JULY FUNDRAISER - 6TH ANNUAL OPEN WATER SWIM

Saturday 7/28/12

Namalokama Canoe Club Open Water Swim

Please check out the canoe pages at top of blog. 

            In addition to fundraising races throughout the season, most clubs raise funds with events that benefit the community as well; Namolokama Canoe Club has its Open Water Swim.  Lots of work and organization, Barb & Dick Smith are the ringleaders on this one.  Sixth consecutive year and people were able to pre-register and pay on-line this time.  Club members turned out the evening before to set up tents on the beach at Hanalei.

Walking the tent into position

            Day of the races members had the buoys set in the bay and registration tents were staffed by 7:00am.  The water, juice, fruit, and carb snacks were ready and the generator was humming quietly for the announcer (the first year we used a bullhorn).  The timing tent was ready with state of the art printout of names, race, and finish times; the chute for racers to finish in was set.

 Sign In Here

Late registration:  8 & under, 9-12, 1/2 Mile, 1 Mile, 2 Mile

no one reads the signs!

 

Computerized timers with all data, as soon as the swimmer crosses the line

his name, which race, and finish time are printed out

There was a Hawaiian oli chanted by the announcer Koko and then a prayer from Alpha, the local minister to bless the sponsors. Part of the sponsorship allowed some of the local kids to compete at no charge. They all got T-shirts and ribbons for participating.

Safety guys on one man canoes and stand up boards 
making sure everyone finds the finish line

The kids gathered for medals after their events
Always some fun stories, twin boys tied for first in the 9-12

Adults also received T-shirts.  Each category had a color-coded swim cap. 
ID numbers were on both their cap and their right arm.  

 The two mile hard core hopefuls went first: white caps

The one mile folks had orange caps

The two on the right waiting for their race to start
they both medaled in their class - brothers!

keeping warmed up before the race

Yellow caps were the half mile racers

 

The half mile race is the largest group. Several of the 9-12 age kids had opted for this race instead and competed with old timers and everyone in between.

Half mile medalists, Jane on left (another club mover and shaker)

and brother Stew visiting from Wyoming

Gil and Jim are the timers - working side by side again this year

           No one seemed to mind the cloud bursts, swimmers were wet anyway.  Once the last swimmer was in the timers were free including Gil and we were able to unfurl the big Mahalo to Laura.  (Dick was still swamped with swim, and Peter was off by now for a root canal!)

see Laura’s page at top

           Medals were handed out for first-second-third place winners in every age and race category.  The fat lady sang, people dispersed, club members broke down the tents and put them away – everyone was done before noon!

           Save the Pier folks were also at the beach.  Rotary Club has collected almost enough money to replace the structure on the end of the pier.  A few gnarled fishermen are fighting it because they might lose a few days while the work is being done!  Gotta love it, hang in there Rotary!

JULY IN KOKEE

Saturday 7/21/12

I got a chance to hike the Alaka’i Swamp trail with people from the Native Plant Society.  It’s a two hour drive from Princeville to the Lodge at Kokee where we were to meet.  I woke up to a crystal clear day and hit the road at 6:00am. An hour later, still clear in Lihue, I stopped to try for a shot of Waialeale.  Being the rainiest spot on earth, it isn’t visible very often.

Wai'ale'ale (wy-all-eh-all-eh)

From the Lodge we carpooled in 4WD trucks several miles on Camp 10 road to the trail head.  I hoped to be back on the North shore by 5pm so I elected to ride with Mike who said he might have to turn around early to meet another commitment that day himself. 

Po'omau Canyon

           This is a cleft of  Waimea Canyon I don't usually get to see but we met near here to start the hike.  Eleven of us started and three turned around a mile in. It turns out my ride was with one of the native plant experts; I stuck close, and we went the whole distance.

Mike De Motta, one of the founders of the Kauai Native Plant Society

This little wedge where the trails meet has been carefully cleared of all non-native plants,

a true look at the ancient forest.

With all the research I've been doing for my book it is a real pleasure to go to the source.  Kokee's  forests, wet and dry, provide a living museum.

            There were debates about Latin names and current but ever changing botanical classifications but these sidebars were welcome as I used the time to click away on the camera.

'Uki'uki and Nau Paka Kuahiwi

            The berries are native and were used to make dye, purple unless lime was added, then it was deep sea blue.  'Uki'uki is in the lily family (with the long leaves).  It is growing among the mountain nau paka that has the same half flower as the very different fleshy beach naupaka.

         This hike is known for native forest and forest birds as well as severe invasive species. It is also known for the stairs, and the boardwalk through the swamp or bog.

 The wire on the boards keeps you from slipping when they are running with water

 Great when they are in good repair

Kahili ginger & Haha'ai ka manu

            Here is a perfect example of the forest mix today.  The yellow flowers on stalks are Kahili ginger, a super-agressive invasive plant that takes over the understory choking out native plants.  In front is the endemic Haha'ai ka manu which fed the native birds (see little round yellow fruits).  The ginger smells divine unless there are so many it becomes overwhelming.  The fruit is sweet.

           After endless stairs there is a stream and once we rock hopped across we were no longer on the dry side but hit a muddy, rocky incline.  Laka is the forest goddess and when there is mist you recognize you are in her realm.  "Laka is the forest, Laka is the mist."  This may be the only legend I know in my soul and it is impossible to not be aware of her.

 This is the Alaka'i Swamp and Laka is present in every step, every breath

This is pristine montane wetland or bog

this makes it very easy to grasp the concept of "primordial soup"

           Of the half dozen times I’ve hiked the trail, only once was it clear enough at the Kilohana overlook to see Wainiha Valley directly below and the ocean and even Hanalei Bay in the distance.  This was not the day.  I didn’t care – I was there to be educated about the plants.  I was able to more or less ignore the ones I know and learn new ones – so exciting.  We had lunch at the platform and left at 1:00 right on schedule. 

That's the view!  Sorry I didn't get names.  Mike on left, me on right. 

The two youths in center back were not with us. 

            The bog track and platform are in a dismal state of rot.  We precariously came back down to the stream without incident (only once did I more or less do the splits when I stepped on a muddy root and my foot chose to follow it out from under me - no damage, no humiliation - and the mud washed out later).  Once crossed we had dry trails.

The bright green is 'uluhe (oo-loo-hay) fern

            The Sun came out again before we got back to the cars.  Looking across a valley we could see where hurricanes in 1982 and 1992 really took out a lot of big forest trees. Where the ground was exposed, 'uluhe quickly filled in. It will hold the dirt in place until larger trees grow back. 
            We had fooled around looking at plants for 3.5 hours in and marched back out in 1.5.  I stopped at a Mc Donalds in Ele’ele to wipe down, put my dress on and make it to the next engagement on time (more or less). 

JULY FOURTH & BEYOND

Please view two new pages at top regarding:

Outrigger Canoe Racing – How it Works

Upcoming canoe races in 2012

Fourth of July

             We were due to go down to Hanalei Bay for a potluck and fireworks at 5:30. At that moment it was pouring. We went anyway and the rest of the evening was moving out onto the beach and then retreating back under the canopy out of the rain.

It was kind of like Pele and her wars, someone always trying to put the fires out.  Too Fun!

These fountains were going off all around the bay

Clean up crews are out bright and early on the 5th

Random shots of Hanalei in July

            If you read about canoe season above, finishing up the regattas and what is coming up for Gil is all about paddling.  Even when all that is going on, there are the every day beach goers doing what they do.

 All kinds of paddling, this is a stand up board (SUP) - Stand Up!

at least poochy gets it

Oblivious to the race course, and vice versa

gotta love it

. . . .and then this rogue wave came from behind and I wiped out

who's cuter?

Not everyone plays all the time, some people are working.

 

Lifeguards on duty are always watching

And then you never know what you'll find down by the pier.

 Double hull Hawaiian voyaging canoe with swimmers in the water

Those aren't ordinary swimmers, they're mermaids!

Not a camera crew in sight, they were just swimming

only in Hanalei

And after a long hard day at the beach,

it's nice to come home and relax on the lanai, out of the elements

I love summer

END OF JUNE

Just to wrap up June nicely, visitors!

           Great to visit with Laura and Diana from northern California.  These two kayaked the Na Pali with us 8 years ago – not so calm, not so easy on the landings, what an adventure. Quite self sufficiently running around Kauai with their own buddies, we did get in and on the water with them.  

One great thing about our recreational paddling group is that they are happy to share with visitors – especially dynamos like these two.  Peter & Rosemary made sure they got to go.

 A dry run in the Namolokama club tent

  Gil gave Laura, Antony, and Diana a little warm up lesson and off they went.

These rookies look pretty darn good 

I waited on the pier trying to get pics. 

They caught a bump on the way back in and were pretty stoked about all.

 Victory at sea!

front to back:  Peter, Diana, Laura, Antony, Rosemary, Gil

We got a little snorkeling in with them too, but choppy water this week didn’t create great visibility.  We tried this reef but not much joy. 

Kaweonui Reef

It was worth the walk to get there and back again, over hill and dale, along the seashore . . .

These ironwood trees are not native but they are holding this trail together

I love the lichen

In the same neighborhood we got to see this huge albatross chick before he/she fledged.  What a simple pleasure to watch them every season.  This one won’t be back for 3-4 years to begin the mating ritual, checking out possible mates.

Moli baby - this is the one we saw being fed earlier this year (see post 2/12/12)

what a fine set of feathers - the down will soon disappear

             We went down to Hanalei another evening to watch the men’s practice

at least as they went by the pier

Photo by Laura Richardson



 It is a water sport – they don’t care if it rains

they are the rain or shine guys

photo by one of Laura's friends



Diana, me, Laura

Sittin on the dock o' the bay, these are Aikido buddies from more than 30 years ago

There were two more Aiki girls but these three shared some thumps

            At Pali ke Kua where they were staying, we saw some lovely fishes.  Diana calls it butt burner beach - pretty steep walk down and up.  While Diana and I were out cruising the fish, Laura was sharing ocean wonders with strangers on shore, using her snorkel gear to "make new addicts."

We had a hard time leaving,the last evening for them at Pali ke Kua 

Aloha 'oe