Kalalau Trailhead

Two weeks ago I did a hike into Kalalau Valley, which can only be reached on foot, by boat, or by helicopter. This is the sign at the trailhead, warning of possible difficulties in the trail and urging that hikers use appropriate footwear. The trail was built in the 1880s, but similar trails were previously built by native Hawaiians. It's an 11-mile hike to Kalalau Valley and Beach, sometimes right along the ocean. It's said to be one of the premier hikes in the world; people come from all over to do it and the trail was packed with people of all nationalities. (The Sierra Club ranks it a 9 on a scale of 1-10 in terms of difficulty. National Geographic's Adventure Magazine rates it number 4 on its top 11 trails of the world.) Only a certain number of people are allowed to hike it or camp there each day; a permit is required. Despite this, 30-40 people can be found living there at any given time. Kalalau has an unofficial mayor and used to have a library.