Haleakala means “House of the Sun”: Many visit - few luxuriate.
Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006
by Jesse Francis
Maui Computer.com
Though near 1 million people visit the summit of Haleakala National Park each year and perhaps 10,000 hike its trails, only a few hundred ever luxuriate in the isolation of the parks three wilderness cabins.
With over 6 million visitors a year, Maui is known as a "paradise on earth". People come to Maui from around the world to bask on fine white sands under the relaxing command of the tropical sun. Most come to see the whales, to visit the lush Hana, or to stay in some of the worlds most acclaimed resorts.
The people who make it down into the basin are not all particularly rugged. Many are just very patient and plod along at their own pace, descending and climbing as much as 5000 feet in one day. Due to glorious views and intense silence it is no wonder that the physical aches and pains of this endeavor pose no great obstacle to those whom nature has enchanted. You will see people filling the spectrum of generations should you decide to make the trek down “Sliding Sands" trail.
Another popular trail “Halemauu" is commonly known as “Switchbacks". The trail head is reached before attaining the summit and is less crowded. Though “Halemauu" is more treacherous, the views are tremendous and the return ascent is easier on the body than the “Sliding Sands" trail. From the parking lot it is a mile of rather easy trail, walking through scrub to the basin rim. The view from here is breathtaking as the basin floor spreads from almost directly below some 1,400 feet down. At a slow pace you can make it to the valley floor in under an hour as the trail stretches 2 miles. Dizziness and vertigo can be experienced not only from the thin air but also due to objects in your peripheral vision moving at different apparent speeds and angles to the trail in front of your feet. It can be unnerving or amusing depending on how you perceive this feat of optics and terrain.
Kaupo Trail is the only other trail entering or exiting Haleakala's basin. Kaupo Trail however is only for the extremely rugged individual. Kaupo trail is 8.7 miles long from the most remote cabin 'Paliku' to Kaupo store some 6100 feet down. This trail can be quite hard on the joints going down and is often very wet.
Because the air is thin, it is important to know your limits and any of these hikes should be well thought out if you have any questions as to your capabilities.
If you decide to to make the trek, consider doing it in style. In September of every year I make this trek into Haleakala basin and routinely stay at three different cabins with as many as 10 to 12 people per night. In 2006, there were four of us. We stayed at each cabin for one night. The maximum stay allowed in the crater is 3 nights and no more than two nights per cabin or campground. Although several of our group carry upwards of 60 to 80 pounds on our backs for four days, we eat like royalty, play various card and dice games, have snacks and sweets galore and far more than our fair share of fresh coffee.
If you decide to make the trip, I offer you some advice on what to bring. For more information and photographs of many views of the crater (I have hundreds of photos) you can email me at info@mauicomputer.com.
My favorite route does a loop of Haleakala's twin basin in this order; Kapalaoa, Paliku, and Holua. This is the easiest route that visits all three cabins.
Hiking down into Haleakala via the Sliding Sands trail is best done reasonably early 9-10 am is good as the cabin entry time is Noon. Each morning you are supposed to leave your cabin by 10:00am. Be sure to wipe everything down, do all dishes and sweep the floor (not out the door). You will find a complete list of rules and chores on the walls of each cabin.
You will need a frame pack and will do well to spend extra on an internal frame pack. I usually pick up a pack of small bungee cords as rearrangement of supplies may need to be done on-the-fly. Purchase some cheap rain ponchos just in case.
You will want a camera and plenty of film or memory cards. I take at least 200 photos per trip and am usually deleting images for lack of space by the second evening.
Bring moleskin and put some on the areas of your feet you expect to blister. Many will ignore this advice but by the fourth day you'll be glad you did it. Another necessity in my opinion is Gold Bond or other powder to keep sweat rash at bay. Bandages, needles to pop blisters and alcohol swabs are also a necessity just in case. An ace bandage or two may come in handy should you experience joint pain.
In summer months expect to bring at least a few gallons of water as the taps are often shut due to drought conditions. Bring your favorite snack foods and drinks and a water filter or tablets as each cabin area is inhabited by Nene geese and the water may sit for some time in the water tanks. If you bring coffee, also bring a mesh filter as normal filters create more rubbish. Canned drinks are better than glass bottled drinks since you have to haul out your own rubbish.
Flashlights are a necessity for using the bathroom at night and if you plan to play cards or draw or write during the many dark hours. A large florescent bulb lantern running on 4 to 8 D-cell batteries is great for nighttime social fun. It is far safer to use florescent than propane lanterns. Bring pens, crayons, markers, pencils, paints and paper. If you are not a good meditator for 4 hours at a stretch these will save your mind. A good book or two is also recommended for more introspective people but cards, dice and the aforementioned art supplies are excellent for group activities.
Other fun activities especially suited to summer nights are glow stick tossing, star viewing, singing and even drumming. Remember to pick up and take your glow sticks and do not empty them into the landscape.
These cabins are old. Perhaps over a century. The Stoves were brought in in the 1920's so they are old and delicate. Instructions on how to use these old wood burners are on the walls of the kitchens and should be carefully studied. A person capable of tending these fires through the night should be brought along. Without the wood burning, you will get chilled, without a capable tender, you may get smoked out of your cabin.
Sometimes the propane runs out, so you should have food which can be cooked on the wood stove. Foods cooked on these stoves have to be watched closely. Some areas of the stove are stupendously hot and others quite cool so cooking temperature is based on the location of your food.
Sometimes the drains are plugged. On the last trip we had to separate the PVC elbow and drain our dish water into a large pot to be thrown outside. And of course because it is being thrown outside you have to be that much more careful to keep food bits out of it. DO NOT FEED THE NENE. Oh they are so cute but I warn you, they can destroy your lawn and picnic area quickly if they are encouraged with even the smallest morsel. You see two or five now but if you feed them you may end up with ten aggravated geese pecking at everything and pooping everywhere. If you don't mind them, they are actually fun to have at the perimeter and you certainly should not be chasing them away as it is their home not yours.
It should be noted that it is illegal for anyone not listed in the application to enter the cabin. On rainy nights tent campers will attempt entry bearing sweets and other delights. It is advisable to politely refuse them entry. Remember they are aware of these rules and willingly entered the crater with them in mind.
With this in mind and a few strong and mulish people, your crater camping experience can be a real treat. If you happen to need a place to stay while you are preparing your visit to the crater, consider these oceanfront maui condos. We look forward to seeing you on Maui and if you see me in the crater say Aloha!
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