The Explore Your World 101 club, an outdoor exploration club, recently took a field trip to Hiji Falls. Before going on the field trip they had sessions where they learned basic hiking tips, orienteering, and basic wilderness first aid.
After our van ride the kids were ready to burn off some energy and hike!
Almost as soon as we got on the trail we started noticing these guys:
There were literally dozens of them making their way to the stream to mate. We think the hard rains the night before signaled to them that it was time to find a partner. After sending the photos to a USGS herpetologist, we are pretty certain that they are Okinawan newts, a threatened species - a very cool find indeed!
We left the newts behind as we continued our ascent of Hiji Falls:
This hike wasn't easy, but the kids pushed through and conquered the stairs. Along the way they got some pretty amazing views:
When we finally made it to the top we were rewarded for our hard efforts with this beautiful sight:
Although hot and tired, everyone had a great time at Hiji Falls!
