Kauai Day 3

We woke up around 4:30 AM today due to the roosters. Salt Pond camp is set next to the only salt pond on the island, where locals harvest salt. The salt has a reddish tint to it due to the red dirt all over the island, which is pretty cool. This camp also has tons of mosquitoes (ask Mel about all her bites).

View of Waimea Canyon area while going up the mountain

We ate and headed up to Waimea Canyon, nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. After checking out the trails and their destinations, we decided on Canyon Trail, which is only about a mile and a half and takes you to the a two-tier 800 foot waterfall. We drove down a 4WD road for a mile and parked and headed out on the trail. The first mile of the trail is through wooded areas, with a bit of elevation change, but not too much. The next half mile is on top of a ridge, overlooking one of the canyons, and then out to the ocean. It was insane. There's no railing or anything nat the edge, so it's up to you to not fall, but there's plenty of room for walking and hanging out, just not by the edge. The trail continues on to the end of the ridge, and then you notice you're in between two canyons, and looking out towards the ocean. It was unbelievable. The trail actually puts you out at the top of the waterfall, so you can't see it, but we checked it out, and hung out at the top of the waterfall. It's pretty calm waters, so we got in a small side pool. I may have even skinny dipped at the top of the 800 foot waterfall...

These guys are everywhere and caused many sleepless night

Us in between the canyons

Hiker pose

At the top of an 800 foot waterfall. I thought it'd be rushing more off the edge too...


Posing at the top of the waterfall



At one of the canyon lookouts

Panorama at the top of a ridge

Panorama of Waimea Canyon. It looks fake, but that's just how it is.

Us, not the best panorama, but we're pumped!

Another panorama, down a different canyon

Mel, lookin perty

Then we headed back and down the mountain. We stopped at Waimea Brewing company, the westernmost brewery in the U.S. and got a couple beers and ahi poke, a raw tuna ocean salad dish. It was pretty good, but I'm not sure how often I'd get it if it were served here.

Then we went to Lawai Beach and relaxed a bit, then headed out to snorkel, as we read this to be one of the best snorkeling spots on the island. It was. We saw so many fish! We saw all those tropical, colorful, crazy looking ones we never thought we'd actually see in real life. And I saw a sea turtle! It was pretty badass.

Somehow these are real.

Your standard Maher fish



The definition of a school of fish



Snorkel pros


Neon pink fish, yes neon

This guy probably has a deep voice

SEA TURTLE

I think the length of his top fin represents wisdom

Then we went to Poipu Beach and hung out some, napped, and snorkeled, but it wasn't that good there. After that we went to get food, and realized Mel had left her purse at Waimea Brewery. After some phone calls, tears, and searching, they found it! We were pumped! Then we grilled out at Salt Pond camp, where we were staying again to end the night.