Haleakala 2012 – Sliding Sands to Paliku (Pt 1/5)

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

With several months of planning invested, the epic Haleakala 2012 backpacking trip was executed flawlessly by the Lost Trailblazers et al. (Baron Yamamoto, Aaron Toma, Katie Ersbak, Troy Takara, Reanne Solomon, Jennifer Liu, Jenelyn Castillo, Justin Ugalino and I) on Maui… I’ve never laughed harder on any other camping trip in my life, good times.

Being the third time I’ve backpacked into Haleakala, I felt somewhat obligated to help plan this trip… along with hiking buddy Baron Yamamoto, who was determined to reserve the 2 of the 3 cabins in the crater (which by the way need to be booked 90 days in advance). Given the topography of the crater, I felt the above route (see map), was the best combination of trails over a 3 day trip.

After staging a car at the Halemauu trailhead and taking a jillion group photos,

…we started our long descent down from 10,000 feet into the crater via the Keoneheehee (lit. translation, “sliding sands”) Trailhead.

The name well describes the topography here, where the “ground down” cinder substrate gives with every step we took. Definitely not a trail to “hike out” of… trust me, I’ve done it before. 🙁

Though the landscape at this elevation is almost absent of any vegetation, the colors of the dome-like cinders and other natural formations are anything but an eyesore.

The crew stopping at one of the flat lookout areas in the crater (Troy and Reanne in background).

The gradient for most of the trail is mild, however most of us still used walking sticks to stabilizing our gear/alcohol filled packs and to take some weight off our legs.

Note the majority of the crew wearing long pants to prevent gravel from entering our boots, though some of the ladies wore leggings.

Another photo-op. Left to right; Justin, Aaron, Katie, Jenelyn, Baron, Jennifer, Reanne and Troy.

About half-way down into the crater, we walked between two sets of large boulders. As there are many climbing enthusiasts in the crew, it was hard not to sample a few holds. haha.

Note the clouds off in the distance… They do not usually raise much higher than where they are now, due to the inversion layer.

The cool air from above prevents the moist, warm air from rising any further, and therefore this elevation is much drier than lower mountainous areas of Hawaii and virtually absent of vegetation,

…with exception of plants which have adapted to such a harsh lifestyle, like these Ahinahina (silverswords).

Within an > hour, we were almost at the crater floor, but unfortunately not out of the sand.

With some of the crew starting to get blisters, we decided to take a pit-stop, roughly half-way to our “lunch break” at the Kapalaoa Cabin.

Once on the crater floor, we were surrounded by sparse fields of plants and greenery.

… and looking back at the summit, the landscape was nothing less than breathtaking.

However, more sand also awaited us.

Which felt like it would never end. If you’ve ever carried anything heavy, walking through sand, I’m sure you understand our pain. lol.

At the Kapalaoa Cabin we encountered several natives, of which included Nene (Hawaiian geese) and vibrant Ohelo berries. I’m guessing the Nene here are conditioned to being around people since they were walking around us like we weren’t any big deal. Psh… whatevs.

Though it was hard to leave the grassy lawn and picnic bench outside Kapalaoa, we picked up our packs and headed out to complete the last ~4 miles of trail to Paliku Cabin… and at least the ground was becoming more solid now, which was surely appreciated by everyone’s feet of which were getting pretty masticated by this point.

Off in the distance we could see the amphitheater shaped, grassy meadow near at Paliku.

We could also almost see the Kaupo gap at this point, but that will have to wait for another trip. I know of a few others who have hiked into Paliku from “Sliding Sands,” and made it a “one-way” trip by hiking out of the gap. A little more complex logistics, but sounds pretty epic to me. 🙂

Though everything around us was beautiful,

…everyone’s minds were set on dropping our packs,

…relaxing,

…and settling into Paliku Cabin.

With Alite Monarch rocking chairs to recline in and a Bose stereo system to keep our ears happy,

Only one more thing was necessary… “Party.” lol. Who backpacks unnecessary weight like that into Haleakala Crater??? I do. lol.

After loitering outside for quite some time, the sun began to set and the air became cold enough to start up the furnace/stove. Fortunately, all cabins are stocked with compacted sawdust logs for campers to burn.

Catchment/non-potable water is also conveniently available for boiling/treatment.

Time to refuel with some Pesto Salmon and Pasta (one of my fave Backpacker’s Pantry dehydrated meals) and to make as much noise as possible before bed. haha.

Backpacking from Sliding Sands to Paliku Cabin is no joke. Though it is mostly flat or downhill, the route is roughly 10 miles and mostly on sandy/gravel footing. The weather in the crater is typically sunny with little to no cloud cover, and the temperatures can range from mid/upper 70s (day) and as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit (night) in the summer months. Catchment water is typically available for both campers using tents and cabins at each of the campsites. Cabins must be reserved 90 days in advance, and will almost always be booked at any other day after the 90 day period. Make sure to become familiarized with the online reservation system, as it is a huge pain in the ass. If not, you may miss your window of opportunity to get the set of days you desire. Cabins come furnished with a picnic bench-mess hall/bedroom (12 padded bunk beds), kitchen and composting toilet. Other amenities include a wood burning stove with limited firewood, 2-burner propane stove, cooking utensils and dishes. The cabins had dish washing liquid, matches and candles when we were there, but I can’t imagine this being accommodated all the time or may have been just left-over from previous campers. Despite such luxuries in the cabin, make sure to check in with the visitor center and rangers what will be available at the time of your stay, e.g. during drought conditions.

Epic GoPro Video recap of our journey, courtesy of Justin Ugalino. Watch it! You won’t regret it!!!

For more adventures of the Lost Trailblazers, either look at my other blogposts and “Adventures with the Lost Trailblazers” photo gallery. Thanks for visiting and come back again soon!

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