Author Archives: j0jgvm89bj

End of the Road

Continued from previous entry dated May 4, 2015…

What seemed a scavenger hunt, we knew we were headed in the right direction. Journal entries confirmed a place at the end of the road, near Ke’e Beach. There were references to an area revered by Hawaiians. Known as a Heiau (hey ow), locals told us it was next to the trailhead for the Na Pali Coast, at end of the road.

Robin’s leather-bound journal from 2010 was the key.

The trail entrance to Na Pali is at the end of the road.

We found an overgrown path and walked through lush vegetation.

Approaching a rock wall, I felt elation, and knew this was the right place. The view was remarkable and whales spouted offshore. What an affirmation! Robin’s descriptions, photos and journal entries were a perfect match.

Stones were laid in an orderly fashion by ancient Hawaiians. The site was a temple and served as a school for the Hula. Students would come from surrounding islands. It is said that the goddess Pele came here from the big island after hearing the drum beats.

I tried to imagine what was here hundreds of years ago.

There could have been thatched structures and large carved Tikis.

A shelf in the rock wall looked like an altar where ceremonies could have taken place.

Someone left offerings wrapped in Ti leaves and a beautiful flowered lei.

After finding the location of the Heiau, we explored the beach at Ke’e.

Ha’ena State Park is next to Ke’e.

The waves at Tunnels were big and breaking on the distant reef.

We spent some time on the wide crescent beach at Hanalei.

Surfers love Hanalei.

The following day we began hiking the Kalalau Trail.

There were torrents everywhere.

The first overlook gave a spectacular view of Ke’e Beach.

At times the steep drop-offs were precariously close to the trail.

In a heavy downpour it got so muddy, we had to turn back after going in ¾ mile.

On the way back to our cottage, a man on the roadside sold us a lei made by his wife.

Early next morning we went to the Heiau with Robin’s ashes.

It was a spectacular day, and a few whales breached from the ocean.

We spent an hour contemplating the moment, and the sacredness of the site.

We placed the ashes up against a sheer rock wall, splashed an offering of Hawaiian rum and presented the lei.

lei

Our task was done.

The Journey

In the Fall of 2013, I did some blogging about Robin. He had a rich life but now is gone. We said our goodbyes and have had lots of time to reflect. Robin had directives in place to disperse his possessions. But there was also a last request. He wanted his ashes taken to the island of Kauai.

After he lost his wife Carey, to cancer, he returned to Kauai in 2010 to scatter her remains. Years prior, they made a number of trips to the island. Carey worked as a nurse at the hospital in Lihue and went again in 1993, after Hurricane Inniki ravaged the island. They were both very fond of the place and told captivating stories about it.

Robin wanted his final wish to be carried out by me and Denise. His directions where to go, were not crystal clear. As clues, there were vague vocal descriptions about “the end of the road”. There were also some photographs and a journal that we used, to narrow down the possibilities.

In March we embarked on a journey that ultimately took us to the North Shore of Kauai to carry out our calling. It was an introduction to a gorgeous part of the world. And for me personally, it was inspiration to remember a friend and revitalize my photography.

wing

Reality didn’t set in until I was cruising high over the Pacific Ocean bound for Kauai.

The next day I was standing on the edge of Waimea Canyon.

We spent some time exploring beaches around Kilauea.

nice

The water was amazing!

Kilauea Point is a National Wildlife Refuge with a lighthouse on it.

Originally built in 1912, it was recently restored.

There were sea birds like this Laysan Albatross nesting in the surrounding cliffs.

We hiked through a farm with 40,000 mahogany trees on it.

And we loved the local farmers market on Saturday.

We saw how taro plants growing in Hanalei Valley provide critical waterfowl habitat.

Perfect waves at Hanalei were visible from an overlook a mile away.

The single lane, double bridge going over the Wainiha River would eventually take us where we needed to go.

to be continued….

Wettest Place on Earth

At times I’ve thought I live in one of the wettest places on the planet. That’s when we have flooding from storm surges, and not so much from rainfall.

With over 450 inches of measured annual rainfall, a place I visited recently is arguably the wettest place on earth. There was a good reason to be there and that’s another story.

On this trip Denise and I flew in a helicopter around the stunningly scenic island of Kauai. Ben, our pilot took us into the huge three sided crater of Mount Wai’ale’ale’. Billed locally as the wettest spot on earth, there were clouds hovering all around, and we could feel the cool moisture inside the cockpit.

Entering the crater was dramatic.

Vertical walls were streaming with water.

On the side where multiple waterfalls drop thousands of feet, is The Wall of Tears.

Mahalo.

New Inlet

One of the first places I explored on Hatteras Island was New Inlet on Pea Island. The old remnant bridge that’s still there, was built after the storm of ’33 cut an inlet from sound to sea. As a result, traffic was interrupted on the sand road, so the state began construction of a bridge to span the troubled spot. The new inlet filled back in on it’s own, and the state halted construction before it was completed.

I used to walk out precariously on that deteriorating, unfinished bridge to catch hard crabs on baited strings. It wasn’t uncommon to come home with a few dozen nice ones. Since then, New Inlet has always brought me a feeling of wonder and tranquility.

I wasn’t the first one to get enjoyment there. Long before, there were fish camps where locals could hunt and fish for sustenance. It must have been a beautiful, bountiful outpost.

One of the first photographs that I made at New Inlet was taken in 1979 as I was testing a brand new 400mm Novoflex lens for the first time. I parked my truck on the shoulder of highway 12, stood in the bed and made 4 handheld, identical exposures to see how the lens worked. The shot later became a somewhat iconic image as the cover of Hatteras Journal, written by Jan DeBlieu.

I took a similar shot in 1982. John Herbert’s sail skiff, once again, served as a crucial element in the composition.

By January of 1985, the fish camp once owned by St. Clair Midgett had dropped from it’s foundation into the water. Later that same year, when Hurricane Gloria blasted through, it took what was left, completely away.

In May of 1985, I shot this smaller camp just northwest of St. Clair’s. It too was taken out by Gloria.

Winters Too

The cold weather has been particularly persistent this winter. Even the water temperature around us has dropped more than normal. Behind my house the icy sound was below 32° at times. Three days ago, we had our first snowfall. It lasted a good part of the day and was of a wet variety. It accumulated a couple inches and was pretty. It stuck to the trees in my yard, and I reflected how nice the live oak looked that I transplanted years ago from the old Coast Guard station at Chicamacomico.

Michael Halminski Photographer

Waves, North Carolina