Kauai Helicopter Tour -- Post 2

The regular way that I upload photos to Blogger is still not working.  However, I decided to try uploading first to Picaso -- which turns out is easier.  I could then transfer/upload all the photos at once, rather than one by one.

I'll continue the helicopter tour -- we turned inland and headed toward the Wilemea Canyon.

 

 

The largest reservoir on the island is shown below.

 

 

The waterfalls below is the one used while filming Jurassic Park.

 

 

During the dry season there are as few as 50 active waterfalls on Kauai.  On a wet day there are as many as 2,000.

 

 

The ridges on the cliffs and the valleys were all carved and eroded by water.  What is amazing is how fast this process has been.  The volcano was originally 10,000 feet high and has eroded down to 5,100 feet in just five million years.  I can absolutely believe that the 60,000 foot basaltic mountain formed during the midcontinental rift period 1.2 billion years ago eroded down to where it is today.

 

 

Normally the Wilemea Canyon shown in the photos below is much greener than normal.  A few weeks before I arrived in Hawaii, the canyon experienced half its annual rainfall in an unusual storm.  Even in Hawaii the weather has not been normal, according to multiple people who offered their opinions.

 

 

 

 

And then we reached the north coast of Kawai and the incredible Napoli Coast.

 

Next we circled around to enter what is left from the cone pipe that is left from the volcano.  One side of the pipe is eroded away so the helicopters are able to fly right in.  As usual, it was raining inside the cone.

 

 

Then we headed back to the airport.  Thanks to pilot, Dana, for a great tour.