tknight10's Photobucket Kauai Day Five Down and Dirty at Kipu Ranch album media

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:21:38 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:21:35 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:21:32 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:20:58 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:23 MDT

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Kipu Ranch is a working ranch of just over 5,000 acres. It's full of beautiful scenery, lots of pastureland, and fresh streams. They have some happy cows there!

Bull!

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:20 MDT

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We spent some "quality time" hanging around the fence enclosing this guy while one of our guides, Randon, went back to trade out our ATV for one that would go straight instead of just pull to the right.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:18 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:13 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:11 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:07 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:05 MDT

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Although Randon told us to wait in the SUV, we walked around and looked at things on the ranch. The trunk of this tree is about 4' across. Kent tried to help out by picking off it's giant "scab."

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:56:01 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:59 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:57 MDT

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Catching up.

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:54 MDT

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We finally caught up with the group in our new, willing-to-drive-straight ATV where we learned a little bit more about the history of the ranch.

Jurassic Park

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:52 MDT

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This mountain might look familiar from Jurassic Park. And Indiana Jones. And 6 Days 7 Nights.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:49 MDT

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In Jurassic Park 2, this field was the site of the herds of dinosaurs running. And running. And running. Those specks aren't dinosaurs, though. They're cows.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:46 MDT

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Troy was our main guide on this trip. I took as many pictures of him as I could without being conspicuous just so Kira would have something she'd enjoy looking at. And by the way, the chick on the left in the tank top slowed up the whole group. Just wanted to share that.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:44 MDT

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You would never know there are bulldozers behind us, would you? Granted, they're a ways off. You know your butt's too big when it can block a bulldozer.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:41 MDT

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This is the Waiamea River, forming the northernmost boundary of the ranch.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:37 MDT

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Overview of the valley

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:35 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:32 MDT

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Menehune Pond

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:29 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:26 MDT

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The pond, which you can see a little bit again here, was built of boulders which were passed hand to hand along a human chain running several miles across the island.

Troy

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:23 MDT

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Kira, this one's for you. Actually, he is holding onto the rope Harrison Ford used to swing out over the river and escape to the waiting plane. Interesting note: Although he swung out over this river, the end of his swing was filmed at the Wailua River--more than 8 miles away.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:19 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:15 MDT

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The black mark on the limb on the right is where the rope was originally tied. However, it wasn't high enough. After the star and his stunt double face-planted a few times, they moved it.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:11 MDT

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Kipu Kai

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:08 MDT

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This view is why we took this particular tour. Kipu Kai is part of a 16,000 acre bequest to the Rice family. Rice was a missionary on the island, and was given the land by the ruler of that time.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:55:02 MDT

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However, property taxes being what they are, Rice was in danger of losing the property. He worked out a deal with the state to allow him and his children to live on and use the property until the death of his last child.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:58 MDT

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His children are all now in their 70's, so the future of this unspoiled beauty is uncertain. Only 2% of the population of Kauai have ever seen this place. It can only be accessed through the ranch or by sea. Motorized boats have to be anchored 30 yards offshore or individuals can kayak to the beach, but the riptides around the point make that a dangerous option.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:54 MDT

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Battles were fought on this stretch of beach, and the bones of warriors still pop up.The rows of trees were planted primarily to help keep the bones underground, as ranch workers refused to go anywhere near this area due to the Hawaiian belief that the bones are sacred, and to disturb them would bring calamity.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:51 MDT

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The tiny rectangular speck in the lower left is an old barn. There are three homes that aren't visible that are used when the family comes to visit. A couple lives there year-round as caretakers, coming out of the valley only once every couple of weeks for provisions. They grow almost everything they use however.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:48 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:43 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:39 MDT

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Lichen and moss create intriguing patterns on tree bark.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:36 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:33 MDT

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The most scenic part of the ATV trip as a a passenger.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:30 MDT

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We paused here for a few moments to take in scenery that went for miles.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:28 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:22 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:20 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:16 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:14 MDT

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Thar's pigs in them thar hills.

tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:11 MDT

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Those brown specks just left of center are a family (or two) of wild pigs that lives on the ranch.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:08 MDT

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We had to stop for the pigs. Apparently, Troy feeds them when they come around. Once they hijacked--I mean, stopped--us, more and more came to join the party.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:54:05 MDT

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Pigs aren't the only things that live wild on the ranch. But where are the chickens????

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:53:30 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:53:27 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:53:24 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:53:21 MDT

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:53:18 MDT

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This peahen has a hurt left foot. She was actually limping.

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tknight10 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:53:14 MDT

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