Not all IPPY Award Winning Books...

Are equal. 

I shlepped this non-tome (Google the definition, I'm right) from the Mainland to Kauai. I can only judge it based upon the trail descriptions provided within its pages. (None of the other topics interest me). This literary drivel could be equivalent to the guidebook the infamous Donner Party used en route to the California coast, minus the cannabalism. 

I hiked the Powerline Trail today. Here's the info: "the trail is an old dirt road." Well, not so much as you can tell from the photo. Not only are the descriptions inaccurate, they are possibly dangerous if you follow the author's lame advice.

Take for instance, the use of flip-flops for river crossings. Is Mr. Doughty high? You and your sandals might be on a one way swim to the Pacific Ocean. The flip-flops won't be the ones screaming out for help though.

He also advises dumping water to save weight on the uphill slogs. (I won't toss drinking water until there is a faucet within reach).
He never mentions the squatters taking up space in his Na Pali Wilderness hike description. I did!
http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/12/occupy-na-pali.html

Check out the 4X4 who lost the Happy Hour "I dare you to drive your Toyota on the Powerline trail." There's probably three other vehicles beneath it.

I included a photo of a well-written, entertaining, informative and accurate IPPY gold medal winning book. 

BTW, this exciting travelogue can be found on Amazon. I hear the author has become a blogger. 

Good night from Kapaa,

Jeff 

The Hawaiian Kings weren't Snowbirds...

They were Rainbirds!

 A fun Aloha State factoid: The old time Kauai Kings performed an annual migration within the island. In the winter they would escape the wetter, cloudier and cooler land mass near Wailua and head southwest toward dry and toasty Waimea.

And here I thought the Jews of the US were the originators of human seasonal migrations. 

Another Urban Legend shattered.

To be honest, I'm still amazed (after three weeks of being here) that there can be so much variation in weather on a speck of land 25 miles long by 33 miles wide. Isn't the Edmonton Shopping Mall of Alberta, Canada larger eh? 

Warm and dry is better than cold and wet,

Cheers!

Jeff

Hawaii's First Haole...

Captain James Cook. 

In January 1778, Cook and his crew from the HMS Resolution and Discovery made landfall in Waimea, Kauai. The explorer, navigator, cartographer and the Boss who kept his sailors scurvy-free named the archipelago the Sandwich Islands after the Earl and the First Lord of the Admiralty. (OK. He might have been a suck-up too.)

His crew restocked the ships with water, sweet potatoes, taro and other foodstuffs. They probably left behind rats, lice and a few social diseases. (Supposedly Hawaiian women were "easy".)

The good Captain went galavanting around the Pacific Ocean only to return to Hawaii in February 1779. Once again, there was a need to re-provision and repair the ships. 

The Captain and his horny crew might have desired a little nookie too. 

 This time they were anchored off the Big Island. This visit wasn't peace, love and happiness. Tensions arose when items from the ships went missing. There were threats and counter-threats. When the macho chest-thumping was over Captain Cook was doing the Dead Fish float in Kealakekua Bay. 

Obviously Captain Cook never heard the old adage. What do guests and fish have in common? After awhile they both start to stink. 

That'll learn 'em. 

Good night,

Jeff