Pohaku Ka Luahine

A beautiful summer morning on the hike up Moanalua trail in Kamana Nui Valley.  There is a little park at the trailhead.  Pueo-hulu-nui is where the owls of Kauai and Niihau gathered. 

This fireplace is on the left side of the road, just a little way up the hill. Nothing remains of the Douglas Damon house site except the fireplace and a small stone table.

There are several stream and bridge crossings on the way up the valley.  The Hawaiians said this pool had healing qualities and came here to bathe when they were recuperating from an illness.

These guardian rocks mark the way along the path. There are more guardian rocks near the actual stone.  Along the way I heard humming--an industrial sound. Since I was away from civilization, I couldn't figure out what I was hearing. On the way back, I noticed the power wires strung across the valley. The noise was coming from the wind in the wires. 

The name Pohaku Ka Luahine means Stone of the Old Woman. One tale told about this rock is that a child cried one night when a kapu was on at the heiau at the mouth of the valley. The consequence of anyone making noise during a ceremony was death. The child’s grandmother grabbed the infant and ran up the valley to the area called Kahukomo and hid behind the rock. Warriors searched for the woman and child but did not find them. After a few days, the kapu was lifted and they were able to return to their home.

The boulder is carved with petroglyphs, most of which are now so worn they are hardly visible.