Good morning and welcome to the continuation of my morning walk on the Kapalua Shoreline Trail. Just past Kapalua Beach are the Residences, a lovely complex that has seen several different names since it replaced the Kapalua Bay Hotel. I was surprised this year to see the signs for "The Montage". It turns out to be not just a name change but a new financial arrangement where one can rent a room just like a hotel — which is common on Maui but somewhat new to the Residences.

Originally, one could only purchase a condo for a price ranging from $4M to $40M. I tried to find an updated price but it appears that one must call (probably with references) before the price tag is displayed. Later, they introduced fractional ownership (timeshare) where you could occupy the unit for 21 days of your month.

Now the Montage is offering rentals with a one-week rental rate of $4650.03 and up. And it might be more since I do not know whether or not the Montage is following the new and distasteful practice of adding on fees such as "Resort Fees" and "Internet Access Fee".

Oh well, at least walking along the trail makai (toward the ocean) of the complex is still free (and priceless).

Here the Cliff House stands overlooking the ocean. It was originally built for plantation managers and was recently renovated. Wouldn't you love to spend some time staying here? I know I would!

At the far end of the Montage, the trail takes an uphill turn — which makes that hammock look all the more inviting.

Just a few steps further is the entrance to the Shorebird nesting area.

A few steps further and we are rewarded with spectacular views — no wonder the shorebirds want to nest here. Signs remind visitors to stay on the paths so that they will not accidentally harm a nest. It was not nesting season so I did not see any shorebirds — I guess I will have to keep returning until I do.

This part of the shorebird nesting area would not appear to be very accommodating to the birds since it is mostly hard lava rock. And I must warn you to be careful along this stretch, there are small but sharp remains of lava bubbles that will trip the unwary visitor. And since the views of the ocean and Moloka‘i are so incredible from this spot, the odds of tripping increase exponentially since one is looking out not down. Incidentally, this warning is based on my own experience from a year ago when I banged my knee — fortunately, no major damage was recorded.

The Bay Villas, another of the Kapalua condo complexes, overlook the nesting area. On this day, workers were painting — oh, the maintenance never ends with this salty ocean air.

Looking ahead, we see the Ironwood Villas overlooking Oneloa Beach (AKA Ironwood Beach). Oneloa means "long sand" — a very appropriate name for this long sandy beach. The Villas are home to the rich and famous.

But first, looking down we see the rocky coast with the Shoreline Trail running above the surf.

Most mornings the surf is crashing on the rocks — take care not to slip over the edge — it would not be a pleasant morning. And notice how the wave action has carved out a hole in the lava rock. This was probably a lava tube that collapsed over time — leaving that hole for us to enjoy.

Stop and observe the pounding of the waves — you can not only hear but also feel the concussion of the large waves against the rocks. The spray shoots twenty feet into the air then the wave reflection bounces back to the sea — only to be followed by another open ocean wave, maybe bigger, maybe not. It is so hard to leave this spot, so let's just stay and enjoy it for a while.