Vacationers Saddle Up Alongside Maui Cowboys

LAHAINA, Hawaii —  The first horses were brought to Maui early in the 19th Century and were ridden by cowboys that the Hawaiians called paniolos . They still herd thousands of head of cattle across Maui’s 35,000 ranchland acres to preserve a life style that has become a Hawaiian legend.

Besides the paniolos , vacationers saddle up too, what with six outfitters offering rides into Haleakala Crater, to tropical Hana and the rugged West Maui Mountains along trails that feature panoramic vistas and the silence of a rain forest.

From a coastal perspective the steep-walled West Maui Mountains are carved in jagged edges and clothed in sugar cane, pineapple, dense forest and clouds.

A network of trails winds its way across this lush mosaic, traversing largely agricultural foothills and isolated lowland valleys before reaching the dense West Maui forest preserve.

From more than 1,000 feet above sea level, wide-angle views include West Maui’s resort-lined coast, multihued inter-island waters and the neighboring islands of Molokai and Lanai.

Beautiful Panoramic Views

It’s a gradual climb to the border of the forest preserve.

Taken at a leisurely pace, an hour’s ascent is followed by a lunch break and a chance to appreciate the panoramic beauty and the sunny skies that are part of West Maui’s reputation.

From above, the fertility of the land and the juxtaposition of land and sea explain Lahaina’s historic importance as supplier to whalers and others on transpacific voyages.

The calm, island-sheltered waters of Lahaina Roads provide a glassy surface that reflects cloud-capped Lanai and the pleasure craft that anchor in Lahaina Harbor.

Those same waters 125 years ago also would have mirrored the masts of hundreds of sail-powered ships that made Lahaina a port of call each year.

Cane fields and pineapple still sweep toward the sea from these up-country heights, just as they have since plantations made their mid-19th Century appearance on Maui.

Today’s century-old fields are neighbors to Kaanapali and West Maui’s resort-lined coast with its patchwork of golf courses and landscaped grounds that add a distinctive green geometry to an already inspired flow of texture and color.

It’s a lovely vision of Maui, especially when the landscape glows in the afternoon sun and a breeze cuts a cooling path through the tropical Maui air.

A wide range of trail options, all escorted, open the lower reaches of the West Maui Mountains to novice and experienced riders.

Hana’s Rain Forest

Around heavenly Hana are horseback trails that make their way through a tropical landscape of towering mountains, plummeting waterfalls and dense green forests of kukui (candlenut) and mango, bamboo and fern.

It can get warm in the Hawaiian forest and hungry mosquitoes can be annoying, so paradise comes at some cost.

But a movie-perfect setting more than compensates for any discomfort, particularly on a picnic trail ride with a stop at the deep, cooling waters of a pool fed by a 40-foot waterfall.

There’s soothing intimacy to the Hana rain forest. The air is rich with fragrances from sweet to pungent and outside noise is softened by surrounding mossy surfaces and elegant vines softening the impact.

The most immediate sounds are horseshoe metal against rock, the passing song of colorful birds and the echo of water from rock-lined streams and of waves crashing on a distant shore.

Along the Hana coast, lava rock cliffs and peninsulas confront an often active sea, turning waves into torrents of white water and spray. By the time you reach Hana Town the scene also includes several beaches, with trail rides by the hour opening up the magnificent lands of Hana Ranch.

The soft cinder and ash that form the western wall of Haleakala’s caldera crunched rhythmically underfoot as we doubled back to the crater floor 3,000 feet below.

Against the blacks, reds and browns of Sliding Sands Trail, distant hikers moved like so many ants, tiny figures that provided this awesome geology with a sense of scale.

Other-Worldly Scenes

Like a sponge, the cinder absorbed noise. Only the wind and the crisp sound of horseshoed hoofs on volcanic debris intruded on a silence as immense and encompassing as Haleakala’s other-worldly interior.

The air was still cool, just beginning to warm from the night’s high altitude chill as the morning sun filled the crater with brilliant color.

By 10 a.m., if the crater stays clear of clouds, the air will have warmed appreciably. By noon it may be hot, despite the fact that it’s 7,000 feet above sea level.

On days when clouds invade the crater, usually entering through the breaches in crater walls called the Kaupo and Koolau gaps, the breeze carries with it misty gray clouds and affords a mere pocket of vision that makes magic of a landscape of eroded craters and towering cinder cones.

Either way, Sliding Sands is an hour’s descent to the floor of the caldera, where a network of trails links geological oddities such as the Bottomless Pit, native botanical oddities such as the silversword and biological oddities such as the flightless nene (Hawaiian goose), Hawaii’s state bird.

A circuit also leads to the three National Park Service cabins and campsites that make an overnight stay a possibility. For day trippers the grassy field at Kapalaoa, across the crater at the base of its northern rim, provides a midday lunch break for the five or six riders in a typical horseback party.

Chili Above the Clouds

As chili cooks, there’s time to explore on foot or to sit back and appreciate the clarity of a day above the clouds.

While most of the day is paced at a walk, several wide-open stretches of hard-packed cinder offer experienced riders a chance to break into an exhilarating gallop.

By 4 p.m., while climbing the heights of Sliding Sands Trail, the sun starts toying with the jagged edge of the crater rim that looms overhead. With each switchback, the sun sets and rises. The breeze is once again chilling.

With each switchback also come new views of the crater, now marked by the shadows of fast-moving clouds.

Half an hour later, once again atop Haleakala’s western rim, the sun burned its way toward the horizon, preparing to set in the ocean southwest of Lanai. A dense cover of clouds filled the crater, sending wispy fingers lapping at the trail’s edge.

Sunlight falling on the billowing clouds below suddenly formed a circular rainbow. And in the center of that rainbow, in soft-edged silhouette, rode a man on a horse. The visual phenomenon called the Spectre of the Brocken had presented the ultimate memory of Maui on horseback.

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Kaanapali Kau Lio Stables, P.O. Box 10656, Lahaina, Hawaii 96761, call (808) 667-7896 offers two-, three- and five-hour trail rides. Hotel pickup, refreshments or lunch are included, with all trail rides conducted at a walking pace. Rates $38 to $90.

Rainbow Ranch, P.O. Box 10066, Lahaina, Hawaii 96761, call (808) 669-4991 features trail rides suited to novice, intermediate and experienced riders, including mountain and beach options. Hourly rates begin at $15, with set trail rides, including a picnic option, priced at $20 to $40.

Adventures on Horseback, P.O. Box 1266, Kihei, Hawaii 96753, call (808) 242-7445 meets riders at the Halawa Bridge along the Hana Highway and heads mauka (toward the mountains) for half a day on trails that lead to a waterfall and pool, making it perfect for a lunch break and swim. With groups limited to four, the $95 charge offers a personalized trail ride.

Hotel Hana Maui, Hana, Hawaii 96713, call (808) 248-8211 offers daily escorted rides for non-guests. The $20 hourly charge allows for several riding options, with a $30 breakfast or dinner cookout another possibility.

Pony Express Tours, P.O. Box 507, Makawao, Hawaii 96768, call (808) 667-2202 offers either half-day or full-day entry into Haleakala Crater, with departure adjacent to the 10,000-foot Visitor Center lookout. Lunch is provided on either trip, with a half day priced at $80, a full day $120.

Thompson Riding Stable, R.R. 1, Box 201, Kula, Hawaii 96790, call (808) 878-1910 features Haleakala overnights. The $180 price includes either cabin accommodations (with at least three months’ advance notice) or tents. All meals are included.

Departures are set from either the 8,000- or 10,000-foot lookouts, with access and route depending upon weather conditions.

Thompson also offers more leisurely rides by the hour, as well as seasonal picnic and sunset rides from Kula Ranch Stables en route to Haleakala National Park.

Charley’s Trail Rides, c/o Kaupo Store, Hana, Hawaii 96713, call (808) 248-8209 provides overnight excursions into the crater for groups up to six. It costs from $100 to $175 per person, depending on whether Charley’s provides the meals or you can cook. Tent, sleeping bag and air mattress are provided.