My last post left with two of us separating from our trusty captain and first mate to have an adventure of our own.
We left our boat ride at Fern Grotto and back tracked a very short distance, in the kayak. We went back to the fork in the Wailua River to go the other direction. Yep. I kept singing “Just Around the Riverbend” from Disney’s Pocahontas.
A short kayak trip away was a very small sandy location on land, which had 2 other kayaks pulled out of the water. We decided this was the correct location to pull up and begin our hike to Uluwehi Falls; also known as the Secret Waterfall.
We started our hike and I quickly realized hiking in Kauai is nothing like on the main land. There’s no clear trail signs or marks. It was almost like I was trying to track down previous hikers to find the correct trail. The grassy photo above was my key to “disturbed” terrain that could lead us to the Secret Waterfall.
….when in reality, all we had to do was follow the river upstream from our kayaks to spot the trail seen on the other side of the river.
Ah yes, the river. Well the first crossing was the largest. In fact, it used to have a rope to hold on to when crossing, but that has disappeared. In total, there are 5 river/ water crossings on this hike, each direction. Proper shoes are key to making this a successful hike.
When we got to a section of the hike that had boards to walk on, I was finally confident that I was leading my hiking buddy in the right direction.
Then all the sudden….Tada! There it was! The Secret Waterfall. It was absolutely beautiful.
I got right beside the Waterfall and felt how powerful the pressure of the water was. This lead me to the decision not to get directly under the water. It’s important to know that the rocks under the water are very dangerous. You could be walking shallow one second and then the very next step can take you completely under. The rocks are jagged and located unexpectedly. Both of us injured our legs slightly from falling.
But! We we had an amazing time! This was my favorite Waterfall from the whole trip. I think because it was so rewarding to kayak and hike to it. The effort made it that much more special to us.
Also, how else would I have gotten such a majestic photo of Kauai’s most cherished bird? Bah haha…. Mahalo!
Rory, Tea & Me 