I hiked on by myself enjoying the solitude. This is one of the good things about hiking with these people. You know that they are around somewhere if you get into trouble, yet you can walk alone for hours really enjoying nature. On my right down in Maakua Gulch I could hear the stream rushing down hill with lots of power. Off to my left in Papali Gulch it sounded like a gentle babbling brook.
Around 11:30 while taking my third Power Bar break just shy of the junction with Punaiki Ridge I heard someone on the trail behind me. It was Jason. We hiked together past the junction looking for a good lunch spot. Jason told me of a nice small clearing with a short side trail to the right. We could eat at the clearing and follow the trail about 15 feet into the bush and get a view of a beautiful waterfall in Maakua Gulch. We arrived at the clearing around 12 noon. The next three pictures are of the falls each zooming in a little closer.
