Bunker Holoholo

Met up with Aida, Alexis, Art, Edgar, Jen, Lilyn, Marilyn, Quan, Scott and Tessa in Central Oahu to explore abandoned bunkers and tunnels.

Going through the fence single file.

Climbing up the ladder single file.

The rest of the group making their way to the top against the background of the Waianae Mountain Range.

Catching the breaking sunrise at the top of the tank.

All feet on top of the ventilation hole?

Drone view of the tank.

Alexis descending down into the inky darkness.

Group photo in the heavily graffitied tank.

The sounds inside the tank were amplified and reverberated to excruciatingly annoying pitches that would drive most people mad if stuck inside for any long period of time.

Looking up towards the pseudo-skylight.

Climbing out of the tank.

Approaching one of six watch towers that once stood guard over the former Naval Ammunition Depot, Waikele Branch.

Climbing up the ladder that topped out at the platform that is slowly rusting away.

Looking out over the approximately 120 caves that once held military explosives, including nuclear weapons. Now they are being used for commercial and personal storage units.

Anybody else coming up? Crickets.

We collected Chris who was running fashionably late and drove to a neighborhood where we walked down a steep ditch that funnels runoff water to the Panakauahi Gulch.

Chris rolling down with his one wheel drive.

Approaching the engineering marvel at the bottom of the gulch.

Tessa sitting on a rock that probably does not gather any moss.

Sitting on top of the four tunnels.

Walking through one of the tunnels that were littered with rocks, some of considerable heft. The power of raging water is not to be trifled with lightly.

Exiting the other side to search for petroglyphs.

Scott fruitlessly looking for the rock carvings that was of seemingly questionable age.

Group photo looking in.

Group photo looking out. We increased our heart rate and worked our glutes on our way back up the steep ditch.

We parked in another neighborhood where we saw several shedding trees that looked like colorful art.

Climbing down into the tunnel entrance.

Walking in the tunnel …

… that soon branched off into different directions.

Art channeling his inner hamster.

The start of the steep descent down into total darkness. Hand rails included.

Bottoming out.

Approaching the 8′ dropoff.

Group photo.

Chris in the top crawl space.

Patience is a virtue when taking group photos.

Panoramic view of the graffitied exterior.

Playing peek-a-boo amidst the concrete baffles.

What goes down, must go back up.

Exiting the tunnel.

We parked in another neighborhood where the spirt of Christmas was still alive.

Looking down into the neighboring suburbs.

Walking on the service road that is slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.

Negotiating the wreckage that was partially blocking the entrance to the bunker.

Quan coming around the wrap around doors that resembled a giant Hot Wheels Track.

Walking up the stairs and past the wall that was defaced with the ancient symbol that was hijacked by the Nazis.

The view from the blocked corridor.

Walking down the corridor that was lined with a pair of tracks or grooves that was onced used to transport military goods?

Breathing in acceptable amounts of asbestos dust and other stuff that’s best left unknown.

You keep a knocking but can’t come in. Or not.

Exiting the bunker as we made our way back to the cars.

Somebody let the dogs out as we walked down the concrete ditch where some things are best seen with the camera than the naked eye.

Chris warming up.

Life imitating art.

Tessa getting friendly with Mario. Not the guy from Windows Hawaii.

Look Ma, No Feet!

Top down view. Let the gimp out.

Gecko eye view of the group down below.

Group photo from the bottom up.

Hanging by her good hand.

Name that videogame character. It’s not pac-man.

Chris peering through one of the drainage holes.

Panoramic view of the area. We ate lunch at the nearby shopping center where the group split into three parties depending on food preferences.

Taking the road to pineapple fields and one of four coastal batteries that used to operate during WW2.

Built in 1912 or 1913? The sun can play tricks on ones eyes.

Aida walking in the field of fruits that originated in South America, was introduced to Hawaii in 1813 by a Spanish ship pilot by the name of Don Francisco de Paula Marin who also planted coffee, cotton, mangoes and grapes. The US annexation of Hawaii in 1898 and the canning technology paved the way for Dole, Del Monte and Maui Land and Pineapple to eventually supply 80% of the world’s canned pineapples.

Approaching the battery commander’s station where a couple kids with dirt bikes were hanging out.

Standing on top of the bunker whose 8-inch turret guns were once trained on the north shore beaches to repel the Japanese invasion that never came.

Art is obviously one of the people that doesn’t like pineapple on his pizza.

Drone view.

Pineapples being delivered by an amazon drone. Technology is simply amazing nowadays. In the old days, you would have to pick them by hand.

Drone view. Only four were paying or vying for attention.

Climbing down from the bunker was harder for some than others.

Art checking out the shaft.

Climbing down into the darkness.

Low clearance.

Dropping down into the plotting room.

Further progress was stymied by a wall of dirt.

One of many spiders that are the sole remaining inhabitants of the bunker.

Most of the ceiling had long since collapsed to the floor.

Climbing towards the light.

Exploring other shafts that lead to closed off ammunition rooms.

Art sliding backwards into the crack in the ground.

Further progress was stalled by a boulder that was blocking the door that would only permit people with ectomorph bodies to pass.

A bird nest in the hand is worth two in the bush. A corruption of the English proverb.

Avoiding traffic and a red truck made us thirsty so we headed to McDonald’s for some ice cold refreshments.

Parked in another neighborhood where we did the low crawl to take the shortcut.

There are a lot of snacks to eat on trails. Berries. Mangoes. Mountain Apples. Strawberry Guavas. Cow Patties. The nutritional value varies with each item.

Making our way to the bunker.

Stepping foot on Fire-control station “B.”

Looking out towards possible invasion routes.

Walking on the outside of the bunker that was active from 1942-1944.

Drone view of the four level bunker.

Many tried out to be the next Club Femme Nu Pole Dancer. Only the fireman from Kauai got the spot. The rest had to settle for Club 939.

Staggered group photo.

Group photo with the background of Makakilo.

I thought segregation ended back in 1965?

360 view from the pole dancer tryouts.

All feet on the survey marker as we left the bunker.

Headed back down to the suburbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDs12bwe0ZE

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Battery Palailai hike.

We parked in the last neighborhood for the day and had our parking valet watch the cars while the rest of us hiked up the road shared with bikers coming down the hill.

Quan pushing her way through the overgrown trail.

Drone view.

Interior view.

Our last group photo of the day.

Office view.

Somebody put a lot of effort to build this personal bunker for the zombie apocalypse.

Practicing the tradition that started in Trinidad. The bar was not set low enough.

Church in the mountains. Doesn’t hurt to have a cooler at your feet. Doesn’t hurt even more if the cooler was actually filled with ice cold beverages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Lpuep2ogc

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Battery Makakilo hike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs15W9zZ_gM

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Bunker Holoholo hike.

Thanks to Scott for showing us the eight different spots that totaled a little over nine miles. Post hike meal at Thelma’s, where we all ordered our own separate entree’s. Some more than one. That person didn’t get enough pineapple on the trail and had to make up for his caloric deficiency incurred through slow jogging on a dusty field. Ever hear the expression “Eat my dust?”

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Alexis Catarina, Art Young, Chris Bautista, Edgar Gamiao, Jen Odence, Lilyn Avendano, Marilyn Bermudez, Quan Haberstroh, Scott Dea, Tessa Bugay and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

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. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

Tagged as: battery makakilo, battery palailai, bunkers, Lower Waikakalaua Tunnel, Mililani Bunker, Panakauahi Petroglyphs, tunnels, Waikakalaua Flume, Waikakalaua Subway, Waikele Towers