Officials mull bridge over popular stream

Kauai County and the state are looking into building a bridge across Hanakapiai Stream because of the numerous rescues at the popular Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast.

“DSP (Division of State Parks) is in preliminary stages of consulting on siting, designing and then construction of a bridge across Hanakapiai Stream, an initiative Kauai County supports due to the numerous responses to aid and airlift stranded hikers during flash floods,” said Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, last week.

Building a bridge would enhance the safety of county rescue personnel and reduce the cost of rescue operations, Ward said.

Rugged and difficult with steep drops at points, Kalalau Trail nevertheless draws a large and varied array of visitors and residents, some with babies on their backs. Hikers range from toddlers to senior citizens.

The trail was built around 1860 by the Hawaiian government for transportation and commerce for residents in remote valleys. Workers created the trail with the use of dynamite so it was wide enough to accommodate animals carrying loads of oranges, taro and coffee grown in the valleys, according to the state website.

Kauai Fire Chief Robert Westerman is in support of the state building a bridge.

“Anything they can do to make it safe, I’m for,” he said.

Carl Imparato, a member of the executive committee of the Kauai Group of the Sierra Club, said something needs to be done to reduce the drain on county rescue resources, whether it’s additional signage or a bridge.

“It’s something that really needs some thorough discussion,” he said. “People who are going on the Kalalau Trail, many just read how beautiful it is in the guidebooks and say, ‘Let’s go.’”

He added: “Part of the problem is that people don’t use common sense when going on the trail. It’s a wilderness trail. People should really recognize that Kalalau Trail is one of the more difficult trails.”

A potential downside to building a bridge across Hanakapiai Stream is that it will contribute to the false notion that the entire trail is easy, Imparato said.