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Mount Waialeale (overflowing water in Hawaiian), a dormant shield volcano, is one of the highest points on the island of Kauai (5,148 feet above sea level). It is also one of the wettest places on earth with an average rainfall of 423 inches per year according to the USGS. In 1982, it received 683 inches of rain. That is just short of 57 feet of water and that is approaching the height of a three story house! The scientists classify the summit as having a tropical rainforest climate, but the locals are proud of the "fact" that it is the highest swamp in the world. In fact, the so-called swamp is not located on Waialeale itself, but rather within the Alakai Wilderness Preserve on a plateau very near the mountain. The scientists admit that Alakai has "alpine bogs," but apparently that is not enough to make it a real swamp in their eyes. Our former U.S. Army chopper pilot called it a swamp and one of our bartenders, that had hiked through it, confirmed that it was definitely a swamp. We think of it as a swamp.
It is weird to fly around the island and see the diversity of climate on that small chunk of lava in the middle of the vast ocean. The western part of the island, a few miles away from Waialeale, is practically desert. Some very smart people explain that one of the most important reasons that so much rain falls on Waialeale is that the steep cliffs cause the moisture laden trade winds to rise 3,000 feet in less than half a mile. This cools the air very rapidly so that it releases the moisture on the mountain. It is an ongoing process so one rarely sees the top of the mountain free of cloud cover. Not surprisingly, the steep sides of Waialeale are covered in a thick tangle of verdant foliage and the watercourses and waterfalls are always full of rushing water. It is one of the greenest mountains I have ever seen.
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