Off-roading in the Rain

When we were on Kauai, my cousin Steve signed us all up for a 4x4 UTV Ultimate Ranch Tour on Kipu Ranch. He and his wife, Junelle, are avid off-road fans. You can read about our last adventure off-roading with them here.

On our way there, it started to rain. We thought it would stop rather quickly. We were wrong. It didn't stop raining until about the last hour of our tour. I was so glad I wore my swimsuit. We were covered in mud. At one point, it was raining so hard that I could barely see. Despite the cover, rain was running down my glasses, which were picking up a lot of muddy spray as well. At least we didn't get dusty!

I have to admit that Harold and I would probably have never done the off-road tour on our own. They're expensive and we'd have probably selected another activity. So, we're really glad that Steve took the initiative on this one. We had a blast!

Harold takes the wheel

What can you do?

This rain!

Mud!

The gang

Slip 'n Slide

Sacred Caves

Mt. Haupu view

Descending Mt. Haupu

Canyon Trail Hike

While we had been to Waimea Canyon on previous trips, this was our first hike. We went with my cousin Steve, his wife, Junelle, and his former boss and his spouse. Harold ended up not going because of a sore foot. I don't think he minded the extra nap and quiet time.

We were told that the Canyon Trail to Waipo'o Falls was an easy hike, family friendly. When we got back I noticed that The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook called it a moderately strenuous hike, four miles round trip. I think I agree with that description. It was a little more than I had expected, but the stretches that I would deem moderately strenuous were not that long, just a little steep. Keep in mind that I'm not an avid hiker. Steve's former boss, who is 70, had no problems and set the pace for the hike.

Giant mud puddles and slick slopes were prevalent. I was glad I had on old athletic sandals. I ended up just wading through a couple of the puddles. I just knew that if I tried to balance on the unstable tree branch someone had laid down, I'd end up with more than wet shoes!

You can see the Waipo'o Falls from the first lookout. At the end of the hike, you just see the very top of the first drop. If it hadn't rained recently, I might have been tempted to soak my feet. As it was, I wasn't even considering it.

By the way, there is a $5.00 daily parking fee for Waimea Canyon. It's definitely worth it.

Waipo'o Falls from the first lookout (from Dec 2018)

Another distant viewpoint (Dec 2018)

Steve and me

Canyon viewpoint

Canyon viewpoint

Almost there

About all of that magnificient falls that you see