'Iao Valley

Every time we go somewhere here, I am amazed at the varying topography. For such a small area, the ecology on Maui is extremely diverse. We went up to the 'Iao Needle yesterday, and the sky was clear and blue when we left dry, dry Kihei. By the time we got a few miles into the 'Iao Valley however, it was quite overcast and sprinkling at times. Plus the vegetation was soooo thick and lush...

Todd and I headed up a trail towards the ridge above the valley, and I had to turn back about two-thirds of the way because of all the moisture - I feared for my camera's life, since dumbass me didn't have any sort of carrying case for it. Turned out it was a good choice on my part - because Todd returned completely soaked!

Back in hot, windy Kihei, Todd got in a quick ride (amongst quite a crowd of windsurfers) and then we went to our friend Mark's house in Makawao for dinner. The evening was awesome and we met some really great people!

Our plans today were to drive to Hana and loop around the east and south sides of Haleakala... but several beers and wine and rum last night has made for a late start this morning, so I think we'll try again tomorrow. I may take a walk down the street to a market I spotted a few days ago, and pick up some souvenirs. And I'm pretty sure we'll get out to the beach at some point... but for now it's nice to relax and enjoy being in vacation mode! Bring on the Kona coffee!! Yeah!

Cheers!

Sunday at Kihei

Todd rode for a few hours yesterday, out front of our condo. Being that it was Sunday, we decided not to venture back to the incredibly busy north shore... plus the winds here were perfect for his 9m... and the place was crowd-free!

Later on, one other kiter joined Todd, and as the winds started to nuke, several windsurfers showed up. But mostly, he had the place to himself. What a day! He said it was his best session yet.

This morning, we are going to go to 'Iao Needle Valley, then perhaps Todd will ride this afternoon if the winds pick up, and tonite we are having dinner at a friend's house in Makawao. Tomorrow we are hoping to drive to Hana and beyond, if the road is open - it would be great to do the entire loop, because then we will have circumnavigated Maui entirely. Anyway, I'll keep you posted. So much to do, so little time!!

Cheers!

West Maui

Yesterday, we did some more touristy stuff. We drove up to Lahaina in West Maui, where we checked out the cool Front Street (thanks for the tip, Nina!). A parade was in the works so we didn't stay for very long.

Continuing along the coast, we stopped at the Dragon's Teeth and the Nakalele Blowhole, and then we followed the interesting, narrow road all the way around to Wailuku. The topography is varied and not what I expected, but still gorgeous.

Later in the afternoon, we went back up to Kahana Beach, and Todd rode for a few hours in more moderate winds - I think he had fun, not hanging on for dear life!

Not sure what today will bring... right now we're just sitting here on the lanai, enjoying Kona coffee and the lovely warm breeze. Ahhhhh, life is good!!

Aloha!

We went to the moon!

Okay, so we didn't actually go to the moon... But we did go to Haleakala Crater today, which is a fascinating area in Central Maui that is as close to a moonscape as I've ever seen.

We hiked around a bit at the summit - you can drive to 10,000 feet! - and enjoyed the sun and the views above the clouds. If you ever make it to Maui, you really need to check it out. The road is switch-backy and overrun with downhill mountain bikers, but it is well-maintained right to the top. I'd put the crater/valley on my list of 'must-sees'.

After we got back to sea level, we stopped in Kahului and picked up... Todd's kiteboard! Yeah! An awesome local named Robert found it on the beach (not nearly as far down as we were looking), and as he was posting a CraigsList ad for his own lost board, he noticed the message my sweetheart of a sister had posted on our behalf. So huge kudos to my sista as well as to Robert... we are now bowing to the Karma gods, hoping they shine on him so he finds the one that he is missing.

And last but not least, Todd went for a ride out front of our condo late this afternoon. Even though the winds were much more steady than they have been, they were still crazy-strong! The sand blows off the beach and makes for a slightly uncomfortable, sandblast-like experience for anyone taking photos. Hee hee - poor me, on a beach, in 30+ degree Celsius temps... I shouldn't be complaining!!! Tsk tsk!

Again, the forecast tomorrow is supposed to be more mellow... which would mean more favorable conditions for the not-so-small kites Todd brought... I guess we'll see about that?!

Cheers!

Survival kiting at its finest!

Todd bought a new board today... a nice carbon-fibre AirRush 126... and of course he wanted to try it out! So we showed up at Kahana Beach this morning right at 11am (no windsports are allowed earlier than this, so that fishermen and swimmers can enjoy the area safely) and he was pretty much the first one on the water.

The first couple of hours were great; but the wind picked up and by about two o'clock, only the seriously hard-core local riders on their 5 to 7 metre kites were left... Needless to say, watching Todd on his NINE METER was a display in survival kiting if I've ever seen it!! The tradewinds were a blowin' - 30 knots gusting to almost 50 at times. Whew! His second session of the day lasted about 15 minutes and the landing was the gnarliest yet! Oh well. According to the forecast there will be no shortage of wind while we're here.

After we packed up the gear, we spent the rest of the afternoon checking out South Maui - there is a super cool lava field down past Makena and the resorts around Wailea look to be some of the fanciest anywhere! It is a beautiful area. Then we came back to condo and are now having a beverage and are getting ready to head to the beach to enjoy the sunset.

Tomorrow the winds should be a bit more mellow, so Todd is looking forward to riding without being so lit it is frightening, and I'm just looking forward to a day where I don't get totally sandblasted while hanging out on the beach... then perhaps I can get out into the water with my camera and get some REAL kiting photos!! Yeah!

Aloha!

It's all fun and games...

...until somebody loses their board!! Yep, second day in Maui... and Todd is now down to one kiteboard. He bid hasta la vista to his beloved DeCosse Customs 131 today, after a 45 knot (or so) gust turned a usual board grab into a bit of a wipeout. And then a subsequent 1 km (or so) body drag to shore. D'OH!!

R.I.P. Fire Board!! You'll be missed.

Anyhow, after the cursing subsided and kite lines were untangled, we proceeded  to search the beach for a couple of hours this afternoon but had no luck finding it. Oh well. It was such a great board; it's been many places, and at least it disappeared doing something it loved!! Hee hee.

Oh yeah - our condo. It is FABULOUS!! We are right on the beach in Kihei and the place is immaculate!

Still smiling! Even after suffering a tremendous loss. Rum helps.

We are so fortunate to be in such an awesome location. The temperature is in the low 30's, and there is no rain forecasted... it doesn't get much better than this! So far, the only disappointing thing about Maui is the fact that they burn off their sugar cane fields before harvesting... which results in nasty smoke that blows across the island, smogging out everything in its path. Ewwww.

On the upcoming vacation agenda is driving the road to Hana, plus a trip to the Haleakala Crater. Tomorrow however, I'm thinking somebody will be shopping for a new board...

Cheers!