KAUAI LOCAL 2019

ROADS OPEN ON THE NORTH SHORE!

Fifteen months after the devastating floods to Hanalei and beyond, the road out to the end finally opens. Multiple landslides had to be, not just cleared, but the road beneath and the hillsides above stabilized. Kauai is a fraction of its original size dating back 5 million years. She is eroding rapidly and the skinny little road humans have laid on the present perimeter are inconsequential to nature.

Road repair

People beyond Hanalei, residents with placards, were allowed in and out at certain times of the day but had all the beaches to themselves much like it was 50 years ago. The county, however, has done a fabulous job restoring the north shore to residents and limiting the numbers of visitors. A parking lot for 100 cars is by reservation only for 60 spaces and the other 40 are for us. There is a shuttle that has two boarding areas, Princeville and Waipa. A new boardwalk and path through the trees gets you from the parking lot to Ke’e Beach at the “end of the road.”

New boardwalk

Jungle path

Quite frankly this kind of responsible access to the treasure that Ke'e is reminds me of how this is done in very progressive environmental locations like New Zealand. It makes Kauai feel "grown up" to me.

I have been able to enjoy my favorite spot on earth four times in the last month, more than in the last five years because parking had become such a nightmare.

Ke’e at dawn

Ke'e in the early afternoon at high tide

After swimming with people-friends, fish, turtles, and a monk seal it was nice to step back and look toward the magnificent Na Pali.

Black Pot Beach, next to the pier in Hanalei, had been the subject of a much needed overhaul and a master plan had just been worked out when the unprecedented storm undid it all. 27 inches of rain in 24 hours flooded the entire valley accompanied by over 3000 lightning strikes. The river took its old path and created new ones through homes, shops, restaurants. Since the canoe club is at the mouth of the Hanalei River into Hanalei Bay, wreckage at the club was formidable. (Google Donnelly Oceantics April 2018).

Revised County Plan
We attended a number of meetings, all attended by the Mayor. For the first time since we’ve lived in Kauai it seems like there is some reason operating that may be for good of all rather than special interests only.
Weke Road and Black Pot Beach Park had its “soft opening” on July 22, a month later than the road past Hanalei.

Weke Road, day before it opened

Parking (see Namolokama Canoe Club tent beyond fence)

An albezia tree, relic of the storm still lives at the pier as a reminder

OUTRIGGER CANOES: GIL

Paddling outrigger canoes continues to be Gil’s passion. It has been complicated with the road to the club closed from 4/15/18 to 7/22/19, the club suffered considerable hardship.

Two of the broken canoes with repairs nearly completed

Namolokama Canoe Club from across the new boat ramp for fishermen and kayak companies. All the canoes were finally returned home from their temporary quarters around the island.

Gil continues regular six man canoeing and the summer regatta season ended with the county races (Kauai Outrigger Assn or KOA). Qualifiers from each island then compete at the State Races that will also be held here this year as Kauai hosts the race every seven years. Gil’s team qualified for States in the over 70 age group (wow).

Finish line, no one in sight

Some happy Namo boys, Hanalei Club and Kaiola Club coming in behind them, yeah baby

The mountain, Namolokama, the club namesake,

overlooks the busy doings below.

This last year Gil has really concentrated on honing his one man (OC1) skills, doing coastal runs most weekends with several pals. In the winter, the fun runs are on the south side and in the summer they go from Kalihiwai or Anini to Hanalei. These one way runs involve shuttling guys, boats and trucks from start to finish.

Kalihiwai “for the hell of it run” 6-8 guys

Race from Anini (before)

A proper race with island wide attendance, about 60 boats

Pavillions at Hanalei (after), pizza and salad, a little rain, awards

Kalihiwai - This race from Kalihiwai to Hanalei had 78 contestants including OC1, OC2, surf skis, stand up boards and even paddle boards! Really fun turnout, multi-generational with some 2 mans having mother/daughter, father/son combos

Gil took first in his class against seven others, and

came in second overall in OC1. All that practice is

paying off.

His first Gold in one man!

Gotta say he loves playing in the ocean

NATIVE PLANTS: SD

Active in the Kauai Native Plant Society for the last seven years, it has been fun to work at the Wildlife Refuge, Island School, Makauwahi Cave, and National Tropical Botanical Gardens (south shore and north shore) and at Nualolo Kai on the Na Pali coast stewarding the native plants that are on the path to extinction.

And/but, I have to say it is also very rewarding to give asylum to many endangered species literally in my own yard. The weekend before the rains we removed plants on the side yard to prepare for planting native Hawaiian plants. Good thing we had not planted, the entire side yard was washed away. Sharon’s hobby, with Gil entirely on board with love and labor, has manifested. Both planters at front and the west side of our lot has become a haven for native plants.

I have two very small ‘Ohia trees, one produces a yellow blossom and one the more prevalent red.