lance
Class 5 Nepenthes hoarder
Hello everyone.
While in Maui, I was able to get ahold of an opportunity to climb up the west Maui mountains while traversing through the Pu'u Kukui Watershed Preserve. The area is the only known place on Maui where sphagnum exists in the large number of bogs that are shrouded in clouds for almost every day of the year. The area receives an average of about 388 inches a year, which means every month the reserve keepers must hike up the boardwalk to empty out the water gauge (3 feet in height). We were also required to pick up invasive weeds along the way. I would like to give a big thank you to Kulamauiman for letting me know that this spectacular place exists! Now, for the photos. . .

DSC01596 by lance Plater
Shortly after we started, I spotted this guy hanging above us! I really wish I could have gotten a better picture then just a blur, but every time the camera began to focus his abdomen would swell in size making it very difficult to focus. Natural defense FTW!

DSC01595 by lance Plater

DSC01589 by lance Plater

DSC01583 by lance Plater
There was quite an abundance of moss on the trees. While we were pulling out invasive weeds, it became impossible to get a foot holding on any trees due to the 1 ft. thickness of the moss.

DSC01578 by lance Plater
The 10 mile boardwalk was quite an engineering feat. Construction began in the late 90s and took 7 years to construct. As you would imagine, there were quite a number of steps as we ascended the knife ridge that leads up to 'bog 1'.

DSC01496 by lance Plater

DSC01509 by lance Plater
Trail marker tree put in place by T.J. Fleming in the late 1940's.

DSC01446 by lance Plater

DSC01578 by lance Plater
Yoda lives here

DSC01532 by lance Plater
The water gauge

DSC01512 by lance Plater

DSC01508 by lance Plater

DSC01485 by lance Plater
Moss acting as a soil for ephites. . . there were a lot of them!

DSC01447 by lance Plater
Approaching bog 1. . . we finally entered the cloud layer.

DSC01569 by lance Plater
Tiny waterfall in the distance. . .

DSC01539 by lance Plater
Now it's gone

DSC01526 by lance Plater
bog 1... made it!
Kahi and everyone else standing up on the bog platform. . .

DSC01556 by lance Plater
SPHAGNUM!!! Sorry for the poor quality pictures, my hands were trembling with excitement. I'm happy to report that the Sphagnum population at bog 1 is doing considerably well
.

DSC01564 by lance Plater

DSC01562 by lance Plater

DSC01561 by lance Plater
Upon closer observation it appears that there were two species of Sphagnum: your usual green stringy head kind and a red/yellow species with small compact heads. Can anyone ID the yellow sp. above?

DSC01560 by lance Plater

DSC01558 by lance Plater
Some random bog plant. . . looks familiar

DSC01557 by lance Plater
Anyways, that about sums the whole trip up. It started raining (of course) so we had to go back to a lower altitude for cover and eventually we started to head back. I hope everyone enjoyed the pictures
.
While in Maui, I was able to get ahold of an opportunity to climb up the west Maui mountains while traversing through the Pu'u Kukui Watershed Preserve. The area is the only known place on Maui where sphagnum exists in the large number of bogs that are shrouded in clouds for almost every day of the year. The area receives an average of about 388 inches a year, which means every month the reserve keepers must hike up the boardwalk to empty out the water gauge (3 feet in height). We were also required to pick up invasive weeds along the way. I would like to give a big thank you to Kulamauiman for letting me know that this spectacular place exists! Now, for the photos. . .

DSC01596 by lance Plater
Shortly after we started, I spotted this guy hanging above us! I really wish I could have gotten a better picture then just a blur, but every time the camera began to focus his abdomen would swell in size making it very difficult to focus. Natural defense FTW!

DSC01595 by lance Plater

DSC01589 by lance Plater

DSC01583 by lance Plater
There was quite an abundance of moss on the trees. While we were pulling out invasive weeds, it became impossible to get a foot holding on any trees due to the 1 ft. thickness of the moss.

DSC01578 by lance Plater
The 10 mile boardwalk was quite an engineering feat. Construction began in the late 90s and took 7 years to construct. As you would imagine, there were quite a number of steps as we ascended the knife ridge that leads up to 'bog 1'.

DSC01496 by lance Plater

DSC01509 by lance Plater
Trail marker tree put in place by T.J. Fleming in the late 1940's.

DSC01446 by lance Plater

DSC01578 by lance Plater
Yoda lives here

DSC01532 by lance Plater
The water gauge

DSC01512 by lance Plater

DSC01508 by lance Plater

DSC01485 by lance Plater
Moss acting as a soil for ephites. . . there were a lot of them!

DSC01447 by lance Plater
Approaching bog 1. . . we finally entered the cloud layer.

DSC01569 by lance Plater
Tiny waterfall in the distance. . .

DSC01539 by lance Plater
Now it's gone

DSC01526 by lance Plater
bog 1... made it!
Kahi and everyone else standing up on the bog platform. . .

DSC01556 by lance Plater
SPHAGNUM!!! Sorry for the poor quality pictures, my hands were trembling with excitement. I'm happy to report that the Sphagnum population at bog 1 is doing considerably well

DSC01564 by lance Plater

DSC01562 by lance Plater

DSC01561 by lance Plater
Upon closer observation it appears that there were two species of Sphagnum: your usual green stringy head kind and a red/yellow species with small compact heads. Can anyone ID the yellow sp. above?

DSC01560 by lance Plater

DSC01558 by lance Plater
Some random bog plant. . . looks familiar

DSC01557 by lance Plater
Anyways, that about sums the whole trip up. It started raining (of course) so we had to go back to a lower altitude for cover and eventually we started to head back. I hope everyone enjoyed the pictures