Intro

I spent a few nights hiking in and around Haleakala NP in Maui
recently, from Hosmer Grove campground to 7 pools in the Kipahulu
district, and wanted to post some pictures and info for anyone who was
considering a similar trip. There is some information about the
Halemau'u and Kaupo Gap trails, the road to Hana, and 7 Pools already
on the internet, but it's scattered, and in the case of Kaupo Gap and
the road to Hana, tantalizingly incomplete.

The parameters of my trip were not entirely usual, at least as far as
I can tell. For one, my hike encompassed the entirety of my time on
Maui. I was flying in, hiking three nights, then flying to the Big
Island on the third morning. This means I had to carry everything I
needed not just for the hike but for the rest of my trip -- no hotel,
no storage locker at the airport (they don't exist at Kahului, I
asked), and no rental car. This presented another issue, one of
transportation. I didn't want to hike a loop like most seem to, so I
couldn't rent a car. Hitchhiking is apparently the usual remedy for
this sort of problem in Hawai'i, either parking your rental at the end
of the hike, then hitching to the beginning, with luck finding your
car and stuff as you left it days earlier, or just hitching from and
to the airport. However, the hike I stubbornly insisted on made this
impossible. I was fixated on the Kaupo Gap. Unfortunately, making this
trail a leg of your trip means you're either starting or finishing in
the utter remoteness of upcountry Maui.

Don't get me wrong: hitching to or from Hosmer Grove and to or from 7
pools, is possible -- it just requires multiple rides and plenty of
time. Plenty of people drive to/from the summit past Hosmer Grove
to/from Kahului for sunrise and sunset. Plenty of people drive from
Kahului in the morning to Hana town or even all the way to 7 pools,
with those same droves returning in the evening. If you are
comfortable with the logistical overhead, time, and risk this adds,
it's certainly an option. There is an airstrip in Hana at which
Hawai'ian airlines operates at least one outbound flight, which, along
with horseback and helicopter, seems to round out the transportation
universe of eastern Maui.

Instead, I just arranged both pickups with a taxi driver ahead of
time, choosing to start at Hosmer Grove and finish at 7 pools. This
was mostly because I preferred the idea of a hike that descends 8000
feet to one that ascends 8000 feet, but I also liked the idea of a
shorter trip to the start than from the finish due to my insufferable
impatience. The taxi driver agreed to do it for $100 to and $200
from, which compared very favorably to other Maui livery options, most
or all of which charge not just for your trip but the trip for them to
get there in the first place (or back after dropping you off). I
would guess it also compares reasonably well with 3 or 4 days of a
rental car plus gas.

With transportation arranged, there was still the issue of what to
pack. Somewhat cavalierly, I chose to forego a tent, relying only on
my lightweight, 30 degree rated, waterproof, cocoon-like sleeping bag
-- not advisable outside of midsummer -- in an attempt to offset the
extra weight I was carrying for the post-hike portion of my Hawai'i
vacation. I packed a small bottle of iodine water treatment tabs, but
also loaded up the full 5 liters at Hosmer Grove I assumed I would
need between there and the Kaupo Store at the end of the gap trail 30
hours and 22 miles later. The rest of the load was standard but
minimalistic -- dry food, small electric lantern, full length running
tights, long sleeve tech shirt, thermal long sleeve, tech shorts, a
couple tech tank tops and tees, skullcap, gloves, sunscreen,
toothbrush, book, etc. I mention this only to illustrate that even
without much else, having to carry over 10 lbs of water makes life
difficult, which is why you shouldn't do it -- I'll elaborate on this
later. According to my previous measurements, my pack started at
around 35 pounds the morning of day 1. Looking back, I think I would
have been OK up to 45 pounds, but I weigh 185 and was in marathon-ish
shape at the time.