Puka Pali & Likeke Falls hike

It was bargain day on the hiking trail today. 2 for 1! Puka Pali and Likeke Falls. We met up at the Pali Lookout this morning to hike up to the Pali Puka...yep the cliff hole...or hole in the cliff if you want context.

The hike to the puka was short but challenging. It was up, up, up the whole way. Not to mention we traversed along a ridge with a vertical drop down the right side. I kept thinking favor your left, favor your left. If was going to slip and fall I wanted to fall to my left where I could land in some shrubs and trees. If I went right it was down the cliff into instant death. Yeah, favor the left.



Puka Picture!



It wasn't long until we reached the top of the trail and the hole in the cliff. I actually thought the hole would be bigger but it was still pretty cool to see. There were six of us and the hole was just large enough for us to cram in for a picture. But we still had to be careful, there's nothing on the other side of the hole except a vertical drop and more instant death. It's a dangerous hole.



The rain started falling just as we started to head back down to the Pali Lookout. Made things slippery and now I kept thinking favor your right, favor your right. Going down was tricky. The rain didn't help. We had to take it slow and be sure of our footing, or at least I did since I hike in worn down running shoes. But we got out relatively safely. Only one person fell but got right back up, wiped the dirt/mud off, and kept on going.

Back at the Lookout, the rain continued to fall while we waited for some more people to join us for the next hike: Likeke Falls. The falls hike was pretty easy, the first half followed an old paved road which ran alongside the Pali Highway. The trail began when we actually had to go underneath the highway. It was an easy trail, just a little slippery from the rain, which had now subsided.

Likeke Falls. You can sort of see us.

We reached the falls and stopped to enjoy the sight and take some pictures, throw a go-pro camera into the water, and generally mess around. For some reason I had the inclination to climb up the rocks along the side of the falls. So I did. As far as I could safely go, at least. Then we posed for a group pic in front of the falls. Again, I had an urge to climb something so I went for a tree branch that hung over the area. It looked like a comfortable seat and it was.

We met another hiker who came to the falls from another trail. Older guy. He was dressed rather nicely for a hike. Long pants, belt, and an aloha shirt. He even had a spiffy hat. Nice fellow. Gave us a little history lesson about the trail and how it was an old cobblestone road.

Getting back to the Pali Lookout from the falls was a bit tiring for me. I mean, this was hike #2 already and it was all uphill. But we made it. Just in time for the rain to start up again. And it rained hard. But hey, at least it rinsed the mud off us a bit. Good hike!