Exploration by Land, Sea, and Air

The goal for this day was to leave no corner of the island of Maui unexplored.  The first stop was the Waihee Ridge Trail on West Maui, just north of Wailuku.  Prior to beginning hike, I could not resist the chance to survey the land with a quick drone mission.  The landscape is pretty rugged with a rocky coastline and turbulent waters.  I certainly don’t think this would be a place for a quiet and romantic long walk on the beach.

I then turned my attention inland to the mountains.  Here, I set foot on the Waihee Ridge Trail.  The trail is a somewhat intense five mile hike with over a thousand foot change in elevation.  Luckily I had my running shoes with me and not the casual slippers I more commonly wear on the islands.

  By the time I reached the end of the trail, I found myself enveloped within a cloud.  There was minimal visibility but the crisp cool air and complete absence of any other hikers made for a very serene setting.  I sat for a few minutes to catch my breath and then headed back down the trail.  But of course before doing so, I plopped the camera down for a timed selfie.  😉

Ever notice how the best things in life always require a release of liability?  That was certainly the case with mountain biking the “Skyline” trail.  This is a long downhill stretch of off road trails that starts at the Summit of the Haleakala volcano.

Starting at over 10,000 feet above sea level, I have to say this is perhaps the only time I’ve ever ridden a bike above the clouds.

Surrounding by red volcanic rock, I felt like I was riding a bike on Mars here.

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