Mighty volcanoes, secluded waterfalls, beautiful beaches and lush rain forests
Bicycling Hawaii, the Big Island - December 2005
27 photos and movies (
) by Steven Hill and Rebecca Heald, steephill.tv (photo sharing conditions
)
Day 3: Old Mamalahoa Hwy to Waipio Valley - 40 mi, 3300 feet of climbing
 |
Click the pic to watch
Ride with us along Old Mamalahoa Hwy with the Hamakua Coast (sea level of course) on our left and the massive Mauna Kea volcano (el 13796') on our right... complete with soundtrack |
This was the sort of Hawaiian ride we had hoped for. After parking at the corner of Hwy 19 and Old Mamalahoa Hwy in a small park-n-ride lot, we set off and enjoyed a diverse 40 mile out and back bike ride. An employee at the
Bikeworks
shop in Kona called Old Mamalahoa Hwy his favorite cycling road on the island. It was a very good road offering a view of
Mauna Kea (Day 5 full report) to the south and the Hamakua Coast (sea level of course) to the north with quiet pasture land separating the volcano from the lush coast. The grass lands turned into the Honoka'a rain forest where the descending starts and we followed the curvy road through the forest while catching glimpses of the coast poking through the gaps in the trees. Most cars now use the newer Hwy 19 that runs parallel to it so we mostly had this scenic road to ourselves. (Click the movie to the right to see for yourself) The road ends in
Honoka'a, a former sugar plantation trying to redefine (or refine!) itself.
 Jan 9, 2009,
Today, Lance Armstrong rode Old Mamalahoa Hwy, calling it "one of the top 5 finest roads I've ridden. A must see." It is a great road, but I wouldn't put it in our top 5 unless he's referring to the nice pavement inwhich case I agree.
(photo credit: TwitPic/lizkreutz) |
We passed up some touristy shots in Honoka'a and headed northwest on Hwy 240 up the Hamakua Coast to the day's main attraction, the
Waipi'o Valley. The road is well-paved with a good shoulder and little traffic and abruptly ends at the Valley lookout. The Waipio Valley is a spectacular site. First there is the view down to the bay and looking north along the 1000 foot sea cliffs and then there is the steep road down into the lush valley below that has six waterfalls--all falling 600 feet or more. Apparently, this area has a renegade past and some locals are apparently unfriendly to outsiders, but friendly enough to welcome the money and bit-roles offered when the most expensive Hollywood movie at the time, Water World, was filmed there in 1995. We brought our sandals along on the ride so we could walk down to the valley and to the beach. The narow road down to the valley was paved but with a 25% grade all the way down so we locked up our bikes and walked. It's not a difficult hike to the beach but some drive a 4WD vehicle all the way from the top or catch a ride with a tour company. With lots of waterfalls, challenging valley trails and a very scenic beach for relaxing, I highly recommend a non-biking day exploring the Waipio Valley. Hiking out of the valley wasn't easy. We both needed an energy bar once we got are sweaty bodies back up to our bikes. Since we did an out and back ride, the second half of our ride was the same as the first except we had saved the climbing for the end of the day. The climbing was long but gentle. Beautiful weather and a beautiful ride always makes for a great day.
Hauoli Makahiki Hou! (Happy New Year) --
Steve, January 1, 2006
Next... Day 4 - Volcanoes National Park >>
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