While on the Island of Kauai, we were pleasantly surprised by the Moalepe Ridge Trail.   The trailhead was at the upper edge of the upper Waipoili area and then follows the Kuilau Ridge into the Makahena Mountains.   The length of the trail is a 5 mile round trip.   The trail starts as a wide red dirt track between fences.

As the trail approaches the wet cloud forest, big trees line the trail and fill the gullies on both sides.   One dense section of paper bark trees was very different.

All along the route, wild tropical flowers appear, varied, colorful, and surprising.

On the ridge the forest is impenetrable on either side.   Tropical trees, vines, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and ferns cover every upland spot on the island.

The trail links up to the Kuilau Ridge Trail which we had hiked in the previous year,   We met some cyclists who had completed a loop route on these trails, too long to hike, but would include a long section on rural backroads.   That will be for next time.