Adventures on the Big Island: Part Four

May 20

I made it into Waimanu Valley for the very first time today! I woke up right after the sun rose, maybe around 6:30am although I have completely lost track of time or even day of the week at this point. I hiked the rest of the way into the 2nd valley, Waimanu, which wasn’t long but felt like an eternity. The descent down into the valley was steep and muddy but still felt easier than the paved descent into Waipio.

Once in the valley, I had to cross a runoff stream, just like the one in Waipio, but much deeper. Someone had strung a rope from one side to the other which was very lucky for me because it was deep enough and swift enough that I may not have made it across otherwise. After crossing this stream, I was FINALLY there!

Waimanu has a couple of composting toilets set up where I heard rumored that people in helicopters came by occasionally to service. There was even toilet paper! What an amenity this far into the wilderness. There was no one else in the valley when I arrived and I couldn’t help my marvel at the views of the ocean as well as the views into the marshy valley, with lots of distant waterfalls speckling the mountains, and wonder how I got so lucky to have this place all to myself!

There were marked campsites and I deliberated on all of them before finally deciding on a campsite that had a small rock wall lined up to make it look like a house with separate rooms. It reminded me of the little “houses” I used to make out of the leaves in fall as a child. The rocks also created a path out into the ocean and there were two “thrones” built in to take in the view. A perfect place to call home for the next four nights!

May 21-24

I spent the next four days in the valley and other people slowly trickled in. I met four amazing people in their 20s that were originally co-workers on a cruise ship outside of Seattle and had all moved to Waimea together to work in the booming service industry in Hawaii. Connor, Kristin, and Rezz were three of them and the fourth name escapes me. They all camped in the site next to me and we chatted for the length of their visit.

Waimanu is a place where nature takes care of everyone. I had packed in lots of dry goods- macaroni and cheese with the pre-made cheese sauce, canned ravioli, and El Paso shelf-stable taco filling. All items that don’t normally entice me but felt like pure gold in the other-worldly valley. Many people were jealous of my “delicacies” but there were others who had even more delicious cuisine- quinoa, beans, and kale to name a few. However, I was amazed at how some- a wanderer named Chris in particular- that came to the valley with absolutely nothing managed to get along just fine. The valley was full of ripe, juicy yellow mangoes that dropped from “the sky.” The trick was to run and pick them up off the ground before the bugs got to them. There was an abundance of fresh water in the beautiful waterfalls that also served as a perfect showerplace. Other items scavenged from the valley included prawns, buried cans of spaghettios (seriously!), coconuts, taro (a cousin to potatoes), and wild boar!

I met a few boar hunters that weren’t quite as friendly as most. They had come with lots of loose pit bulls and various mistreated dogs that were meant as hunters. The boar only came out at night and mostly minded their own business, but these hunters came with various make-shift weapons (rocks, pocket knives, and bb guns to name a few). There were not successful in their attempts and quickly took the trek back into town.

The feeling I got from this valley was that I was in a place that didn’t belong in the ranks with anything else on earth. I felt like I was in the valley of the gods and had some very spiritual moments here. It felt like a place carved out just for me and that as long as I stayed here, I would get along just fine. In a way, this place scared me because I knew if I stayed too long I would never leave and never see anyone again. So after a few days of relaxing, bathing in the cool waterfalls, and exploring the jungles, I packed up what was left of my supplies and I took off.

I would be back again.