If you or anyone you know is afraid of heights, cliffs, rocky ledges, or beautiful vistas, then don't go any further.
Warning! Caution! Day off! Warning! Caution!
So it is true. We had Monday off. No work, not boats, no REMUS in the water. We even had our own tour guide at our disposal. Well, ok, so maybe this person isn't exactly a tour guide. Joe is a guy I've had the pleasure to work with starting last year in an operation that took place off of Kauai in the Summer/Fall of 2009. He was working for NUWC Newport and had heard through the grapevine that he could get a 10 month detachment to work on Kauai at PMRF. Well, sure enough, soon after that trip Joe was on his way to Kauai. He's gotten to know the lay of the land, and since it was Presidents day, he was happy to take Amy and I for a trip up to Waimea Canyon for some vistas and hiking.
More vistas and geology after the break!
Wiamea Canyon
Gratuitous "I was there" pose.
Wiamea Canyon was created by the total collapse of the Volcano that originally created the island of Kauai. As Wikipedia puts it (Geologist, please get a paper bag handy so you don't pass out.):
"Geologically the canyon is carved into the tholeiitic and post-shield calc-alkaline lavas of the canyon basalt. The lavas of the canyon provide evidence for massive faulting and collapse in the early history of the island. The west side of the canyon is all thin, west-dipping lavas of the Napali Member, while the east side is very thick, flat-lying lavas of the Olokele and Makaweli Members. The two sides are separated by an enormous fault along which a large part of the island moved downwards in a big collapse.'
"Geologically the canyon is carved into the tholeiitic and post-shield calc-alkaline lavas of the canyon basalt. The lavas of the canyon provide evidence for massive faulting and collapse in the early history of the island. The west side of the canyon is all thin, west-dipping lavas of the Napali Member, while the east side is very thick, flat-lying lavas of the Olokele and Makaweli Members. The two sides are separated by an enormous fault along which a large part of the island moved downwards in a big collapse.'
I can tell you this first hand, lots of red dirt and red rocks to match for this area. You even see it from the satellite images from Google Maps.
After taking in the views from that outlook, we drove the rest of the way to the end of State Highway 50. There we could see some of the Nā Pali Coast, Wiamea Canyon, and the Nā Pali Kona Forest.
Just a piece of the Nā Pali Coast
Just a piece of the Nā Pali Coast
Nā Pali Kona Forest
Nā Pali Kona Forest
To be continued........
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