Iao Valley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ʻĪao Valley (Hawaiian: ʻĪ-ao: "cloud supreme", pronounced similar to "EE-ow") is a lush, stream-cut valley in West Maui, Hawaiian Islands located 5 km (3 mi) west of Wailuku. Because of its natural beauty, it has become a popular tourist location.
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[edit] ʻĪao Valley State Monument
The state park is located on 6.2 acres (2.5 ha) at the end of ʻĪao Valley Road (Highway 32). The ʻĪao Needle (Kūkaemoku) is a famous landmark in the state park, a vegetation-covered lava remnant rising 1,200 feet (370 m) from the valley floor or 2,250 feet (690 m) when measured from sea level. The needle is surrounded by the cliffs of the West Maui Mountains, an extinct volcano. One can take a short trail (ʻĪao Needle Lookout Trail and Ethnobotanical Loop) to a windy overlook. Park hours are from 7 am to 7 pm.[1]
[edit] Rainforest
ʻĪao Valley is covered in dense rainforest, most of which consists of introduced vegetation on the valley floor. The Puʻu Kukui summit area at the head of the valley receives an average of 386 inches (9,800 mm) of rainfall per year,[2] making it the second wettest location in the state after Mount Waiʻaleʻale.[3] Much of this rainfall ends up flowing into the ʻĪao Stream. Trails in the State Park run alongside ʻĪao Stream and through the forest.
[edit] History
The Hawaiian god Kāne is considered to be the procreator and the provider of life. He is associated with wai (fresh water) as well as clouds, rain, streams and springs. Kanaloa, the Hawaiian god of the underworld, is represented by the phallic stone of the ʻĪao Needle.
It was here that Kapawa, the king of Hawaiʻi prior to Pili, was buried. During the late 15th century, ʻĪao Valley was designated as an aliʻi burial area by Kakaʻe, the ruler of Maui. The remains of the chiefs were buried in secret hiding places in the valley. In 1790 the valley was the site of the Battle of Kepaniwai. It was the battle in which Kamehameha the Great defeated Kalanikūpule and the Maui army during his campaign to unify the islands. The battle was said to be so bloody that dead bodies blocked ʻĪao Stream, and the battle site was named Kepaniwai ("damming of the waters").
[edit] Kepaniwai Park's Heritage Gardens
Since 1952, Kepaniwai Park's Heritage Gardens have memorialized the multicultural history of Maui. Scale models of ethnic buildings and gardens representing the immigration of Hawaiian, American missionaries, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, and Filipino cultures are the highlight of the park. The gardens were restored in 1994.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ "‘Iao Valley State Monument". Hawaii State Parks; Maui. Department of Land and Natural Resources. http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/maui/Index.cfm?park_id=36. Retrieved on 2009-03-14.
- ^ "NOAA Hawaiʻi rain gauge summary". Pacific Islands Water Science Center. United States Geological Survey. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/hydro/pages/data_tbl_12.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-20.
- ^ "July 2008 Precipitation Summary". National Weather Service Forcast Office Honolulu, HI. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2008-08-04. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/hydro/pages/jul08sum.php. Retrieved on 2009-02-20. "The USGS gage on Puu Kukui lived up to expectation as the second wettest spot in the state by having the second highest total of 26.67 inches (79 percent of normal) below only Mount Waialeale’s 30.30 inches."
- ^ Kepler, Angela Kay (2007). West Maui: A Natural History Guide (1st ed.). Mutual Publishing. ISBN 1566478235.
[edit] Further reading
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- Kyselka, Will; Ray E. Lanterman (1980). Maui: How it Came to Be. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0824805305.
Coordinates: 20°52′51″N 156°32′42″W / 20.88083°N 156.545°W
