Maui Online Guide

Thrown a curve by the Park Service’s ban on commercial tours from the summit, Maui’s bike companies have adjusted their tours to fit the new reality. The bike portion of the tours now start at a staging area just outside of the park, at the 6500′ level. This new route is 11 miles shorter and 3500′ less in vertical drop than the former route, but still an exciting ride.

Initially two of the bike companies had permits to operate vehicle tours within the park. They turned this to their advantage by offering sunrise tours in their vans and afterwards self-paced bike tours starting just outside the park, where the ban had no effect.

As the original 60 day ban was extended by months, the Park Service relented somewhat and issued vehicle tour permits to the escorted tour operators. The new model for the Haleakala sunrise bike tour thus became a drive to the top for a view of the sunrise followed by a drive in the van back to a staging area just outside the park entrance where the bike portion of the tour began.

From here, at the 6500′ level, the bike portion of the tour snakes its way down highway 378 until it reaches highway 377. Here, some tours turn left towards Kula, while others turn right towards Pukalani and perhaps on all the way to Pa’ia or Haiku.

To the basic bike portion of the trip, the tour companies offer a number of enhancements. The enhancements included in the package have a great deal to do with the cost of the trip. Below are listed the basic ones offered by the bike tour companies.

• Pickup and drop off at your hotel or cruise ship

• Time of day, sunrise or later in the day

• All the way to the top or only to the 6500′ level

• Escorted tour or self guided

• Meals and other extras offered by some of the companies

As we reviewed the websites of the various tour companies we found a wide variety of packages offered. But, they basically boil down to choosing between escorted or self-paced then picking from a very early sunrise tour, a later in the morning summit tour or an express tour that doesn’t go to the top.

What do you get for your money. Basically, you get a specially equipped bike to ride, safety equipment (helmet, gloves), some kind of jacket or rain gear and whatever van transportation is included. If the tour is escorted there will be a guide in front and the van following behind the group. If the tour is self-paced you’re on your own, though the van may stop at a few turnouts on the first leg of the trip to make sure you’re okay.

Who are the bike companies? What does each one offer? How much does it cost? In part 3 we’ll take a closer look at each of the companies offering Haleakala bike tours.

Imagine, mounting a bike two thirds of the way up a 10,000′ volcano and coasting over 20 miles to sea level with almost no peddling. This trip beginning on Maui’s dormant volcano, Haleakala, to the sea is truly a unique Maui experience, there’s literally nowhere else on earth it can be matched. So, it’s no surprise that this is one of the islands most popular activities.

The most popular tours are scheduled so that the riders can also view the sunrise above the crater. Of the parks 1.4 million annual visitors over two thirds come to view this often spectacular sight.

Bike tours from the top Haleakala started in 1986. In that year about 24,000 riders took the trip from the top of the mountain. Ridership increased each year reaching a peak of 106,000 in 2005. Beginning in 2006 ridership was capped at 90,000 per year by the Park Service so that they could better manage the tours.

In late 2007 the tour business was thrown a curve when the National Park Service issued a safety stand-down, temporarily prohibiting commercial bike tours within Haleakala National Park. Two riders had been killed and several others injured that year. The first 11 miles of the descent take place within the park and so is within their jurisdiction. The Park Service is currently conducting a study to determine if the tours can operate safely before deciding whether or not to lift the ban.

Since the bike portion of the tours are no longer available within the park, are the current tours still worth doing. In this series of articles we’ll examine:

• How the bike tour companies have adjusted to the ban
• Who the tour companies are and what each now offers
• We’ll focus in on one of the tour operators
• And finally we’ll give you our recommendations

Tomorrow, in Part 2, we’ll examine how the bike tour companies adjusted to the Park Service’s ban on commercial bike tours within Haleakala National Park.

Each year Dr. Steven Letherman, “Dr. Beach,” releases his list of the “Top Ten Beaches” in the US. 2008’s press release just arrived. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida was named #1. Only two beaches from Hawaii even made the list. We wondered why?

Then we came across this article on HawaiiMagazine.com which answered the question. It seems Dr. Beach excludes from his list any previous winner. Since the list has been published for 17 years, that means 17 beaches have been excluded from consideration.

Dr. Beach’s press release says nothing about this, but after a little poking around on his website we found this page which lists the winners along with the small print. A quick look at the previous 17 winners shows 11 of them were in Hawaii and have been excluded from consideration.

The HawaiiMagazine.Com article summed it up this way:

So OK, Dr. Beach. We get it. You retired these fine beaches because otherwise Hawaii would be No. 1 pretty much every year.

Kind of makes the list less useful, though, don’t cha think Doc?

We couldn’t agree more. We won’t be using it as a reference in our articles anymore.

Photo: Kaanapali Beach, Maui, the 2003 winner

Haleakala Sunrise Attracts Hundreds of Thousands of Visitors a Year

“It was unbelievable” one visitor said. “It was unbelievably cold” said another. “We never even saw the sun” said yet another. Mark Twain called it “the sublimest spectacle I ever saw.” Indeed, the sunrise from atop Maui’s 10,000 foot Haleakala has taken on mythic proportions. And, on a good day the mountain can live up to the hype. On a less than good day it can be, well to say the least, disappointing.

According to the National Park Service there were over 1.4 million recreational visits to Haleakala’s summit in 2006. According to a 2004 Visitor Study, over two thirds of all visitors to the Haleakala Visitor Center visit during the sunrise period.

Haleakala is a dormant volcano that rises more than 28,000 feet from the seafloor, the last 2 miles of which are above the level of the sea. It last erupted around 1790. This eruption was not from the caldera at the top of the mountain, but from a cinder cone along the southern flank forming the finger of lava jutting into the ocean at La Perouse Bay.

Legend says that Haleakala was named from a clever trick the demigod Maui played on the sun. Maui’s mother complained that the sun sped by so quickly each day that her tapa cloth would not dry. Maui went to the top of the mountain and waited for the sun to rise then lassoed it, stopping it’s journey across the sky. The sun pleaded with Maui to let it go. Maui agree to let the sun go if it would slow it’s journey across the sky and make the days longer. The sun relented. In honor of this Hawaiians call the mountain Haleakala, or “house of the sun.”

If you decide to go you’re going to have to get up early to make it to the top of the mountain before sunrise. Dress warmly, bring a flashlight, and hope for good weather.

The National Park Services Haleakala Sunrise and Sunset page is here. Be sure to check out their FAQ.

Photo Credit: MauiOnlineGuide

This is an updated version of an article originally published in August 2007

To many Pa’ia is just a jumping off point on the road to Hana. To paraphrase more than one guide we’ve read, “stop and have breakfast at Charley’s in Pa’ia, pick up a few supplies and head off for Hana.” If this is all you see of Pa’ia, then you’re missing one of Maui’s true treasures. Pa’ia (pronounced pah-ee-ah) started life as one of the many sugar plantation “towns” that dotted Maui in earlier times. Life was dominated by the Alexander and Baldwin sugar mill and the surrounding cane fields. After more than a century of operation the Mill closed in 2000, bringing to a close sugar’s dominance of the community.

As sugars time passed other influences added to the unique flavor of the Pa’ia. Surfers came from all over the world to windsurf at nearby Ho’okipa beach and free spirits looking for a simpler, healthier lifestyle migrated to the area. Each group added their own essence to the spirit of the community.

Today Pa’ia is a mix of plantation town life, the needs of the health conscious lifestyle and the irreverent “hang loose” attitude of the surfer crowd. A mix, we dare say, you’ll find nowhere else on the planet.

A wonderful blend of small shops and eateries make up the commercial area of Pa’ia. You’ll find Hawaiian crafts, Indian imports, surf shops, juice bars and more, all on the same block. It’s definitely an off the mall experience. To feel it for yourself you have to park your car and get out and walk around a bit. If you do you’re bound to fall in love with the place.

Our favorite little shop in Pa’ia is Aloha Bead Company. It’s makai (oceanside) just as you get into town from the Kahului side. You’ll find beads, beads, beads and more beads. This place definitely leans towards the towns “free spirit” influence.

Pa’ia is a great place to stop as you start out on your Hana adventure, it’s also a destination all it’s own. Stop in, take a little time to look around, who knows what you’ll find.

Maui Police are using all-terrain vehicles to patrol some of the Islands beaches and other remote areas. Officers use them not only as crime prevention tools, but to assist the public.

According to the Maui News a special operation was carried out during spring break. Maui News quotes Capt. Jeffrey Tanoue, commander of the Kihei Patrol District as saying:

“ATVs allow officers to reach areas that normal police vehicles are unable to access… Although we are limited in resources, we have increased ATV patrols and will continue efforts to monitor and enforce criminal activities at beaches and parks in the South Maui areas.”

The ATVs have also been used to transport injured persons to more accessible areas for medical attention and to check on the welfare of residents after serious storms.

We first saw them patrolling Maalaea Beach, between Kihei and Maalaea Harbor. It looked like a good fit to us. Along this beach are some pretty remote areas. It was frankly comforting to know the beach was being patrolled from time to time.

We’ve also got to say that the officers looked like they were having a pretty good time doing their job.

Have you ever wondered how those perfect looking palm trees at your Maui resort or condo came to look that way? Well, we never gave it much thought either until one afternoon, while we were having lunch on the lanai, the tree trimmers showed up.

They were fascinating to watch. After strapping on spikes (the same type used by telephone linemen) and wrapping a chain attached to a safety harness around the tree, he was off the ground and at tree top in just a few seconds. Once there, a machete was used to trim the palm frawns away. It didn’t look like easy work either, particularly on a hot day.

It was also interesting to watch the reactions of the guests in the area. Some helped gather the frawns into piles, others formed groups and discussed amongst themselves the best methods for tree trimming and a few left in a huff because their perfect afternoon in the sun had been disturbed.

Personally our hats off to them. Without their effort our few days in paradise just wouldn’t be so perfect. By the way, if you need a good tree trimmer on Maui just click on the image above, the company’s name and address are on the back of the shirt.

Hawaii beaches are rated as some of the most beautiful and popular in the world. But, because of large waves and tricky currents they are also among the most dangerous.

Recently, at Maui’s Slaughter House Beach, we witnessed for ourselves just how tempting it can be to enter the water during unsafe condigions. Large breakers were pounding the shore and eating away at the beach. The place was completely un-swimmable. A single middle aged man with mask, fins and snorkel came down the trail to the beach, intent on going for a little dip we suppose. He stood there watching the waves for several minutes until good judgment finally prevailed and he left the way he came.

This little encounter led us to a truly useful website, Hawaii Beach Safety It not only lists current conditions for many of Hawaii’s beaches, but has lots of helpful safety suggestions for beachgoers.

They suggest that before entering the water, remember to SOAK:

• Study the conditions before entering the water.
• Observe the activities of others in the ocean.
• Ask the lifeguards about current conditions.
• Know your limits in the water.

Presented by the Hawaii Lifeguard Association, City & County of Honolulu, County of Maui, Hawaii Department of Health, Hawaii Tourism Authority, and the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, it’s a non-profit venture.

We liked the site so much that we put a link to it just under the Maui weather report at the top of the page.

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MauiLog Homepage

South Maui, past Makena, near Pu’u Ola’i

Less known than it’s South Maui cousins Big Beach and Little Beach, Black Sand Beach (not to be confused with Black Sand Beach at Wai‘anapanapa State Park near Hana) generally offers a place to get away from the crowds. Located on the other side of Pu’u Ola’i, (the conical shaped cinder cone south of Makena) from Big Beach, Black Sand Beach is a salt and pepper mixture of lava, shells and sand. The last time we were there the beach had a somewhat unkept appearance with lots of cigarette butts and other trash about.

Because of jagged lava and coral just off the beach, entry into the water is difficult. There’s a lava shelf on the left side of the beach that’s the best place to enter the water. The snorkeling is usually good to the left side along Pu’u Ola’i. We’ve seen quite a few turtles here.

To find the beach drive past Makena towards Big Beach. Just before you reach Pu’u Ola”i look for a dirt road leading towards the beach. There’s a gate and a Makena State park sign at the entrance to the road. The road is rough, but usually passable and leads to a dirt parking area at the beach that has enough room for a few cars.

Facilities:

• None

Find this and other beaches on our Maui Beach Map