A goodbye at sunset from Kaena Point – March 25, 2012

In addition to being a Natural Area Reserve (NAR) for native species, Ka’ena point is also a spiritually important area to Native Hawaiians. A large coral stone at the point is thought to be where deceased souls depart into the spiritual world or “spirit leap,” as it is the westernmost part of the island to the setting sun.

As the Hawaii hiking community had recently lost a well-respected hiker and friend the weekend prior, the Lost Trailblazers wanted to extend their aloha in a their own “Lost Trailblazer kind of way” at Kaena Point.

Fortunate to have access to an off-road vehicle, we parked at the end of the unpaved road (2 miles from the nearest paved road)

…and walked in to the reserve to the westernmost point (1 mile further).

Ground nesting birds, like the large Laysan Albatross and their chicks are common throughout the reserve…

…and it’s fairly common to sea Hawaiian Monk Seals basking on the shoreline.

In addition to epic sunsets, the panoramic view inland from Kaena Point is pretty spectacular… it’s not often one gets to see both the North and West Shores at the same time.

We gathered on a small hill adjacent the shoreline, where some shared stories of our friend while others preferred to remain silent as the sun approached the horizon.

Aloha Les, here’s to you bro…

Please be courteous and follow posted regulations while in Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve.