waihe’e Ridge with many outstanding views. You will be hiking along numerous switchbacks and a couple of flat areas (one flat area travels through a small, but unusual, Paper Eucalyptus forest) before you will finally ascend Lani-lili, the hill at the top of the trail. There is a picnic table at the end of the trail at 2,563’ elevation. If you beat the clouds, you will be rewarded with some of the most incredible views on Maui.

Note:
Check out another ‘Playmakers’ Letterbox on the Makamaka’ole’ole Stream Hike, directions for which are also posted on the LBNA Website.

Clues

This letterbox is a very easy find, but does require completion of the hike. A successful search will earn each participant a unique Hawaiian Lei.

Once you get to the end of the Trail, you will see a picnic table.

There is a fern about 2 paces from the north side of the table.

The Waihe’e Ridge Trail Letterbox is hidden on the north side of the large root ball of the fern under some dead fern debris.

Please be very discreet both in recovering and replacing the Letterbox, as there can be other hikers at the picnic table and everything at the top of the hill is out in the open.

Thank you for helping maintain the integrity of this hiding site.

We hope you enjoy the hike and the wonderful views.

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!