Guides Dylan, Erik and Jeremy are continuing their exploration of the Crater. They recently did the 12-mile hike from the Summit at 10,000 feet across the crater floor and then out the 8,500-foot level on the Halemau’u Trail.

Now they’ve just completed the Kaupo Gap — a 17-mile trek that started at 5 am in Kula and ended back in Kula at 6 pm. Great timing and they were all cheerful and totally stoked (as Jeremy said).

Our guides Dylan, Erik, Jeremy - Kaupo Gap hikers

Happy hiking through the holidaze.

“A DAY AT THE OFFICE”  HIKE MAUI STYLE

Many thanks to Guide Kate for her spirited modeling. She is hilarious, even while wet and soggy. No Photoshop – she is standing under that 40-foot falls.

“PAU HANA”

( means “off work” or “TGIF”)

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/11/living/cnn-heroes/index.html

I heard that a Robin Lim won the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year, and i scratched my head, thinking, i knew a Robin Lim 20 years ago on Maui. I lost track of Robin when she moved to Bali, and now she reappears as a world-famous “hero.” Wow. I’m so thrilled for her. She was always a gentle soul, interested in babies, birthing, writing and animals. She now has two birthing clinics in Bali and in Aceh and is truly making a difference.

One of our guides, Sonya, who is also interested in babies and birthing, visited Robin’s Balinese clinic. Sonya hopes to open a clinic in Maui some day. Read the CNN story (in the html file above) and watch a short clip of Robin winning on CNN’s big extravaganza show. The whole show airs again on CNN Christmas night. ~ mj harden

THRILLING FLASH FLOODS — WISH YOU WERE HERE !!
Guide Kate was hiking with friends at ‘Ohe’o Gulch (the national park) when the stream came up suddenly (as all flash floods do). The stream and the falls started to rage as Kate watched in awe. She had never seen it that wild out there.

Flash flooding on the East Maui Waterfalls & Rain Forest Hike

Last week the rains continued every night along the Hana Highway, causing huge waterfalls every day with crazy, exciting flash floods on several days. Not dangerous as long as you have our guides leading you through, but you’ll rarely see nature at this high a peak. Thrilling stuff.

Crater hikers: bottom from left Eddie, Glori, Hanalei, Dylan; middle Jeremy & Erik; top is Maka'io.

These seven characters just did the 12-mile Haleakala Crater hike on a day so cloudless and beautiful we were all screaming for joy. Guides Dylan, Jeremy and Erik are now full-fledged crater guides, and Maka’io has one more training to do. Eddie, Glori and Hanalei are new guides who came along just for fun. The whole hike was spectacular –great weather, crystal clear day. We hiked in at 10:30 and were out by 4 pm.