Pohoiki Park to reopen Dec 6

[RoGo]

I went on Tuesday morning and I did not have cell service with Verizon.

[macuu222]

Went on Friday. It was beautiful. Nice long beach with people sunbathing. Two manned lifeguard stations also. I have ATT and had a very good signal. Didn't like people bringing their dogs on the beach though. A few were unleashed and one ran towards me barking like it was going to attack until his owner called him back. Not going back until that changes.

[alohanaia]

My Ohana went earlier this week, it was properly surreal. Without 132 the trek to the end of the road is a long one. Malama Ki is looking a lot less gassed than a few months ago, and there are about 100 new trails and 100 new no trespassing signs along the way, a clear response to the insane lockdown attempts and "spooks in the bushes" policy. Places that used to be remote and private have been getting a lot more foot traffic for sure. The new cinder road is surprisingly good, civilized, and short, with amazing views of the old and new worlds. It will likely get rough with the heavy traffic it is handling, but it's in good shape now.

We got there late morning, probably 100 people around, but with lots of space it was sparsely occupied. The parking lot vibe was the same as old time, a bit more mellow and jubilant. Along the bay, no one spoke, I think the common experience was personal reverence. The "beach" is more like cinders above and pebbles below, not exactly sandy. I walked for hours barefoot just to be on and with Pele. My soles were bruised for the next two days, mortals will want rubber shoes.

When I got there there were just two surfers outside on the south end waiting for the right. About fifteen feet on the 5 minute set, 3-5' closeout slop on the inside, all across the long bay. There were unfocused large left and rights outside in the middle of the bay, and on the northeast end far outside a fine large barrel, 20' every 10 minutes, finishing fast on the shallow A'a at the end of the bay.

I'm a strong swimmer and I had to feel the new water experience. With rubber fins, I swam well out to sea on the left. There is no sand in the bay, the sand is just lining the shore and the bay bottom is mostly smoothish lava, same as before. Thought I was going to hang out deep on the left, checking out the diving and fishing, but the current was breathtaking, 5 knots headed south across the outside of the bay. I thought I was out past the swell, but in a moment I was accidentally well positioned when the big swell comes, 20', glassy face, well off shore. Could have treaded and let it pass, but of course the reptilian surf instinct fires and I kick in and glide down and across the beautiful face. It goes on and on, the face just keeps coming, smooth as you've ever seen, just getting faster, steeper, heavier. The faraway shallow a'a is rapidly approaching, closer quicker than I had figured. I flip out of the barrel before the impact zone, or so I had planned when the now surprising view from the barrel emerged. I didn't feel anything, but there's blood in the water, and a sharp bit of a'a has excised a clean divot from my knee the size of a nickel. No serious harm, but I got my new Pohoiki tattoo, and Pele got the requisite fool's blood. Maybe it's too gnarly to surf here...

I swam a couple of laps around the bay. Go outside, shoot south in the current, in a few minutes you're at the other end. Pull inside at the south point, the current more slowly cycles you back north up the bay. When the big sets come through the bay, they fill the bay with churn. The undertow then is strong and pervasive, no channel where you will find a weaker reprieve. I was glad the bottom was smoothish rock at these times, glad to be a strong swimmer with fins, conditions were at the junction where playful aggro meets out of control gnarly. And I feel I caught her on a mellow day, it wasn't a genuine heavy surf day.

I don't know that I'd make a habit of this place. It's spectacular, gnarly, peopled, rough. Look at the outline of Pele, she appears unfathomably intentional. You will feel it all, the old and the new. It's heartbreaking and exhilarating, extraordinary and overwhelming. Be prepared and stay safe.


On the way back I checked the former magnificent MacKenzie beaches. The surf here had been excellent prior to the estupido crackdown on spiritual experience. Now, nada. The sand is down ten feet or more, below the pali just death on the rocks as before.

All aloha,
naia

[Guest]

Nice naia

[ElysianWort]

I went today for the first time since opening. It's a nice place and I'm sure to return. Big too, lots of space.

btw: No signal for my verizon phone either Kimo.