Trial by Trail: Waihee Ridge Trail
Waihe‘e Ridge isn’t for the faint of heart (pant, pant), but the effort yields rich rewards.
July 1, 2012
Story by Heidi Pool | Photography by Bob Bangerter
It’s the kind of Maui morning that’s ideal for a hike: sun attempting to burst through cottony clouds, trade winds riffling tall grasses and treetops perfect, when you’re about to hike two-and-a-half miles, gaining 1,563 feet of elevation, in pursuit of a panorama.
Waihee Ridge Trail isn’t well known, but it’s one of the island’s best, an opportunity to get off the beaten path and rack up some serious aerobic exercise, while enjoying breathtaking scenery. Part of the State of Hawaii’s Na Ala Hele trail system, it’s well maintained and well marked. Today, nineteen of us are on an interpretive hike into this vital forest reserve, led by staff from the West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership.