Chutes and Ladders, West Maui

As with any outdoor adventure here in the islands, please properly prepare yourself, hiking with others who are capable and who you can trust. Be sure to check the weather and surf forecast for conditions that most suit your abilities… and to have fun! Hiking along coastal areas in the islands can be dangerous for many reasons, e.g. slippery / unstable rock, and large shore break / surf, etc. Although potentially dangerous for some, our activities this day were perfectly within our comfort zone… however, please know when you are not within yours and when to turn back. If attempting, stay safe out there and have fun!

With a fulfilling morning of waterfall hikes and a picturesque counter-clockwise drive around West Maui, we ended up relaxing at spot on the coastline called “Chutes and Ladders.”

The approach to the coastline was fairly short, however we were probably 100 ft above the water, where part of the name “chutes and ladders” comes from…

The down-climb here looked pretty menacing, but I felt the foot and handholds were plentiful. I saw another spot people descend from which had a wooden ladder, but did not end up where we were headed… possibly where the “ladder” part of the name originated.

A weathered rope that was present was available for use, but it really wasn’t necessary for everyone who descended.

Once closer to the water, we carefully contoured along the coastline,

…and wove around sharp rocky features.

Within minutes from the steep down climb, the tidepools we saw from above were in sight.

Scrambling down the rocks, Katie and Ryan were eager to jump into the pool, while Christian and I were prepped our tackle/gear to do some “whipping.” Whipping is a type of fishing where the fisherman casts a weighted line/lure and retrieves it in a specific motion to mimic the food of a predatory fish.

So first of all, the pool was amazing.

Waves constantly flushed the pool out,

…keeping the water clear with a tint of blue.

Here, Katie poses for a photo taken by Ryan…

Or Christian, they both snapped several photos using my camera in the pool. Thanks guys!

The tidepool must have been almost six feet deep, but depended on where in the pool we were.

After a couple of hours of swimming and fishing, the sun started to approach the horizon and it was time to go.

Though we didn’t catch as much as we anticipated, Christian and I were fortunate to pick up a couple Lai (also known as “leatherback”) for dinner.

To supplement the seafood, we also stopped by the store and picked up some steaks and poi, before heading back to our luxurious vacation home.

Such an awesome day adventuring in West Maui, and a gorgeous place to spend the weekend to recover from our field work on Kaho‘olawe.

Mahalo nui loa to Christian for letting us bunk at your friend’s house and to Katie/Ryan for planning the day! Let’s do it again soon! 😉

Aloha and mahalo nui for visiting… Come back again soon!