Hiking Halawa Valley

"We say  ‘Aloha aina,' saying ‘hello to the earth,'" Lawrence Aki says at the beginning of our hike into the sacred Halawa Valley on Molokai. "Hawaiians believe that everything is a living thing-they never cut down a tree or move a rock without seeking permission. There's usually an altar at the entrance of a place, and we will make a chant and leave a gift before entering."

Then, he tells us, we'll seek an answer from nature to determine if we should proceed. What if a tree limb falls? "Somebody is pretty angry! And if a black crow flies by while you ask, that's bad news," Aki says. A quail is good news. If no bad omens appear, Aki will chant his thanks and lead you into the valley. We expect the worse but lucky for us, the forest is quiet and we can proceed.

It was our third and final hike on the island of Molokai-and nothing to this point had been easy. When we arrived on the island via ferry from Maui, a person from the rental car agency-we'd booked ahead-met us at the pier. "Sorry," she told us, "We've run out of cars. My uncle is coming to give you a ride." When we tried to hike the Pepeopae Trail into the Kamakou Preserve, the final stretch of the access road was washed out, adding another six miles or so onto the hike. When we inquired about hiking the stunning Kalaupapa trail to the famous leper colony, we were told we'd have to secure a spot with Damien Tours to access the National Historic Park. The only way to reach Damien was to call his house between 7 and 9 in the morning or 5 to 7 at night. Getting access to hike the Halawa Valley trail was a little sketchy, too. We had to have permission or join a guided tour. We finally hooked up with Aki through the folks at Hotel Molokai, one of the few places to stay on the island.

Suffice it to say Molokai is no Maui.  Nobody will throw a lei around your neck when you arrive, whether you've traveled by plane (from Maui or Oahu) or ferry (from Maui). As one Maui shopkeeper says, "I grew up on Oahu, and my dad took us to Molokai to learn how to drive. There was nobody else on the road." This was true 30 years ago, and it's still true today.

Set in the center of the Hawaiian island chain, this 38-mile-long volcanic island was once the province of kahuna (priests) whose religious practices included human sacrifice. The island became famous as a leper colony from 1866 to 1969; banished lepers were relocated on Molokai and cared for by Father Damien de Veuster, a saintly Belgian priest, who lived and died among the infected. For years, tourists shunned Molokai for this reason; now, visitors hike the steep trail or take guided mule rides to Kalaupapa National Historical Park to see the former colony-provided they book in advance! The island is still largely ignored by the vacationing masses. It lacks the mega-resorts and surfer-chic of its island neighbors; it has all of the scenery (emerald mountains, cathedral valleys, soaring sea cliffs, black lava rock, bronze beaches) but none of the scene. A local T-shirt reads "Molokai Nightlife." Pictured below the heading? Nothing.  And, that's just the way Molokaians like it.

We'd come to Molokai to hike its trails, and Halawa Valley was at the top of the list. "Don't even think about doing it on your own," a local resident told us. Access to the valley is a hot button of controversy at the moment. Local families have erected a gate and nailed up "No Trespassing" signs, in an effort to stop vagrants and uninvited visitors. Aki, an island native,  blames squatters-disrespectful types who came into the area, robbed graves and shot wild pigs-for the current lack of access. He and his family have cleared the trails, and are re-planting taro and bringing hikers in to learn about the culture and history of ancient Hawaiians.