Visiting the Valley of the Priests

Hawaii’s north shore is legendary for frighteningly tall waves and daredevil surfers. The crowds that come to watch join competitors filling the town with color and noise. During the off-season, it’s another place entirely. There’s a quiet grace in this verdant corner of the world. The docks hold fishing boats of mostly the sporting kind and you can even dive with Galapagos Sharks not far from the channel mouth – in a cage that is. Local kids dodge paddle boarders as they jump off the small town bridge to cool off in the waters below.

Venture east out on the road that wraps around the island and stop at the sacred valley of Waimea. A great spiritual leader, Pa’ao arrived there in the 12^th century and introduced the use of stone terraces and walls for heiau or temples as well as a priesthood that endured for centuries. Near the entrance to the valley are several surviving heiau in the cliffs and the valley was watched over by the kahuna nui, the direct descendants of Pa’ao until 1819.

Today anyone may visit and walk out of the heat of the dry, salty sea shore to the cool, misty uplands passing ferns, flowering plants, birds and towering trees. There’s a visitor center and gift shop at the entrance with a tram available for those less able or inclined to walk.  A lucky visitor might get a glimpse of Hawaii’s only native land mammal, the Hoary bat, or the endangered `Alae `ula, Common Hawaiian Moorhen, but the greatest reward lies at the end of the trail, Waimea Falls.

All this natural wonder was nearly lost as the area was bought and sold by a number of entrepreneurs. One established stables with horseback rides and another featured ATVs and high entry fees.  Neither was able to survive. In 2006 the valley was re-dedicated by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to conserve the cultural and natural treasures of the unique habitat.

Whatever your reason for visiting, take a walk through this rare world. At the end of the trail, step into the cool waters at the base of the falls for a quiet baptism of sorts and step out restored for the walk back into the modern world.

Photo courtesy of the author.