Haleakala is famous for its sunrises, but on the leeward side of Maui, it hides a surprise: the Kaupo Trail, which climbs through pastures and rainforest to reach the volcano's crater.

By staging two vehicles for this trip - one at the summit's visitor center and one on the coast at Kaupo - and by trading car keys at our lunch stop half way, we'll avoid a time-consuming shuttle and instead enjoy a 17-mile hike from either the summit to the sea or vice versa. Either way - uphill or downhill - will be both incredibly scenic and incredibly difficult.

Because of the extreme elevation change and challenging terrain, this trip is suitable only for experienced hikers in peak condition. We’ll cheerfully face the possibility of bushwhacking, feral pigs and dogs, and inclement weather.

Because of the strenuous nature of this trip, the leader reserves the right to qualify participants. This is a consciously low-impact outing, so carpool participation is encouraged and participants are urged to contribute to their vehicle’s shared mileage, gas and park entrance costs (est. $50 per person).

Fewer than four confirmed signups as of 8:00pm, Thursday, October 13 cancels. We’re not planning any shared meals, so please plan to provide your own supply of food. We'll plan to wrap up our hike by late afternoon in time for an evening return to Kahului or Kihei.

We’ll meet up to consolidate our carpool at the Long's Drugs at 1215 S. Kihei Road at 7:00am (SHARP!) on the morning of Sunday, October 16 in preparation for our long (1.5-hour) drive to the trailhead.