Footwear
I love Vibram Fivefingers, but I'm used to them since I wear them and run in them all of the time. In them, I hiked Halemau'u and Kaupo Trails with no knee pain, blisters, or turned ankles. But I'm not sure what the ideal footwear for this trip would have been. The thick, protective soles of hiking boots would have been nice for the sharp medium sized lava rocks, but would offer no foot flexibility which for me probably would have led to falls. Wearing socks would very likely lead to blisters at some point given the rough descent of Kaupo, with feet sliding and constantly braking. Hiking through the sandy parts of trail around the rift zone would have been rough in boots, because it would get inside and wreak havoc, and you probably have experienced the futility of walking on the beach in shoes. Rather than say what's better than the other, I'll just show you this list of the surfaces you'll need to navigate on Haleakala:
- Sharp small to medium rocks.
- Sliding loose pebbles and smaller stones of various shapes.
- "One rock to another, to another" steps. It will seem none of these rocks have flat, ground parallel surfaces.
- Sand, course and fine.
- Tall grass and dirt
Transportation
My taxi scheduling worked beautifully and the driver was great. He offered a reasonable price and picked me up at 6AM in upcountry Maui after sleeping in his car. If renting a car is too expensive or not logistically possible, this is the way to go. Feel confident about filling gaps with hitching, especially where there are likely to be tourists like the park headquarters, summit, seven pools, and trailheads (excluding Kaupo).
Don't carry more or less than a day's worth of water
Check first, but the backcountry camp sites usually have water. I used some at all three of Holua, Kapaloa, and Paliku. It doesn't look or smell dirty, so it probably makes good drinking water after filtration or whatever means by which you choose to treat it.
Call any place you need or want things from ahead of time
You need a backcountry permit from Park Headquarters to camp in the summit. You may want to get food at Kaupo Store. You may want to ride the smoothie-blending bicycle at Laulima farm on the Hana Highway. No matter when they or anyone else say they're normally open, call to make sure they will be. Depending on season, surf, government budget, or even just whimsy, things change. I had problems with this not just on Maui but also on the Big Island.
Spend more time than I did
Haleakala has a lot to offer in a space that isn't as unmanageably large as some of the big national parks on the mainland. Make sure you have enough time to spend some waiting out bad weather and to see as many parts of the park as you can. Five or six miles of hiking will get you across the crater in most directions from either side.
Clothing
Unless it's the dead of winter and/or snow is possible, don't bring heavy clothes, bring clothes that are light, warm, and can be layered. These clothes should also be able to keep you warm if they are wet. Most technical material athletic gear should work great. Around Holua and on the Kaupo Trail there are tall grasses that are likely to be wet in the morning and after rain, so pants or tights of this sort will be really useful. It gets warm quickly when you're hiking and the sun is shining, even if the air temperature is moderate or chilly, so make sure you have breathable warm weather stuff too.
Be in good shape, especially for Kaupo
The air is thin, some sections of trail are challenging, and pretty much the only way help is coming is by helicopter. It's true what they say: Kaupo is more challenging than the others. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that even if you make it out of the trail, help is a long way away. There are some places on the switchbacks of Halemau'u and on the Kaupo Trail that a fall would be worse than serious.
Sunrise is worth it
Just trust me.
Don't make a mess of things
Clearly not everyone knows or cares how important it is to stay on the trails. Even just a set of footprints disturbing an otherwise pristine ash landscape takes down the experience down a notch for everyone else. It also sucks to be ensconced in the remoteness of Paliku and have to pick up someone's Cliff Bar wrapper littering the trail. Lastly, I'd like to issue an open f you to the person who made one of my first experiences on Haleakala walking over their fresh, unburied shit in the middle of Halemau'u trail (July 12th, 2010 -- you know who you are). When nature calls, bury it -- preferably at least, say, half a foot off the trail -- and take the TP with you next time. Ziploc bags are not new or expensive technology. If the idea of shitting outside is too much for your delicate sensibilities, please stay off the trails. The horses make it bad enough.
