8 Days and Two Fantastic Maui Rides

After we cancelled the Van Isle 1200 ride/vacation due to temporary priority confusion (work), Deb and I decided we should use the tickets to head to Maui for our vacation. Plus, we could take the new Calfee, test out the S & S Couplers/travel case and I could do a little riding.

Ride #1 Haleakala Crater

I read about this ride years ago and rode it in 2003 on a rental bike during our last Hawaiian vacation. The route; 35 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing is supposed to be the most climbing in the shortest distance of any paved road in the world. It is also the location of the annual Race to the Sun.

A blob of parts in the travel case

Fully assembled Calfee Adventure, enjoying the view toward Molokai

The S & S couplers allow the frame to break into two parts, pull the crank, handlebars, and pedals and into the travel case it goes. Packed, it weighs about 40 pounds and is within the dimension limit for standard air baggage. Not only is it cool, but it saves the $200 fee each way for a standard bike box!
Shortly after our arrival on Saturday, the bike was reassembled, and other than some bar tape that was cut by the bladed spokes in the case (repaired with a little duct tape) the machine was ready to go in about an hour!

I had not picked a day for the ride, but we settled on Monday, since a snorkeling cruise we wanted to take was the following day, and would be a good 'recovery' day. Plus being Labor Day, traffic should be light. I woke before the alarm went off and slipped into the Jeep and drove to the start town of Paia. I parked in the municipal parking lot and was on the road just a few minutes before 0600.

The ride starts in Paia

Fr. Damien Chapel outside Paia

The sun was coming up just as I rode out of town. The town ends quickly, and soon I was surrounded by sugar cane plantations and rolled past the Father Damien Chapel. The road was familiar and the weather was perfect, I didn't even think to check the cue sheet tucked into my bento box.

From here the top is about 30 miles and 9500 feet of climbing away

Riding through the 4-way stop sign in Makawao brings the first steep ramp of the climb, clearing that I passed the rodeo grounds and continued up Olinda Road. The road seemed steeper and rougher than I remembered, but the scenery was interesting, and since the road was still going up, this must be the route. After an hour and a half of climbing, and encountering a Dead End sign, I decided to pull out the cue sheet. DOH! The first turn was 4 miles and 1800 feet down  from where I stood. I flipped around and covered the 4 miles back to my missed turn in about 9 minutes!

Roadside wild flowers

At the park turn-off

Back on the correct route, the road was again familiar and I continued on to the general store. Initially I thought it might be an optional stop, but with my 8 mile/50 minute detour, stopped and topped off my bottles and grabbed a Frapachino at the Kula Marketplace.

Normally half of the climbing would be done here

Back on road, the route leaves the trees and heads into the switchbacks. Along the way, the organizers of the Race to the Sun have painted these progress markers on the road. I checked my Garmin at this point and was reminded by my 1,800 foot detour.

Switchbacks!

There are about 24 switchbacks in this section, the traffic and winds were light. As the climbing continued, the clouds rolled in, or rather the route rolled into them! There were not as many 'downhillers' as I remembered from the last ride. In 2003 it seemed another 'string' of them would be around each corner. Maybe it was the time of year, or perhaps because of Park rules that prohibit the downhillers to drop from the very top; but this year there were only a few groups. In fact, I saw more individual riders heading down from the top, than groups of downhillers. The downhillers pile into a van, are driven to the top, check out the crater, hop back in the van and ride back down to the park boundary 10 miles from the top to roll back to Paia. 

Park entrance, still 10 miles and 2000 feet to go!

The park entrance is at about 8000 feet, and 10 miles from the summit. I rolled up to the guard station, paid my $5 entry fee and climbed another mile to the visitor center. With both water bottles refilled, I pressed on for the last 9 miles to the top.

Winds were light, and the temperature was dropping, but with the work I was comfortable, but soaked from the humidity in my normal kit. The grade was steady and the vegetation gave way to volcanic cinders. Finally the road straightened out and the summit came back into view. The last 1/3 of a mile feels like its straight up, for an added kick to the summit parking lot. I rolled into the summit shack and found a tourist to take the summit photo.

At the top!

I scurried into summit display hut and plopped on the floor to eat and layer up for the descent. Soaking wet from the work, I pulled on long gloves, skull cap, wind vest, and arm and knee warmers.

Added layers, ready to start the descent

In no time I was bombing down the hill. The few cars I encountered in the park, pulled over and let me pass on the switchbacks! Instantly I was frozen and shivering for the first third of the descent. Breaking back through the clouds I finally warmed up, and with little traffic I was soon at the point of my errant turn at the 8 mile mark. Back in the tropical heat, I stripped off the layers for the last few miles back to Paia.

Back at the Jeep in Paia

6 hours and 20 minutes to reach the top (43 miles) , 1 hour and 14 minutes to reach the bottom(35 miles) since I decided not to repeat my 'bonus detour miles'!

Click here for the data.

Ride # 2 West Maui Loop

I wasn't planning on this ride, but one of the local websites, said this ride was more impressive than Haleakala Crater. OK, hooked, I convinced Deb, I could cover this one in about 4 hours, starting in the early morning. She could snorkel around the hotel, I would be back in time for a late breakfast, and then we could tour South Maui and catch a massage at the Grand Wailea Spa!

I left the hotel at 0525, before dawn,with my blinking tail light, but wishing I had brought along a headlight. The first 7 miles were a repeat from my shakedown ride, so the road was familiar, and with early morning traffic, there was enough light from the passing cars to follow the fog line until the sky illuminated.

Sunrise on Honolua Bay

Once past the last resort at Kapalua, the traffic disappeared as the dawn neared and the landscape was illuminated with predawn light.

Light traffic, perfect weather

Sunrise on the road

Stunning views of the north side

The route continues with many steep climbs and descents and the road winds around ridges and down into drainages. The views were stunning!

Typical road section, no traffic, fantastic views

Waihee

The 2-3 miles before and after Waihee were on a very steep single lane road. Soon I reached the highest point of the route and started the descent back into the city of Wailuku. After spending several hours in a beautiful rain forest on a coastal road, it was quite the contrast rolling back into 'The City.'

Downtown Wailuku

The route skirts the airport area and heads south. The trade winds really picked up and with a great tailwind and ample bike lane, the miles clicked by very quickly.

Highway 30 Near Maalaea

Back on the coast, it was a relatively flat run back to Lahania. Traffic picked up considerably, but except for a construction zone, the bike lane was smooth and wide.

Olowalu

I rolled back into the Sheraton a little before 0930, just in time to clean up, shower, and meet Debby for breakfast!!

Back at the Sheraton

The local website was right. I would highly recommend this route for an awesome sampler of West Maui!

Steve Atkins


Click here for ride data