I did a solo hike and descended down into the depths of hell and came back to tell the tale.
Aiea Loop Trail
Thanks to Ani for dropping me off at the top of the loop trail around 0632.
Aiea Loop Trail
Most of the five mile trail was surprisingly dry as the rising sun soon began to beat down on my sweaty head.
Pu’u Kawipo’o
Looking at the H3 running through Halawa Valley from the 2,441′ hill. What happened to the usual stiff winds?
Aiea Ridge Trail
Windward view from the grassy clearing right before the base of the power line tower. Scant cloud cover floated above my sweating head.
Aiea Summit
Ascended to the 2,805′ summit at 0848. Promptly took a load off my feet. I was sweating profusely from the heat and lack of wind.
Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)
Going up and down the humps on the ridge with Windward views to keep me company.
KSRT
The valley views that never fail to disappoint were noticeably absent of wind that would snatch the cap off your head and send it tumbling down the hill.
KSRT
Dropped into hell or what is left of North Haiku Stairs at 0952.
Stairway to Hell
The place actually lived up to its name today. Gone were the gusting winds that made the place feel like being inside a freezer. I had my lunch with the stunning vistas as my office views.
KSRT
Climbing my way out of the place of suffering and disintegrating stairs.
KSRT
Peering towards Stairway to Heaven.
Red Hill Summit
I ran into Brittney’s group at my last summit of the day at 1110. They were deciding whether to continue to where I had just come from. Given their time constraints, they decided to come back another day.
Red Hill Ridge
Going down the relentless rollercoaster ridge line.
Godek-Jaskulski Junction
I ignored the option to drop down into Moanalua Valley and continued to suffer on the suffocating ridge.
Red Hill Ridge
Walking through the section of pine trees gave me a slight respite from the heat.
Red Hill Ridge
Plowing through the dense uluhe ferns that seemed to dominate most of the ridge line. Not a walk in the park.
Red Hill Ridge
Going through the corridor of strawberry guava trees that signaled that I was close to contouring down the ridge line. The markers soon took me to the end of a cliff. I had little patience due to the high heat and humidity, so I just climbed and slid my way down the cliff instead of finding the trail again.
All pau
No time for a game of hoops as I ended my hike and walked back to my steaming hot car parked on the side of the road. Fitting end to the hike.
GPS Tracks
My hot as hell hike covered roughly 10.4 miles but I was rewarded with stunning vistas all around.
Note: I have been made aware that 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.
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