Nu’uuli Falls

Today we went to Nu’uuli Falls with Ashley and Jeremy. I’d been there a few times, but never with a camera. We put in into two ziplock bags to keep it dry and I’m relieved to report that it survived. I’m glad we took the risk because I was able to get some of my favorite pictures of American Samoa.

Nu’uuli Falls isn’t one waterfall, but a series of four very tall waterfalls and dozens of smaller ones.

Here’s a video of the first waterfall, which is a relatively easy walk from where we park:

The first waterfall is cool, but to see the really good stuff you have to be willing to do some climbing.

After a very steep climb and a walk along the rocky, slippery stream, we got to the second big waterfall.

Getting into the cold water felt great after the long, hot hike.

The next stop was at what’s known as the “Slide of Death.” I’m pretty sure no one has actually died there, but it’s pretty intimidating the first time you try it. Here’s Jeremy showing excellent form:

I’ve done the slide on previous trips. Today I was content to just jump off of the side of the cliff. Climbing all the way to the top once is exhausting enough- I wasn’t interested in climbing up, sliding, and climbing up again to continue on the trail.

After seeing me jump, Mary decided to give it a try.

Farther upstream we found a slide that Mary and Ashley were willing to try:

We made it as far as the bottom of the third big waterfall. Climbing any farther is far more difficult and dangerous, with steep slopes of mud and gravel. I’ve been to the top of the last waterfall once and that was enough.

The last two falls are quite close together. In this photo you can see the top of the fourth waterfall:

I’m really proud of Mary for being able to make this trip. It’s extremely difficult and a bit dangerous, but she hung in there and kept up. It was a really fun day and we’ll definitely do it again.