IAO VALLEY AND WEST MAUI MOUNTAINS |
MAUI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
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WEST MAUI MOUNTAINS:
The volcano that formed the West Maui Mountains is older than Haleakala. It once towered about 7,000 feet above seal level and 20,000 feet from the ocean floor. The highest point, Pu'u Kukui, now stands at 5,788 feet and is the second wettest spot in Hawaii with an average yearly rainfallof about 400 inches. Much of this untamed mountain range is totally inaccessible by land. The only way to penetrate its secrets is by air.
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There's a hushed, sacred feeling here that makes you understand the reverence Hawaiians have for their land. Magnificent valleys radiate from the center of the West Maui Mountains. The most well-know is Iao. Its opening is punctuated by Iao Needle, a 2,250-foot cinder cone pinnacle, one of the island's most recognizable landmarks.
In 1790 Kamehameha conquered Maui in an unevenly matched battle against Kalanikupule, son of Maui's King Kahekili. The chiefs escaped through a mountain pass to Olowalu, but so many warriors were slaughtered that their corpses dammed the stream and the water ran red with blood. Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens in Iao Valley State Park commemorates the battle; Kepaniwai means “damming of the waters”.
