Shedding Inhibitions - And Even Clothes - On A Kauai Wilderness Tour

KAUAI, Hawaii - The buff-colored promotion card, with green print, was plain compared to the slick advertisements among the scores of tourist information fliers.

But the concept sounded perfect: "Take a hike and a kayak trip to a secluded waterfall with your own private guide . . . experience the hidden beauty of Kauai."

It sounded idyllic. No price was listed on the Private Adventures brochure, so I called. The cost: $125 per person, for an all-day outing. Sort of steep, but we went for it.

We don't regret it.

Alone we'd never have found the 85-foot waterfall deep in the jungle or learned about ancient settlements and unique vegetation, flowers and lore. We would never have considered a "clothing-optional" hike.

We met our guide, Wayne Neal, at 7:30 one morning near the mouth of the Wailua River Neal, a friendly former Texan, slipped easily into the hang-loose demeanor of a native son and welcomed us.

We sidled up to his truck wearing bathing suits and T-shirts and holding a camera. That's all we needed. Lunches, first-aid kit and other hikers' essentials were ready for us in four knapsacks.

Neal handed us our booties for our feet. They're a bit like mittens, with a spot for a big toe and four "fingers." The tabis, as they're called, were developed for working in rice fields and their suede leather soles allowed for better traction on the muddy trails ahead.

After a brief brush-up lecture on how to use the open-topped kayaks, we headed up the river at a steady, no-sweat pace. We had a much better perspective of egrets and lilies of the valley than the huge floating barges that ferried tourists like cattle to the Fern Grotto ahead.

After paddling for about 90 minutes, we got into shallow water with branches so low and thick that only our kayaks would fit.

Scraping bottom, we hopped out, and pushed our boats the final yards to a quiet pool. Neal tied them with plenty of line so they would float easily if a flash flood surged through.

Mount Waileale, just several miles upstream, captures all the Pacific rain patterns. "You never know when it's going to rain, and it can reach flood stages within minutes," said Neal.

Before shouldering our five-pound packs, Neal recommended that we slather on some insect repellent. The 1 3/4-hour hike ahead snakes through monkey grass, often in swamp-like conditions, he said, a favorite hangout for mosquitoes.

We'd already established an easy rapport with Neal, and our jokes and teasing had a friendly bite to them. Just as casually as he had pointed out various landmarks and wildlife on the paddle upstream, Neal made an announcement that for the first time silenced our sarcastic or playful retorts.

"We like people to be real comfortable on our trips," he said with a hint of a slow Texas drawl. Running into people on the trek to the waterfall is rare, and you can hear them approaching through the brush. Therefore, he said, if you want to hike without your clothes, feel free.

"I usually take off everything after a little bit, but we can do whatever makes you comfortable," he said.

Silence from his three never-been-nude-in-public customers. The pregnant pause grew louder as the jungle birds twittered.

"Uh," I began, feeling responsible since I had selected this outing, "Maybe later. I'll keep my clothes on in case the mosquitoes are really bad."

My friends agreed, and Neal shrugged with a grin.

We chatted amiably as we ambled along, Neal pointing to exotic species such as mimosa silk, a species of acacia; hau, a type of hibiscus that flowers yellow in the morning and turns red by evening; and the shampoo ginger plant - our favorite - a tall, bulbous, red rubbery plant that when squeezed squirts a clear fluid long used as a lotion by island natives.

We forded a creek and soon were walking on a trail built centuries ago by the "menehunes," the tribe of "little river people," who spent their short lives hauling rock and putting it in place so that the leaders could walk to the sea for food and goods regardless of how the river ebbed and flowed.

Neal showed us wild ginger, maple trees and wild strawberries. He told of sacred grounds nearby, and the three-mile hike passed quickly.

As we neared our destination, Neal said, "I've been to this waterfall four or five times a week for five months, and I've never worn clothes while swimming there."

The message was clear: "Put your inhibitions aside, girls, and get ready to skinny dip."

Rounding a corner and scampering over some boulders, we stopped, mouths agape, staring at 30-foot wide cascade of water thundering into an inviting three-acre pool.

Presented with a once-in-a-lifetime chance, I said to my friends, "Last one naked is a rotten egg!"

For nearly two hours we frolicked. And laughed. And snacked on granola bars. And chatted. Dried off. Sat in a patch of sun poking through the tropical canopy of forest. Dove in again.

Snapped pictures with our disposable waterproof cameras. Got Neal to snap our photos because nobody would believe we did this.

Neal told us about his penchant for nudity, living for awhile in a nudist camp on Maui. He mentioned that Private Adventures was founded a couple of years earlier by Ron Fleet, whose sign-making business often keeps him from guiding the day trips himself.

Neal says many of his customers are newly-weds. Usually, he sits on a boulder at the head of the trail leading to the waterfall and leaves honeymooners to themselves, in their own private Eden, for a couple of hours.

By the time we start to mosey on, we'd shucked our inhibitions so far that we don't bother to don our clothes, just our packs.

To this day we still can't believe we waltzed through the woods, stopping at old terraced poi fields and inspecting plant life, totally in the buff.

Back near our kayaks, with other folks around, we put on our clothes, the saddest part of the journey.

We lunched riverside, devouring thick sandwiches, chocolate-chip cookies, potato salad and Hawaiian fruit juices.

Rested and re-energized, we embarked on the next stage of the adventure: kayaking up the South Fork, past the Fern Grotto to a rope swing over the river.

None of us had ever "Tarzaned" off a cliff before, and watching Neal do it reinforced the danger. But we got the gumption to make the 20-foot jump off the slippery outcropping.

By the time we reached the take-out at 5 p.m. we were pooped, pre-peeling (despite generous applications of sunscreen) and profoundly pleased with the day.

We didn't bat an eye in shelling over the $125 each in cash or traveler's checks. We had experienced a part of Hawaii few have - and fewer of our friends would ever believe.

If we return to Kauai, the three of us agree on one thing: faster than we can yank off our T-shirts, we'll do it again. ----------------------------

MORE INFORMATION

-- Guide Wayne Neal has left Private Adventures to operate a charter boat. Owner Ron Fleet, however, leads trips most days, and recommends visitors call in advance to reserve. "I like it to be only two people, though it's not as much money for me," he said. No prior kayaking experience is required. Details: Private Adventures, P.O. Box 3500, Princeville, HI 96722. 1-808-823-0748.