Aiea Ridge to Kulana’ahane Trail

We went back to complete some unfinished business in the mountains. Mahalo to Rocky’s wife, Glory, for dropping us off at the top of Keaiwa Heiau State Park. Photo by Rocky Abad.

Group photo left to right: Shirley, Tina, Rocky, Mia, myself, Daryl, Lee, Dale, Ethan and Chris. Photo by Daryl Cacatian.

The group crossing through a deeply eroded section of the trail.

Transitioning from the loop to the ridge trail. Miles and miles of hiking ahead of us. 5.5 miles to be exact.

The girls descending down the trail.

Dale crossing the landslide section. Look ma, no hands!

The group picking their way along the narrow stretch of the ridge. Photo by Daryl Cacatian.

Somebody is out of their element. Photo by Rocky Abad.

Panoramic view of the mountain range. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Lee doing a handstand without assistance.

Shirley not doing a handstand with assistance.

Girls only. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Group photo at the 2,441′ summit of Pu’u Kawipo’o.

Making our way to the power line tower. Photo by Tina Corpuz.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Scenic shot. Every hiker has their photo. Photo by Shirley.

Almost to the summit.

Silent Shirley strikes again.

Group photo at the gusty 2,805′ summit.

Windward winds kept us straight on the ridge line. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Scrambling up one of the many hills on the ridge. Up and down.

Smile break or smoke break?

Chris and Daryl in the middle of the saddle. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Hikers on the ridge line.

Heading into the meadows. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

When the wind takes your favorite cap down wind and you have to go retrieve it.

When you don’t learn from the first time and have to do it the second time.

Group photo by Daryl Cacatian in front of the fenced enclosure protecting a rare endemic bellflower plant.

Stunning views of the valley to the valley to the ocean. Photo by Lee Shreve.

Chris and Daryl dropping down the ridge.

Looking back as the clouds started to roll down the mountains, chasing us to hell.

Chris and Daryl dropping off the ridge.

Bad hair day in the mountains.

Looking down at the unfinished stairs to hell. Photo by Lee Shreve.

These girls packed some serious lunch. Glass containers and all. Photo by Lee Shreve.

Portraits in Hell.

Chris Zeppelin strumming Stairway to Hell. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Ethan, I have an owie.

The Goodwill Bunker. Photo by Rocky Abad.

Shirley feeling nostalgic.

Taking the stairs out of hell.

Looking back as the rest of the group made their way down the rusting stairs.

What happened to the stairs? Photo by Lee Shreve.

Leaving hell behind us. Photo by Shirley.

Whiteout conditions at the weather beaten geo marker. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Dropping down to the Halawa junction.

We dropped below the clouds to clear views of the Windward side. Photo by Shirley.

Looking ahead to Moanalua Saddle.

The stashed water supply has dwindled dramatically. Don’t be expecting free samples. Photo by Chris.

Shirley leaving the summit behind her.

Treading carefully along the eroded saddle section. Photo by Lee Shreve.

Contouring or detouring? Ethan should’ve bet lunch. Photo by Chris.

The group dropping down into the saddle.

A good day on the saddle. The company and views make it all worthwhile. Photo by Chris.

Up and over.

Daryl straddling the straddle. Photo by Chris.

Shirley making her way down the saddle. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Looking back at the saddle.

Group photo at the summit. Third time is the charm. Jumping back and forth is hard work.

Filming in progress. Traffic was everywhere but on the H-3 today. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Looking behind at the panoramic view of heaven and hell.

Leaving the summit and dropping down into the valley.

One of multiple dry and wet stream crossings.

Pockets of tangled and twisted hau branches lined the valley trail. Photo by Lee Shreve.

The barely rippling stream was so clear and inviting. No swimming today.

Crossing the streambed to join the rest of the group at the junction.

Group photos are like bunny ears, they multiply like crazy if you don’t watch your back.

Passing by one of seven storied bridges on the trail.

We walked out of the trail and into the park to use the restroom and wash our feet with the open faucet. Somebody lost her car keys. Looked for them. Found them. We can leave the park now.

Our group hike covered 13.38 miles through windy and cloudy ridges with great company and fun all around. We survived our hike from hell and some of us went to Cattle Company Steakhouse for our post hike meal. Daryl was going to do his leg workout but changed his mind and joined us for our wait workout, which took over an hour. Samplers and souvenirs were the course for the day.

Note: I have been made aware the some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers.

Tagged as: aiea loop trail, aiea ridge trail, aiea summit, haiku valley, koolau summit ridge trail, ksrt, moanalua saddle, moanalua valley, north haiku stairs, puu kawipoo, red hill, stairway to hell