Wailele Falls – March 24, 2013

Merv and I planned a hike today. We wanted to do Hobbs-Ka’ala, but with rain, we decided to do Koloa Gulch. Then I drove, it started pouring really bad, so we decided to do Wailele Falls. Neither Merv nor I have done Wailele Falls. I knew we needed a Hawaii Reserves Permit. I have mine, but it expired in 2011.

Since Merv and I weren’t prepared for this hike because it was a last minute adjustment, I looked on my iPhone for directions. On Everytrail, there was a map so Merv and I looked at the map and figured it out. We parked near the Polynesian Culture Center and took a road that led to some farmland. The place was no doubt a farming area, in a minute I expected some dogs to come out running at us. But no dogs came after us, it was too wet today.

We neared a house, Merv and I tried to find a side trail through the forest, we did, but the side trail led to the house, some inconspicuous hikers we are. The dirt road led into the forest. Stream crossing seemed inevitable. The water level was just below knee high. The rule of thumb is if the water level is above the knee, then turn around don’t drown. However, we figured we could do this even if the water level was pretty high. If you’re a beginning hiker trying to do this trail when the water level is this high is a bad idea. My advice is to turn back, it’s not worth it.

We crossed the stream numerous times. I held onto rocks and branches. One thing I notice about stream crossing, using your hands as another point of pressure is important, just in case you fall, at least you can hold on to something.

It took us about 1 hour to get to the falls. I was cold and uncomfortable already, so going in the water was not an option. Merv doesn’t like to swim in water, so he was a no go. The waterfall is about 12 feet tall, sort of looks like Jackass Ginger to me.

The rains kept on coming down. The water level rose a bit. Merv and I rushed along and finished the hike in a little over 2 hours. 

This trail would be good for the family. Go on a day, when it’s not raining. Because there are many stream crossings, taking kids across the stream can be dangerous.