Hawaiian Walkways in Sunset Magazine, November 1999
"Reinventing Paradise" by Jeff Phillips"
A rain-forest trek to the rim of Waipio Valley
Its still raining as I pull into the parking lot of Tex Drive In (808-775-0598) on the edge of Honokaa. The drive-in serves a great sugar-sprinkled Portuguese doughnut called a hot malasada, but that’s not the reason I’m here. An old friend has restored a trail in the rain forest along the south rim of Waipio Valley, and I get to be one of the first to share it with him. Tall and sinewy, with dark hair, a long face, and a droopy mustache that usually hides frequent smiles, Hugh Montgomery looks positively dour standing in the rain. But he becomes increasingly animated as we slosh across new streamlets, find wild fruits, and pause at trailside waterfalls swollen to grand, thundering cascades that roar down dark gulches. Montgomery and his company, Hawaiian Walkways, take visitors on guided natural history hikes. He’s one of the island’s pioneers of ecotourism, and not shy to note that the term has been bastardized by the state’s tourism industry. It’s largely why he has reopened this historic trail edging the canyon that is one of the island’s most popular drive-up scenic overlooks. "Island visitors are increasingly looking for genuine outdoor experiences. Which is why trails in the few parks we have are getting so crowded," he says. "Because this trail is on private property, we can be sure the land isn’t overused and still provide a really unique, personal, and safe experience." We weave through dripping tree ferns until the trail leads to a ledge that Montgomery has played up as the high point of the hike. It provides the view into Waipio Valley, and he has been touting the panorama of steep cliffs, waterfalls, taro fields, and ocean. Today, however, there is nothing to see but billowing swirls of smoke-colored cloud. Montgomery is disappointed, but for me, the journey is reward enough, and I am let down only when we finally have to return, gloriously wet and muddy, to the car. View Hawaii Ecotourism Association Tour Operator of the Year press release View National Geographic Explorer article View Hawaii Magazine article
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