Hommage to Captain Cook with a Hot, Humid Hike

Sea-level obelisk can be seen easily from the sea — or step by step on a hiking trail

We have seen the monument to Captain Cook, the 18th century English navigator who met his end on February 14, 1779, at Kealekehua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii. His Wikipedia entry is worth reading. An unhappy Valentine’s Day for the adventurer who on his third epic voyage.

Monday was a cool day (for Hawaii). In fact, Lihue on Kauai registered a record low temperature of 61 degrees for the day. What better day for a sea-level hike? The trail to the Captain Cook monument is off a side road north of the eponymous town of Captain Cook. It is unmarked. Cars park along the road, reeking from sewer pipes under the pavement. The trailhead is across from three tall palm trees. I’m not kidding. A few steps and the sewerage strench is mercifully gone. Rooster and wide bird seranades accompany hikers who descend through rows of old sugarcane fields.

The cane fields give way to open woods and then to stark lava flows. The current Kiiuea erputon is on the other side of the island.

The vegetation thickens near the shore, where sea kayakers pull up. Authorities are concerned about damage to corral, and kayaking is probably going to be banned soon from Kelalekahua Bay.

A short spur trail leads to the monument, which is officially on British soil to this day. Note to the Queen: Send someone to repaint the monument. It’s peeling.

Here is the inscription on the base of the obselisk. A couple of other, small commemorative plaques have been placed around the platform too.

The hike isn’t too long (a tad over two miles each way, with about a 1,300 elevation difference), but coming up was miserable. No matter what the thermometer registered, it felt beastly hot — at least for people like us who live in a low-humidity place. But even as we took sweaty step after sweaty step, it was the least we could do to recognized one of the important navigators who began mapping the world as we know it. I won’t get into the political aspects of these voyages, “discoveries” and conquests. I’m just honoring the curiosity and courage required to make the trips.