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The harbor and village of Ma'alaea sits at the feet of the West Maui Mountains on the leeward side of Maui. 8 January 2013
A view of the West Maui Mountains from the shoreline at Kanaha Beach, near Kahului Harbor, north Maui.
A view of the West Maui Mountains and 'Io Valley (V-shaped valley at far-left of photo) from Kanaha Beach, north Maui.
The Needle, Iao Valley, West Maui Mountains, Maui. The valley holds a great deal of religious, cultural, and historical significance for native hawaiians. Before white settlement, Iao Valley was the site of the Makahiki (literally "the rising of the constellation the Pleiades"), a four-month-long harvest festival held in honor of Lono, the god of fertility and peace. During the festival, all fighting ceased; feasting, athletic competitions, and joyful debauchery prevailed. It is said that, even to this day, processions of long-dead royalty marching to ghostly drumbeats are seen at the old Makahiki sites. In the 1980s, native hawaiian groups revived the observance of Makahiki to encourage the renewal of traditional traditions.
Just offshore of McGregor Point on west Maui, the numerous gullies and smaller streambeds that drain the southermost flanks of the West Maui Mountains can be seen as dark-green veins of vegetation standing out against the sparser, lighter-colored vegetation of the dry parts of the slopes. In this photo, the south-facing slopes of the West Maui Mountains are unusually green after a long spate of winter rain storms. The rest of the year, this part of the volcano is in the rain shadow of the leeward side of the island, and the slopes are a dull brown color.
A landward view of the West Maui Mountains volcano, its peaks obscured by a low-hanging bank of clouds. This photograph was taken from a boat just outside Ma'alaea Bay, west Maui, offshore from McGregor Point.
The view from Ulupalakua Ranch: the West Maui Mountains (on the horizon), the shoreline of Ma'alaea Bay (center-left of photo), and "the Valley" that separates the West Maui Mountains volcano from Haleakala volcano. The southwestern slope of Haleakala are in the foreground.
The view of west Maui from upcountry near Ulupalakua Ranch: the West Maui Mountains (center-right, partially obscured by a cloud bank), Ma'alaea Bay, and and the neighbor island of Lana'i (left side, on the horizon).
Looking westward from the flanks of Haleakala volcano near Kula (Highway 37). Ma'alaea Bay (left middle ground), the West Maui Mountains, and the island of Molokai (on the distant horizon) are easily visible through the break in the clouds. Upcountry is cooler, wetter, and very rural, which makes for a nice escape from the summer heat and tourist traffic.
The harbor and village of Ma'alaea sits at the feet of the West Maui Mountains on the leeward side of Maui.
8 January 2013
The harbor and village of Ma'alaea sits at the feet of the West Maui Mountains on the leeward side of Maui. 8 January 2013
The harbor and village of Ma'alaea sits at the feet of the West Maui Mountains on the leeward side of Maui.
8 January 2013
See photo in original gallery.
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