Rumor had it that the biggest swell of 40 years, you know, like in "Point Break", was coming our way just in time for our day off. But being expecting is not the ideal state to be in when you are attempting a 2o footer. Not even if it is your wife that is the expecting one. So we decided to be spectators this time. Jaws was supposed to be breaking, and that happens maybe a few times a season, so why not take a look? It being on the way to Hana was even better! We rented a car for the occasion and headed out! Baldwin Beach Park as well as Ho'okipa Beach Park were both closed and patrolled to keep onlookers at bay. The traffic was backed up! Everybody wanted a piece of it! The lore that Legends are weaved of! But I didn't think it looked like the biggest in 40 years. I thought it was bigger last April, at Ho'okipa anyway. Maybe the swell diminished a bit on its way over and didn't hit with full force. Jaws WAS breaking! Going OFF! It was a long hot hike across the pineapple fields to get there, but it was worth it! H-U-G-E! Bigger waves than I have ever seen with my own two eyes! But again, they estimated the wave height at 45 feet, and yet a few years back someone rode a wave that measured 67 feet at the same spot. Humongous nevertheless! Three guys, I assume they were gentlemen, plus their jet-ski partners were battling the surf. Kel thought it looked easy...
Anyway, the journey went on to Hana and we were rather late so we only took a quick stop at Waianapanapa and the freshwater caves. The camping there required a permit that we could not produce so we had to drive another 45 minutes to Kipahulu and the Haleakala National Park to camp. It was super windy but dry! The night was in the tent was long and hard and nothing was comfortable enough to permit me any deeper sleep. Beautiful morning and calm waterfalls! The surf had come to Hana too, so Kel went out at beautiful Hamoa (on MY board with the pink deck pad) while I sunbathed and swam. Absolutely unbelievably pretty there! A quick stop at both of the stores in Hana and then we decided to begin the long journey back, around the backside of the volcano. The waterfall at Alelele is an old favourite of ours, but too many tourists and their videocameras have discovered it, making it slightly less attractive. It was an amazinglu clear day and the drive was breathtaking! But loooong! The driver got a wee bit tired... We came back to civilization in one piece and saw that the waves were still pounding the northern shores of our island.
Well, we managed to fit the last bit of Christmas shopping in and are now done! So how was that for a weekend?
2 comments:
Wow! What a fun trip. File the big waves in your memory banks. You only see them every so often in life and you want to remember them. Heidi and I only saw them once at the Pipeline Masters in 1992(?) and I never forgot it. Mahalo
Forgot to mention - Sunset and Waiamei(sp) were breaking then to!
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