| Hawaii: Volcanoes and the Kailua-Kona Coast |
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TIMBERLINE
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Date: (6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri) Oct. 31-Nov.
5; Jan. 23-28, 2000Assembly Point: Kailua-Kona (airline service to Kailua-Kona; Timberline van transfers to and from airport) Tour Cost: $1,595 (includes all lodging, all meals, leaders, transfers, trail maps & narratives) Vast, surreal lava fields streaming from towering, massive mountains that rise from the ocean floor; a lush remote valley whose parameters are defined by 1,000-foot walls and whose landscape is punctuated by a myriad of thunderous waterfalls; miles and miles of remote black sand beaches-this is the Big Island of Hawaii and that's where we're headed in the fall of '99. We'd like to say that we at Timberline are the first to visit this island in search of adventure. The reality is that Hawaii has been the destination of choice for adventurers for many centuries, from the ancient Polynesians, perhaps the greatest seafaring adventurers of all time, to modern day hikers and backpackers, among others, who have discovered a new meaning to adventure in this tropical paradise. Adventure for Timberline on the big Island translates into a 6-day hiking program that will experience the island's amazing diversity. We'll visit the awesome volcanoes, hike their rims and into the bowels of their craters. We'll trek into the isolation of the Waipio Valley, and then explore the breathtaking Kailua-Kona Coast, We'll assemble in Kailua-Kona and van shuttle to Volcanoes National Park. Along the way, as an excuse to stretch our legs, we'll visit the City of Refuge on the Kona Coast. We'll spend our first of three nights at the Volcano House on the rim within the park and then set out on the Crater Rim Trail the following morning. A short sidetrip from this trail leads to Halemaumau, the famed firepit and legendary home of Pele, goddess of volcanoes. We'll also descend into Kilawea Caldera and walk along its lava floor (11 miles). On Day 3, we'll hike the Napau Crater Trail as it traverses lava fields to Puu Huluhulu, and then to the observation point above with its views into the volcano's fern-filled crater and the rain forest beyond. Also visible is the smoking hulk of Mauna Ulu. Our trail soon passes into the dense rain forest and we'll continue to vast Napau Crater (12.5 miles). Following another overnight at Volcano House, we'll shuttle north to Waipio Valley. A steep descent from the trailhead leads to the valley floor and we'll spend the day exploring this magnificent area. We'll visit the black sand beaches of Waipio as well as its many spectacular waterfalls (6 miles). From Waipio, we'll shuttle to Kona, where we'll spend our final two evenings. Day 5 is a treat with a healthy dose of leisure and an intriguing change of pace. We'll hike the Captain Cook Trail, a 4-mile round-tripper that includes an awesome 1400-foot descent to the pounding surf below. We'll hang out for much of this day on a beautiful black sand beach that offers some of the best snorkeling on the island. We'll spend our final night in Kona and then hike along the coast from Milolii to Aholi Holua, an ancient slide used by ancestral Hawaiians as a form of athletic competition (4 miles). We'll then return to Kailua-Kona, where our program concludes.
Date: (6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri) Nov. 7-12; Jan. 30-Feb. 4, 2000 Assembly Point: Lihue (airline service to Lihue; Timberline van transfers to and from airport) Tour Cost: $1,595 (includes all lodging, all meals, leaders, transfers, trail maps & narratives) Rain forests, waterfalls, deep canyons not to be believed, and a wilderness shoreline without equal-Kauai is a hiker's fantasy. Clearly, Timberline is headed to Hawaii in '99 and we could not imagine creating an adventure program in the islands that didn't include wondrous Kauai. Kauai and adventure truly are as one. Kauai is the oldest geologically of the Hawaiian chain and the first to be visited by Captain James Cook (a distinction perhaps best forgotten). Located on Kauai is Mt. Waialeale, the wettest spot on earth (did you really want to know that) and the only place where the unique iliau plant is found. In the course of our Kauai program, we'll visit Kokee State Park and hike magnificent Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We'll hike to several of the island's fabled waterfalls, explore the wild Na Pali Coast, experience the magic of Hanalei, and, who knows, perhaps even catch a glimpse of Puff, that magic dragon, off the shores of Hanalei Beach. We'll assemble in Lihue mid-afternoon of Day 1 and van shuttle to Kokee State Park. We'll spend our first of three nights at the Waimea Plantation Cottages and devote Day 2 to the Nualolo-Awaawapui Trail, considered among the best hikes in all of Hawaii. The trail begins in a rain forest, but ultimately breaks into the open on a ridge leading to the spectacular Na Pali Cliffs and their phenomenal views of the brilliant blue waters of the sea and the Na Pali Coast nearly 2,000 feet below (6.5 miles). Wondrous Waimea Canyon is our plan for Day 3 along the Kukui Trail that drops 2,000 feet to the canyon floor and (in case you were hoping for a miracle) inevitably rises again to the canyon rim (5 miles). Following a third night at the Waimea Plantation Cottages, we'll hike to spectacular Waipoo and Kumuwela Falls, with more views of Waimea Canyon along the way (6 miles). We're off to Hanalei late-afternoon of Day 4, where we'll spend the next two nights, and begin our exploration of the Na Pali Coast the following morning. We'll hike the remarkable Kalalau Trail, though not to its terminus at Kalalau Beach. We'll begin at Kee Beach and alternately climb to overpowering views from high cliffs only to again descend, first to Hanakapiai Beach and then into the rain forest of Hanakapiai Valley. We'll hike along the valley floor to Hanakapiai Falls and then return to our trailhead (9.2 miles). We've earned some leisure and we also have no intention of leaving Kauai without some quality beach time. We'll spend this final day in search of a different perspective of the Na Pali Coast-on board an excursion boat whose itinerary includes the opportunity for some offshore snorkeling. We'll return to Lihue late-afternoon where our program concludes.
7975 E. Harvard Suite #J Denver, Co. 80231 Telephone: (800)417-2453; or (303)759-3804 Fax: (303)368-1651 E-Mail: timber@boulder.earthnet.net
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