Читать книгу Kauai Trails. Walks strolls and treks on the Garden Island онлайн

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You may have read that Mt. Waialeale, Kauai’s second highest peak, is the wettest place on earth. What that means is that over many years, Waialeale has had the highest average annual rainfall (I’ve seen figures ranging from 450 to 480 inches annually). Other places may have a year or two of torrential rains that exceed that figure. But on Mt. Waialeale, every year is that rainy. The trade winds pick up a great deal of moisture on their long sweep across the open ocean to Kauai. The first serious obstacle they encounter on Kauai is Waialeale, and there they unburden themselves. Rain clouds enshroud both Waialeale and Kawaikini, Kauai’s highest peak and Waialeale’s neighbor, almost constantly; it’s a rare moment when you can see them. The huge amount of rain they get nourishes all of Kauai. West of Waialeale and Kawaikini lies an immense, forbidding swamp, the Alakai Swamp, maintained by the constant rains and home to some of earth’s rarest plants and animals. However, Waialeale’s constant rain need not concern you much, as there are no trails to Waialeale.