SideXSide Action - January 2008 - (Page 58) Kahoma Ranch Tours has Rhinos and Rangers that you can ride up Puu Kukui Mountain, which hovers over Lahaina on the west side of Maui. On a beautiful Friday in September, we set out for our adventure. The meeting spot was at a shop right along the main highway. When we checked in, the first things that they offered us were clothes! They had camo pants, t-shirts, and tennis shoes that you could borrow for the ride. I had my regular riding duds on and Mom had riding clothes on, too, but she wisely opted to use a pair of their shoes. On the tour with us were Victor and Jennifer from New York who were on their Honeymoon. We all spoke and met briefly, then jumped into a van that took us up to the starting point of the ride. The base camp is located at about 1,200 feet above sea level. It is here that we got our first glimpse of the Rhino 450s that we would get to drive. The leader, Rowell, gave us the run-down on all of the safety aspects of riding and got everyone into white helmets and goggles. On The Trail: Hawaiian Adventures I set Mom up in her own Rhino and I opted to ride with Mason, the pick-up guy, so that I could get pictures of the group. Everyone found their throttle foot and off we went on our two-and-a-half-hour tour. The ride took us through an old sugar cane field that is now a cattle range. I was surprised to learn that sugar is no longer grown in Hawaii, despite the historical connection. Beginning in 1862, the Pioneer Mill Company planted and milled sugar cane on more than 10,000 acres around the Lahaina area. For more than a century, life on West Maui was dominated by the Pioneer Mill sugar plantation, to the extent that the “bango” number the plantation gave to its employees to use at the company store was as good as money in the plantation town. The Pioneer Mill was so involved in the town that they even took care of West Maui’s housing, water, and power. The Pioneer Mill was one of Hawaii’s last remaining sugar plantations at the time of its closure in 1999. In the 1990s, the future of agriculture dimmed in Maui, largely because of cheaper offshore labor, administration, and shipping costs that hindered the ability of Maui products to compete in global markets. The plantation covered all of the land that we drove on, including a very quaint Kahoma Cabin that had been used as a corporate getaway for plantation management. On the tour, we also drove by three man-made reservoirs and pumping stations that had been used to irrigate the land. Cy and Jeri, owners of the tour company, lease 600 acres of the land to lead Side X Side tours. “ The “shaka” sign, otherwise known as the “hang loose” sign, has various meanings, like "all right," "cool," or "smooth." It can also be used to signal a "hello," "goodbye," "'till next time," "take care," or "Alright!" I think in this instance she is saying, “Made it!” { Did You Know? } Beginning in 1862, the Pioneer Mill Company planted and milled sugar cane on more than 10,000 acres around the Lahaina area. Top: Getting ready to hit the trail. Left: The tour guide took us through a jungle to get to the sugar cane field. Top Right: I would advise following all these rules, unless you want to get kicked off the tour. Bottom Right: A passenger eye view of the trail. ” 58 SIDE X SIDE ACTION MAGAZINE
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