October 18

The WiFi at the hotel was iffy yesterday, the 17th. But looks like it might be chugging well today. Will see how far I get. Yesterday I just stopped at the park’s VC, then drove up to Fagosa Pass. This is quickest means to access the park. I walked on the Mt. Alava Trail for about one mile, turned around, and went back to the car. Rain and wind preceded my hike, after as well. I felt lucky. But the conditions continued the rest of the day. Not exactly what one wants to see during a visit to a South Pacific Island.

This morning’s first task was to hike the Blunt Points Trail. During WW2, the navy installed a number of large guns on the island, to protect the harbor of Pago Pago. If it had not been for the sentence in the park brochure stating the trailhead was next to the IBM Laundromat on the island’s main road, I would not have found it. 0.6 mile roundtrip, with a couple hundred feet of elevation climb. Remember, all military units like to be on high ground, looking down on their adversary. Then it was on to Vatia village for the Mt. Alava Adventure Trail. As with all parts of this island, it took time to drive to the village. The max speed limit is 25 mph, with many sections at 20 mph.. But since there is only one East-West road, with a majority of businesses hugging the road’s edges, the average pace seems about 15-18 mph, with plenty of stops to let cars make turns and others to enter the roadway.

** have already lost connection twice… will try later.

The few roads which go up and over saddles on the mountain ridges are steep and twisty. You had better have some tread on your tires during rain storms or you will not get traction. The drive from downtown Pago Pago to Vatia is a good 30 minutes. For only 9 miles, most on route 006, that is slow. The park map showed Pola Island Trail at the end of the paved road in Vatia. The park brochure stated one should drive on the unpaved portion past the last house because of wild dogs. I opted for that. The ride was quite bumpy, and even slower. But at the trailhead there were a few information panels, as well as two dogs. They were friendly, looking for food. In one hundred yards at was at the “beach’, looking at Pola Island. This is not the kind of beach found on the coasts of Florida, California, and Texas. For as far as I could see the beach was comprised of small, medium, and large boulders and rocks. One of the dogs followed me to the end of the beach which was next to Pola Island. He had four feet to navigate the terrain, while my two required a better balancing act. I returned to the village looking for a sign of the Mt. Alava Adventure Trail. No success. I stopped at Sallies, the lone food mart, to ask if anyone knew the location of the trailhead. The clerk walked outside with me and pointed to a road that went behind a large house. She said there was a sign about a trail a little ways back, before crossing a stream. Well, she was right. But no parking. All the land next to the road was residential. I drove back to the mart and parked in a large open area.

Now it was time for some fun. I can say “fun” now, but after 90 minutes of fighting through the jungle to get up to the ridgeline my mood was anti-fun. Plenty of switchbacks on steep slopes. And then there were ladders, some almost vertical, many with ropes so your arms could do some of the climbing work. Various sections of the trail were pure jungle. The ferns, bushes, trees, and vegetation had grown over the path. I figured I was feeling like Hiram Bingham during his trek to Machu Picchu. I would point myself straight ahead, go ten yards, and hope to come out on something that seemed like a path. The technique worked. The forest-like trail sections had a clear path since no vegetation was present, just more ladders and ropes.

After climbing over 1,000 feet, the ridgeline appeared, along with a small sign having an arrow which pointed west to Mt. Alava. I was now on the Mt. Alava Trail, which goes the entire East-West distance of the park. Since it was less than a mile to the summit, I headed west. More ladders, both going up and down. The fale at the summit then came into view, but the last 20 yards required bulldozing through jungle. A fale is a traditional Samoan structure, usually oval or circular, with wood posts and a domed roof. There are no walls. A communication tower complex was on the other side of the fale. Makes sense since this is about the highest point on the island, right above the capital of Pago Pago. I continued west towards Fagosa Pass, where I was yesterday. This portion of the trail was wide enough to allow a high-clearance 4x4 to drive to the communication buildings. But was it ever muddy from the last two days of rain. My hiking books are now a different color. At least no more jungle to contend with. At Fagosa Pass I walked down the secondary road towards Pago Pago. I stopped a taxi which then drove me back to Vatia and the car. Then, more rain, continuing the rest of the day.