Pihea Lookout

We decided on a whim to go to Pu'u'o Kila Lookout where you can see the NaPali Coast and Mt. Wai'ale'ale (5148'). I've always wanted to see the top of the mountain (which you can see from many places on the island), but it has always been covered in clouds. We've gone to Pu'u'o Kila Lookout several times before, and it's always been misty and cloudy. And quite naturally so, since it's just on the other side of Mt. Wai'ale'ale, the wettest spot on earth. With 440 inches of rain a year, it rains all of the time. But I wanted to go on a hike -- and I had brought my hiking boots for just a time as this.

When we got there, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. Not a cloud in the sky - the whole day. It was amazing. "A one in the million kind of day" according to the woman at the Ke'e Museum.

So we took her advice and decided to hike to Pihea Lookout...a moderately strenuous hike mind you -- which means that at some points you are climbing hand over hand up the "trail," holding onto the the roots and trying to find a place to put your foot. What fun! Seriously fun! I was glad that I'd been getting a little exercise climbing the stairs at work.

The only bummer was that my camera broke. So there we are on and absolutely gorgeous day with no camera...but my phone. So we decided to live in the "now" and just enjoy it. We'd have to record the memory in our minds. Until a nice couple from Spokane volunteered to take our photo and email it to us. So here we are at Pihea Lookout, standing in front of Mt. Wai'ale'ale -- where is the mountain you might ask? Yes, where is the mountain. The top is flat. Unbelievable. I'd been imagining Mt. Rainier -- and it's more like Table Mountain.