We flew over to Maui yesterday afternoon. Today, we went out to the Iao Valley, and hiked the trail up to the Iao Needle, which has an elevation of 2,250 feet. It was warm, and clear today so the students had a great view of the ʻĪao Needle (Kūkaemoku) which is a famous landmark in the state park. The “needle” is a vegetation-covered lava remnant rising 2,250 feet above sea level. The “needle” itself is an illusion; in reality it is a sharp ridge that gives the appearance of being a spire when viewed end-on. It is an extension of and surrounded by the cliffs of the West Maui mountains, an extinct volcano.
Jessica & Laura Solis at the Iao Needle
After exploring the park, we got back into our coach for the [very] short ride over to the Heritage Garden’s at Kepaniwai Park, where the students feasted on the picnic lunch expertly prepared by faculty. After lunch we held class, and Daniel G. & Kathryn B. led the group in a discussion on the Japanese culture.
This evening marks the course “mid-term” and starts our weekend “off”. We may (or may not) post anything over the weekend, so I’ll end this post with a photo of this evenings sunset taken from the lanai outside my room and look forward to continuing this chronicle next week.
