Double Dose of Hana

• Day 2: FIRST TAKE
• Day 4: SECOND ATTEMPT

Day 2: FIRST TAKE

Next, we saw Lower Puohokamoa Falls. From where we were standing, the view wasn't very satisfying as foliage blocked much of the lower parts of the falls. Had we been more observant, we would've realized there was a path that would've taken us to a better vantage point. Oh well...

The skies continued to relentlessly pour. Most of the waterfalls we saw up close (like Upper Puohokamoa Falls and Upper Waikani Falls) had an ugly brownish color to the water - no doubt scouring the muddy banks of the watercourse as it rushed to sea. Even the Upper Waikani Falls, which was also called "The Three Bears Falls," was one big fat muddy bear.

With the ugly came the good as well. We did manage to see along the way Waikani Falls as well as various ephemeral waterfalls like Nemo Falls and Hanawi Falls in good shape.

Given the narrow twisty wet road and the relentless rain, it really soured the mood inside the car. It especially affected Julie negatively as she hated the rain. So we weren't really in too much of a mood to stop for Ohe'o Gulch, and we forgot about the Blue Pool.

We only made stops for obvious roadside waterfalls such as Wailua Falls. When the road started to become unpaved and narrow beyond Ohe'o Gulch, we even saw a rarely flowing waterfall that fell into the ocean called Kukui'ula Falls.

After a tense drive around the southern East Maui coast, it was 2pm and the weather finally gave way to a little sun. From here, we could see old lava flows and the southeast slope of Haleakala. Further along the drive, we even saw the attractive Pokowai Sea Arch. Soon after this attraction, the road finally became paved again, and we uneventfully returned to Lahaina in plenty of time for a dinner.

When all was said and done on this day, I somehow felt cheated. I knew we missed quite a few waterfalls and I was already itching to go back. But that would have to wait because we planned on seeing West Maui tomorrow...

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Day 4: SECOND ATTEMPT

Unlike the first attempt, we didn't bother trying to do a Haleakala Sunrise on this day. Besides, Julie was already getting sick and I opted to start the day a couple hours later at 5am. Nonetheless, redoing the Hana Highway was the order of the day.

It was 7am and once again we were back on the Hana Highway. We knew there was already less water this time around as the Waikamoi Stream waterfall was not visible from the road - unlike two days ago. We also returned to the Lower Puohokamoa Falls, where we found the better vantage point, but the falls had disappointingly low flow.

On this go around, we focused mostly on falls we didn't see the last time. So we managed to see Haipua'ena Falls, Makapipi Falls, Wailuaiki Falls, the so-called Photo-sized Falls, and several unnamed roadside waterfalls.

We even had a chance to check out the Helele'ike'oha Falls - also known as the Blue Pool. This waterfall was quite memorable because it faced the ocean as its plunge pool was sheltered by loose boulders protecting it from the crashing waves.

It was a seemingly too-good-to-be-true waterfall as I couldn't imagine a better situated waterfall!

When it was 12pm, we finally made it to Ohe'o Gulch - also known as the "Seven Sacred Pools." We spent some time hiking to its scenic Lower Pools, where lots of people were frolicking in the waters beneath the picturesque waterfalls.

Then, we crossed the highway and headed into the rainforest along the Pipiwai Trail. This pleasant hike constantly had the smell of guava but it also presented numerous waterfalls - both seen and heard. Along the way, we saw the 200ft Makahiku Falls, several unnamed but lovely waterfalls, and ultimately the 400ft Waimoku Falls.

That last waterfall was described to us by an awestruck lady as a "spiritual experience." Along the way, we passed through an eerie bamboo forest, which blocked out sun in some parts and had mysterious knocking sounds throughout. We even got to check out the so-called Infiniti Pool atop Makahiku Falls. Very cool!

Now we saw why Ohe'o Gulch was such a popular tourist attraction.

Anyways, it was 4pm when we finished hiking and continued towards the unsealed parts of the Hana Highway.

Wailua Falls and Paihi Falls weren't doing as well as two days ago. However, we did stop at the unsigned trailhead for Alelele Falls. Julie was tired so she stayed in the car. I grabbed the camera and did the roughly 10-minute hike and scramble.

When I got to the falls, I was wowed by the 50ft column of water before me. Julie missed out on this one!

After taking photos of this waterfall and returning to the car, we continued along the now-familiar unpaved road. Kukui'ula Falls wasn't flowing anymore, and the Pokowai Sea Arch still looked the same as it did two days ago.

We finally made it back to Lahaina at 7pm. The weather remained nice in the late afternoon and once again we took another stroll down Front Street.

When all was said and done on this day, I felt better about our Hana Highway waterfall experience. Still, I knew there were more big waterfalls that we missed. Thus, the double dose of Hana wasn't enough and I'm still itching to return to Maui and do it again...