We wrapped up our last segment (#17) to complete the second perimeter walk around the island.

Waimanalo

Thanks to Akira and Chico for shuttling Allison, Mari, Marilyn, Scott and myself over to the starting point. Tessa also gifted Chico with a Baby Groot in a soda can. Now all we need is the real Groot.

Enchanted Lakes

Starting off in the community that sprang from what was once a large fishery sprawled over 280 acres. Developer Joseph Pao with deep political and union connections built residential homes starting in 1959 on over 700 acres around Kaelepulu Pond, which shrank the pond by a third. Further development is being stalled by locals who don’t want to see more homes since they already got their own. NIMBY.

Keolu Drive

Is there a library fine?

Kaelepulu Stream

We saw two native waterfowls with the burnt forehead, ‘alae’ula who got its red frontal shield from the demigod Maui when they stole fire to give to humans according to Hawaiian mythology. The larger black crowned herons, ‘auku’u, was waiting patiently on the shore for its chance of catching some fish. Overlooking it all was a nice looking treehouse. Nobody wanted to knock.

Kaelepulu Stream

Marilyn and Scotty taking a picture while the rest of us were looking at the native birds.

Keolu Drive

Dance like everyone is watching.

Keolu Drive

That sistah stay akamai crossing the street with the red hand.

Keolu Drive

Did we find the rightful owner(s)? We did find Patrick.

Keolu Hills Skateboard Park

Group photo within the 15,000 square feet skate park built in 2002.

Keolu Hills Skateboard Park

Akira and Chico skating like they have no skateboard and vying to be the next Tony Hawk.

Keolu Hills Skateboard Park

Enjoying the ringside seats for the spectator sport.

Keolu Hills Skateboard Park

Graffiti art that is a direct byproduct of urbanization itself.

Keolu Drive

We love Keolu, but can’t afford to live in this affluent neighborhood.

Keolu Drive

Meeting Chad Starr who has walked around the island multiple times to raise awareness of youth suicide.

Keolu Drive

Taking a load off my feet as this walk was extremely exhausting.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Stepping foot on the 36 mile coastal highway that connects Waimanalo to East Oahu.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Dale discussing his financial retirement plans with Jordan. Oh wait, he’s already retired.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Paniolo tryouts in front of the ranch that is missing a vowel.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

The pace was too slow for Allison, so she set off on her own pace. The “I have to get back to my kids” pace.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

We soon met up with Kenny who had started from Waimanalo and had come empty-handed from his morning toy show.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Can Roseann come out to play? All work and no play makes YawYaw a dull girl.

Kahawai Stream

Nothing to see. Move along. Kahawai means stream in Hawaiian. So you have the Hawaiian and English words side by side.

Shima’s Supermarket

Perfect timing as it started to briefly rain, so we ducked into the store that has fallen to another buyout by a bigger store, namely Times Supermarket. We tried some of the poke and was stuck in the line when the uncle was berated by the cashier on not knowing how to use his EBT card despite being a frequent shopper.

Waimanalo Feed Supply

The group wandered over next door to see what was so crazy about the pop up sale.

Waimanalo Feed Supply

We found expired but still edible knock offs, tart lemonade and awesome artwork on the walls.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Crossing the highway in search of ice cream.

Waimanalo Town Center

We found the ice, but not the cream.

Waimanalo Town Center

Can you see the hole for the hikers?

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Everybody took their own way to get back on the road.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Met up with CB who had hiked Lulumahu Falls earlier this morning.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Dale frolics with the dolphins in and out of the water.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Passing vehicles were honking at us for either friendly greetings or get off the road greetings.

Bellows Air Force Station

Group photo in front of the 437 acre installation used for recreation and training.

Bellows Air Force Station

Chico scored a free shirt from his food truck buddy, Dustin “Dut” Leandro. Does that come with a meal as well?

Honolulu Polo Club

Passing by the 27 acre field that is home to the player’s club that was founded in 1986. Polo itself is Persian in origin and was introduced to the islands in 1886 by the British.

Hunananiho

Leaving the highway as we made for Sherwoods Forest, named due to the dense ironwood trees that seem straight out of a Robin Hood fairy tale.

Hunananiho

Looking out at the buoyant seabird sanctuary framed by the ironwood trees that were imported to the islands in the 1870s.

Hunananiho

Some danced the day away while others ate their pork adobo.

Hunananiho

We left the powdery white coral sand to pound the pavement again.

Waimanalo

Can the hobbits come out to play?

Waimanalo

Interior photos by Sotheby’s International Realty of the 3,300 square foot slice of Middle Earth. In 2020, it was listed for sale at $3.7 million dollars. Any buyers?

Waimanalo

Exterior photo by 808 Random Hikers Sandwich Islands Realty. Price is still a nickel, even adjusted for inflation.

Waimanalo

Walking the back roads of the potable water community.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Stopping at one of 67 convenience stores in the islands; where we looked around and somebody got pantsed. Indecent exposure was thankfully avoided. We left before they had to escort us off the premises.

Kalaniana’ole Highway

Walking on yielding grass as we entered the home stretch of the walk. It was actually more like a hop, skip and a jump.

Waimanalo Beach Park

Finished before lunch time. Yay!

Waimanalo Beach Park

Congratulations to Mari for completing the island perimeter walks both clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Waimanalo Beach Park

Can you guess what Dale and Chico are doing?

Waimanalo Beach Park

I had heard so much about this lunch wagon’s frickn chicken, that I had to have it for lunch. The rest of the group with the exception of Chico decided to hold out for something more promising.

Waimanalo Beach Park

Sorry guys, the wait is almost an hour. I was half expecting somebody to jump up and say f*ck that! I can cook my own food! Everybody else had lunch at the nearby L&L Hawaiian Barbeque where the wait was more tolerable and gratifying. Edgar also joined us for lunch. Nearby Waipuna Sushi threatened to bring flashbacks.

GPS Tracks

Our final walk covered 6.38 miles with good company and fun times.

Photos/Crew taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Alexis Catarina, Allison Banks, Ani Lagpacan, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Cristy CM, Dale Yoshizu, Ferlino Carinio, Jordan Baird, Kenny Lui, Mari Saito, Marilyn Bermudez, Roger Schiffman, 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.

We walked around the Windward side of the island to collect Easter eggs but failed to meet the Easter Bunny today.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Leaving Groot and Lilia behind us as we started our day.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Chico plucking some ripe calamansi from the nearby shrub, which turned out to be real sour and became regurgitated.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Passing by the townhome community developed in the early 1970s that transformed this former agricultural area into a residential development.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

ChatGPT photo at an intersection. Where did those mangoes come from?

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Practicing for the Coconut Tree Climbing Championship. ‘E’ita!

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Gas prices are skyrocketing, so time to trade in the car for the ultimate green, zero-emission mode of transport, the shopping cart. This cultural symbol of modern consumerism was invented in 1937 by Sylvan Goldman of Humpty Dumpty Supermarkets in Oklahoma.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Yielding to vehicular traffic on the road.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Even drones fall from trees. Monkeys are safe today.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Group photo on the tree that few climbed, the rest of us stayed on terra firma.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Just missing the bubblegum. Is that how they used to dance back in the day?

N Kalaheo Avenue

Groot was here.

N Kalaheo Avenue

Crossing over Kawainui Canal that was constructed in 1952 for flood control but has resulted in Hamakua Marsh slowly drying out. Unintended consequences.

Beach Access

The guys sticking it on the chain link fence. All beaches in Hawaii are public with the exception of military bases and there must be public access pathways. However, some financially entitled owners try to claim the beach fronting their property as their own, which leads to friction with locals and transplants.

Beach Access

Why can’t we have nice toys like these? The usual suspects.

Kailua Beach

Getting our feet sandy on part of the 2.5 mile beach that has been ranked as one of the best beaches in the world.

Private Road

Back on the road again.

N Kalaheo Avenue

Passing by the Naupaka Kahakai flowers that are only found by the ocean. They only have half the petal as there is another half of the flower called Naupaka Kuahiwi that are only found in the mountains. Legend has it that these were two lovers that were killed due to a forbidden romance and were turned into ocean and mountain flowers, forever separated in life and death.

Mo’okua Street

We were looking for a garage sale and instead found a house filled with driftwood artistic interpretations.

McDonald’s

Sitting on hamburger stools, possibly the last restaurant out of 72 stores in Hawaii that still has these nostalgic seats.

Uloha

We decided to check out the store whose acronym means “Uncle’s Local Outfitter of Hawaiian Adventures.” The original town store opened in 2017 and this second location opened in 2024 due to strong demand. Buy local, when you can afford it.

Uloha

Thanks to Tessa for pointing out that they were Easter Eggs hidden in the store and they each were worth from 10% to 50% off on store merchandise. Our group found all five and purchased stuff we wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the discounts. We also met Micah who rang up our sales and found out he was another fleet of foot KST hiker. Watch out Derek, Dylan and Conrad. He told us he hiked from Pupukea to Pali in a day and change. To be young again.

Tokyo Central

Having fun with dollar bubbles and seasonal Peeps.

Paia Fishmarket

Ending my 46 days of self-imposed ban on Coca-Cola as we had our lunch at one of the restaurants that had its origins in the plantation town of Pa’ia.

Hamakua Drive

Ok, now how do I get back up to the bridge? With a little help from my friends.

Keolu Drive

Walk with Aloha!

Keolu Drive

All pau. Perfect timing as the rain started to fall from the heavens as we made it back to our cars. We drove to Windward Mall to take a photo with the Easter Bunny only to find out he didn’t show up for work. It’s like finding out that Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. Crushed dreams.

GPS Tracks

Our Easter Egg walk and #16 of the perimeter walks covered 6.2 miles with fun friends and good times.

Ka hale o Cantu

The group continuing the tradition that started in Protestant Germany in the 16th century.

Ka hale o Cantu

Some found more than one Easter Egg. Lucky them.

Ka hale o Cantu

What do we have here? One egg was worth more than the 50% off previously discovered, actually the value was to the end consumer, the right end consumer. The others contained George Washington bills not yet autographed by the 47th President. Thanks to everybody that came out for the Easter Egg walk and only one more to go!

Photos/Crew taken by Akira Suzuki, Aida Gordon, Chico Cantu, Cristy CM, Mari Saito, Marilyn Bermudez, 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.

We flew to the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago to do some exploring this weekend.

Honoapi’ilani Highway

Matt picked us up at the airport and we decided to drive to the West side of the island to escape the rain that was showering the central part of the Valley Isle, motoring along the coastal highway that was built in 1927 to replace the 1900s dirt road that had 115 hairpin turns. Talk about getting carsick.

Honoapi’ilani Highway

We stopped at the side of the highway and talked story with Alan “Yamaz” Yamamoto, a local Molokai boy, who is a graduate and retired employee of Lahainaluna School.

Honoapi’ilani Highway

Yamaz cleared and started this rock garden after the 2020 COVID pandemic from rock and coral culled from nearby Olowalu Beach. The Hawaiian words “O Keia Ke Kukui Pio’ole I Ka Makani O Kaua’ula” roughly translate to “This torch can’t be extinguished by the winds off Kaua’ula.”

Honoapi’ilani Highway

One of many “message rocks” that border the front of the rock garden.

Honoapi’ilani Highway

If you ever find yourself driving Westside, stop by and thank this guy for all his hard work. And maybe leave a “message rock” while you’re at it.

Lahaina Memorial

We paid our respects to the 115 crosses that represents each of the lives lost in the tragic fire that swept Lahaina on August 8, 2023. On a personal anecdote, a friend had told me he got a sweet deal on a place to stay in Lahaina two weeks prior to the fires. Luckily, he was able to walk out of town but lost all his personal belongings except his car which somehow survived intact.

Lahaina

Looking at the first banyan tree planted in the Hawaiian islands on April 24, 1873 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission.

Lahaina

This is how the tree looked after the wildfires had ravaged the old whaling town. Its recovery symbolizes the hope and strength of the surrounding community. Photo by Dominick Del Vecchio.

Lahaina

The residential heart of Lahaina are slowly being rebuilt with the commercial areas moving at a kahuli pace. The 30′ “L” has been overlooking the town since 1929, the large letter is refreshed annually by the Lahainaluna students.

Makaluapuna Point

Walking alongside the lava formation known as Dragon’s Teeth.

Makaluapuna Point

Chico circling inside the Kapalua labyrinth that was built in 2005 as a peace project.

Honolua Bay

Scenic point at the bay famous for its long right hand point surf break.

Honolua Bay

We walked down to the bay shoreline and the normally turquoise blue waters were somewhat muddied due to all the recent heavy rain and runoff.

Honolua Bay

The guys talking to Leialoha Manuwa, descended from ali’i (noble ruling class) and claimant to the Crown Lands that we were standing on. Thought bubbles not included.

Honolua Bay

Rowing and rowing our boat and not getting anywhere. Maybe water would help and no holes in the boat.

Honolua Bay

This place looks like it’s straight out of a Harry Potter book. Enchanted. Magical. Mystical. Enthralled. Captivated. Mesmerized. Bedazzled. Running out of superlative adjectives.

Chutes and Ladders

Matt angled and parked the van to ensure clean lines of sight as we stopped at our next adventure. A mother and daughter pair decided to follow us down the trail, hoping to see something enchanted. Wrong place.

Chutes and Ladders

We had to bushwhack a bit to find the cliff going down. Maintaining three points of contact as the rocks were a tad slippery due to recent rain. The female duo decided to turn around as there was nothing to see. Move along.

Chutes and Ladders

Scotty making his way down.

Chutes and Ladders

Chico climbing his down the roughly 40′ cliff face.

Chutes and Ladders

Scott approaching the tide pools that was on his bucket list. Look but don’t touch. Close enough.

Chutes and Ladders

The blue-green tide pools get regularly flushed out by the ocean.

Chutes and Ladders

Our scattered group shot against the pebbly rock face.

Chutes and Ladders

Climbing back up the cliff face and to our next spot.

Nakalele Blowhole

Despite what the sign says, are we at Hanauma Bay Rock Bridge?

Nakalele Blowhole

Will the real blowhole please stand up? Thank you.

Nakalele Blowhole

This is what the Nakalele Heart Rock used to look like.

Nakalele Blowhole

Now it looks like this. Constant ocean erosion finally split the iconic rock formation in half as of January 2020. Another victim of the COVID pandemic?

Nakalele Blowhole

Well, if I can’t get a heart rock photo, I can at least get a shaka photo.

Nakalele Blowhole

Going back up the trail, this dislodged turned runaway boulder almost split Chico in half. Luckily, he rolled and tumbled out of the boulder’s path. Nimble as a ninja or at least a Beverly Hills Ninja ala Chris Farley.

Olivine Pools

Some were convinced we were not at the right tide pools. The rest of us didn’t know any better.

Olivine Pools

Double exposure. One is more than enough.

Olivine Pools

Leave only footprints. Muddy footprints.

Kahukuloa

Driving through the isolated village that doesn’t appreciate any honking of the horns.

Kahekili Highway

Roadside recyclable graffiti.

Kahekili Highway

Driving on this stretch of the road involves multiple hairpin turns, steep ocean drop offs often with no guardrails and narrow one-lane sections.

Howzit Hostels

We had time to kill so we ended up driving to Iao Valley for naught as the road was closed and somebody could have cared less, had dinner at Kalei’s Lunchbox and checked into our place for the night.

Wailuku

Day 2
Checking out of our hostel where we missed the creative pancakes and picked up McDonald’s instead. Matt also picked up four new hiking friends in the form of Brittney (Canada), Steve (Chicago), Sophie (Germany) and Zollo (Texas). Social media influencer and hostel volunteers.

Sunny D

Passing the Car-BQ as we plunged into the jungle.

Sunny D

Climbing our way down to the stream.

Sunny D

Passing a smaller waterfall as we followed the stream down. Some of us will be back.

Sunny D

Scotty approaching the end of the waterfall and the beginning of the ocean.

Sunny D

The girls wanted to make a splash in the deep pool.

Sunny D

Group photo at the end of the waterfall that drops into the ocean.

Sunny D

Pull back drone photo of the 150′ waterfall and other coastal waterfalls spilling into the ocean.

Sunny D

Brittney assured her nervous friends that her butt was wedged into the rock and she was locked in. No worries, she wasn’t going anywhere. Famous last words?

Sunny D

POV of the 45 meter drop to the ocean for our European friend.

Sunny D

Peering over the edge with Insta360.

Sunny D

Leaving the tidefall behind us.

Sunny D

The rest of the group streamed to the smaller waterfall while Kenny, Scotty and myself climbed back up the hill.

Sunny D

Brittney swam out to the base of the waterfall as she was already wet.

Sunny D

Chico wanted to make a splash in the pool as he was already wet as well.

Sunny D

Somebody filming themselves on the trail. Who needs somebody to take their picture when you can do it yourself?

Squirts

Walking to our next waterfall.

Squirts

This is not the trail. Turn around.

Squirts

Back on the road again.

Squirts

Following the sound of rushing water to its source.

Squirts

Miles and miles, hours and hours of rock hopping. Actually it turned out to be around 40 minutes. It just seemed endless.

Squirts

How long more? Somebody threw in their shoes and turned back.

Squirts

The girls next to a side waterfall.

Squirts

Climbing and contouring our way around a fallen tree.

Squirts

The end is in sight!

Squirts

Group photo at the end of the coastal waterfall.

Squirts

Jurassic Island in the background.

Squirts

Droning the 250′ falls crashing into the ocean below us.

Squirts

Product placement. Social media influencer and all. The apple got a free ride.

Squirts

Chico peering over the edge with his Insta360.

Squirts

Forget Door Dash and Uber Eats, there is a little known service that delivers to remote areas called Sherpa.

Squirts

Much to our relief, we found the trail that bypassed the rock hopping stream and ended up taking roughly 10 minutes. Time saver.

Squirts

Back on the road.

Squirts

We walked back to our cars; airdropped photos, consumed earned calories and somebody talked smack.

Savor Maui

Stopped at a nearby food truck to have pulled pork sandwiches and watched the preening peacock and food snatching peahens. These screeching birds, native to India, were introduced to Hawaii in 1860 and have since colonized all the major islands.

Naval Air Station Puunene

We tried to see some other bunkers but access was closed off. So we drove further down the road and checked out these abandoned structures that date back from WW2.

Naval Air Station Puunene

Running across the top of the earthen-bermed structures formerly used for ammunition storage.

Naval Air Station Puunene

Practicing my collision avoidance skills in the old telephone exchange building turned chop shop.

Naval Air Station Puunene

We checked out a couple other abandoned structures, cleaned up the van, and had a late lunch at Sonic. Where are the carhops? Big shout out to Matt who rented the van and was our uber driver for the weekend and for showing us around the island. Thanks to the group for an amazing adventure filled with exploration, waterfalls and scenic spots.

Photos/Crew taken by Chico Cantu, Kenny Lui, Matt Vidaurri, Scott Dea, 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.

We flew over to the Garden Isle to do another of my favorite activities, waterfalls! Actually it was on the bucket list for some of our friends who had never been to this particular watering hole.

HNL

Entertaining ourselves as we waited to board our twilight flight. We are easily amused.

Pacific Ocean

Flying the friendly skies. Wrong airline.

Kauai

Landed in Lihue, picked up our black jeeps, had dinner at a popular eatery and then checked in at Banyan Harbor Resort for the night.

Lihue

Day 2
Woke up before the crack of dawn, packed our stuff and made a quick pit stop to pick up food for the day. Too early for poke.

Wailua

Traversing the multiple stream crossings were a breeze now thanks to the improvements made on the Loop Road back in 2024-2025.

Wailua

Capturing the sunrise being filtered by the trees.

Wailua

It was a bumpy and muddy ride as we passed the Jurassic Park Poles on the roughly five mile unmaintained road. Contrary to popular belief, these are simply markers and are not leftovers from the original set. The actual gates were farther up the road and were demolished after the filming was done. No souvenirs for Hawaii.

Blue Hole Trail

Eleven clean shoes at the start of the trail.

Blue Hole Trail

Somebody was really excited to be here.

Blue Hole Trail

Our first stream crossing. One of many more to come.

Blue Hole Trail

Slipping and sliding through the mud.

Blue Hole Trail

Passing a flowering Nun’s Orchid on the trail, it was the first tropical orchid to flower in England as it’s native to Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Blue Hole Trail

“What you doing in the water, squatting like that?” Based on the popular myth, the stream water would be turning a bright blue, much like her shade of beet red.

Blue Hole Trail

Leaving the urine soaked water behind us.

Blue Hole Trail

Morning mist.

Blue Hole Trail

Kenny washing his face with the urine water. Oh wait, we are upstream, so he’s safe. Feel sorry for the rest of the group that were downstream.

Blue Hole Trail

Bible studies with the annoying church slut on the trail.

Blue Hole Trail

Matt looking for the waterfalls at the end of the tunnel.

Blue Hole Trail

Taking a break as we waited for the rest of the group to catch up. No bathroom breaks.

Blue Hole Trail

Approaching the first major waterfall of the day.

Guardian Falls

Checking out the gatekeeper falls on the trail. Nobody took a dip.

Blue Hole Trail

The rest of the group were enjoying the stream life.

Guardian Falls

Some of us explored a side waterfall. Slippery when wet.

Guardian Falls

Making my way back to the group as I was feeling lonely, wet and cold.

Blue Hole Trail

Roger showing off his rock balancing skills.

Blue Hole Trail

We contoured to the left of the falls to regain the trail.

Blue Hole Trail

Following the stream into the canyon.

Blue Hole Trail

Matt looking at a small waterfall.

Blue Hole Trail

So he decided to make a smaller one himself.

Blue Hole Trail

Kenny didn’t feel the need to add any more waterfalls.

Blue Hole Trail

Rock hopping and scrambling our way up the stream.

Blue Hole Trail

The waterfall walls began to constrict as we hiked deeper into the canyon.

Blue Hole Trail

We left the stream as we climbed up to get back on trail. Matt boosted the rest of the groups confidence as he said this is where he almost died. Climb on!

Blue Hole Trail

The steady stream of pulsating helicopters above our heads became more incessant and irritating.

Blue Hole Trail

Chico making his way up the slippery rocks.

Blue Hole Trail

Going through the gate. Almost there!

Blue Hole Trail

Going down the hill as we could see the Blue Hole for the first time.

Blue Hole Trail

Allison using both ropes as she climbed her way down the slippery rocks.

Wailua Headwaters

Exploring this water soaked and moss carpeted canyon that was carved from constant rainfall from what was once the wettest spot on Earth, Mount Wai’ale’ale. Pictures don’t give scale to the canyon walls that soar thousands of feet to the summit. Something that must be experienced in person through hiking or riding in a tour helicopter. This was the first time seeing this place for Chico, Edgar, Kenny, Marilyn and Sandra as well. It did not disappoint.

Weeping Wall

Drone view of our partial group photo against the backdrop of the canyon walls weeping with waterfalls.

Blue Hole

This angle illustrates the reason why some people call it the “Blue Hole.” However, the weather was not cooperating by providing us with blue skies today. Instead it provided us with greyish-whitish skies and a steady diet of vertical-lift aircraft carrying tourists who only caught seemingly seconds of the Blue Hole. Hope it was worth it.

Blue Hole

Getting close to the base of the falls.

Weeping Wall

Matt getting real up close and personal.

Blue Hole

Time to take our leave of this natural waterpark that Mother Nature has gifted us.

Weeping Wall

Not so fast. Aida, Ferlino and Roger caught up to us and had to have their round of picture taking as it was their first time here as well.

Blue Hole Trail

Climbing our way back down to Wailua Stream.

Blue Hole Trail

Kenny showing us how it’s done.

Blue Hole Trail

Passing a stand of ornamental banana trees. Not to be confused with Orientals. We also crossed paths with a pair of hikers who had started late and assured us they could hustle to make it back out before dark.

Blue Hole Trail

Somebody was glad that we had brought webbing on the trail.

Guardian Falls

Can this picture go on the blog? I guess.

Blue Hole Trail

You go that way and we’ll go this way.

Wailua

We drove out of the unmaintained road and switched Kenny with Mari at the airport. Post hike meal was at Hukilau Lanai where our group was split into two tables and checked out with fine dining prices. Overall despite some in the group getting lost, two hiking poles wrecked and Chico suffering a couple abrasions and cuts, the day went swimmingly. Our total mileage for the hike came out to a little more than four miles round trip, some others have quoted eight miles round trip. Whatever the exact mileage was, it sure felt like the latter one at the end of the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ced84n5DHWs

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Blue Hole hike.

Lihue

Day 3
Checked out of our Airbnb, stopped at the local bakery that has been around since 1965 to fuel up for the day and drove to Waimea.

Waimea Canyon

Looking into the Grand Canyon of the Pacific where the distant Waipo’o Falls could be seen.

Hale Manu Valley

Getting our bang for the buck out of our rental jeeps.

Hale Manu Valley

Matt grooming another Princess in the group.

Hale Manu Valley

We’re not getting muddy, right?

Cliff Lookout

Our muppet group photo. Who’s who? Rijah Dat! Something got lost in the translation.

Canyon Trail

You guys want to see a better view? Rajah Dat!

Canyon Trail

Running commentary. Do you want my spikes? No. I have webbing. No need. It’s all for the gram, right? No. Does he have insurance? Yes. Can I get a ride from the airport? Yes.

Canyon Trail

There’s no “I” in team. In this case, I guess there is.

Canyon Trail

Group photo with the backdrop of the canyon that was formed over 4 million years ago when the shield volcano collapsed and the river and rain did the rest.

Canyon Trail

Synchronized spinning.

Canyon Trail

Ascending hikers have the right of way over descending hikers. It’s not always true, but normally?!?

Canyon Trail

Descending towards the falls. I didn’t have to yield to any ascending hikers.

Canyon Trail

Scenic spots.

Canyon Trail

Climbing down the direct way to the falls.

Waipo’o Falls

The girls standing at the top of the head-water falls before it plummets down the canyon walls.

Waipo’o Falls

Matt trying to thread his drone through the arch. Close but no cigar.

Waipo’o Falls

Getting all wet on the second of the smaller upper tier of the falls fed by Koke’e Stream.

Waipo’o Falls

Matt’s dramatic drone shots of the two-tiered 800′ waterfall.

Waipo’o Falls

On the way out, some of the group checked out the first of the smaller falls with a plunge pool. No plunging today.

Hale Manu Valley

Looking up into the pear or plum blossoms may result in a bug falling into your eye. Luckily our resident RN was able to fish it out of Mari’s eye on an out-patient basis.

Waimea Canyon

We drove over to the lookout to take the typical tourist photos.

Waimea Canyon

Spotting two feral goats climbing the rocky cliffs of the canyon. These invasive species were introduced in the 18th century by Captain Vancouver in 1792 on Kauai.

Waimea Canyon

Goat see, goat do.

Waimea Canyon

Running commentary. Those are idiots! I won’t disagree with you on that. One idiot is one idiot. Two idiots are two idiots. Four idiots are a hiking group.

Waimea Canyon

Birds eye view.

Waimea Canyon

Drone views of the canyon that plunges over 3,000′ deep.

Waimea Canyon

The unofficial mascot of Kauai clucking their way around the parking lot and everywhere else, as the feral population exploded due to chickens being released during Hurricanes Iwa and Iniki.

Hamura Saimin

We drove over to Lihue to eat at the local saimin stand that has been operating since 1952. It even received a James Beard award, believe it or not.

Scotty’s Car Wash & Detail

Cleaning our jeeps in Kapa’a, where we even had City & County supervision to ensure that we didn’t miss any spots before returning them back to the airport and catching our flight home. Thanks to Scotty for letting us wash our jeeps at his place. Mahalo to Edgar for booking the Airbnb and Chico, Edgar and Roger for getting the jeep rentals. Amazing weekend with a fun group that was made even better as the forecasted rain failed to make its appearance.

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

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Waipo’o Falls hike.

Photos/Crew taken by Aida Gordon, Allison Banks, Chico Cantu, Edgar Gamiao, Ferlino Carinio, Kenny Lui, Marilyn Bermudez, Mari Saito, Matt Vidaurri, Roger Schiffman, Sandra Walter 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.

We flew over to Mari’s favorite city this three-day weekend.

SFO Airport

Passing through the terminal that are adorned with painted wild red-crowned parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center

Early bird gets the parking stall.

Golden Gate Bridge

Starting our walk across the one mile suspension bridge that spans across San Francisco Bay.

Golden Gate Bridge

Looking down at the safety netting that was installed in 2017 to cut down on people jumping four seconds to their death by trauma or hypothermia. Fort Point can also be seen sitting on the promontory overlooking the entrance to the bay.

Fort Point

Photo of the seacoast fortification circa 1891 taken by James Schepp. Plans for the bridge originally called for the fort’s removal in the 1930s but it was redesigned to save the now historic site.

Golden Gate Bridge

Bug’s eye view of the South Tower.

Golden Gate Bridge

Marked safe from getting a speeding ticket.

Golden Gate Bridge

Looking down at The Needles, a rock formation primarily inhabited by seabirds.

Golden Gate Bridge

End of the bridge walk for us.

Vista Point

North side views.

Golden Gate Bridge

We crossed underneath the bridge to go back the other way. Or so we thought.

Golden Gate Bridge

Nothing to see here. Move along. The other side was reserved for bicyclists only. Besides, the views were on the ocean side.

Golden Gate Bridge

Bird’s eye view of the iconic bridge of San Francisco. If the US military had their druthers, the bridge would have been painted in yellow and black stripes instead of the now recognizable International Orange color.

Golden Gate Bridge

Fun fact: There are 27,572 wires in each of the two main suspension cables that are roughly three feet in diameter and weigh 24,500 tons.

Golden Gate Bridge

I thought there were only 128 light poles on the 4,200′ bridge. I guess we are off the bridge. End of the walk.

Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center

Wandering around the exhibits and shop before leaving so that the circling vultures could come home to roost.

Golden Gate Bridge

Contributing our toll fee to the daily revenue generated which is around $440,000. By contrast, the neighboring Bay Bridge rakes in almost $2 million daily.

Lombard Street

Driving our way down the eight sharp hairpin turns on a 27 degree grade down the crookedest street in the world. It’s actually Vermont Street, but Lombard Street has the better marketing machine.

Pier 39

Love is in the air, after all it’s Valentine’s Day.

Pier 39

Walking around the popular tourist attraction that was built in 1978, where we saw sea birds and lions, sampled chocolates and donuts, had clam chowder and crab sandwiches washed downed with the “better coffee” and ended with a magic act.

Alamo Square

Drove around the residential park a few times before snagging a questionable parking spot.

Painted Ladies

Soaking in the views of the “Postcard Row” of colorful painted houses that were built in the Victorian and Edwardian style popular in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Salesforce Tower

Mari next to the tallest building in San Francisco, topping out at 61 stories which translates to a height of 1,070′.

Salesforce Park

Strolling in the public park that are home to 600 trees and 16,000 plants.

Salesforce Tower

The skyscraper was originally known as Transbay Tower but was changed to its current name when Salesforce became the anchor tenant.

Salesforce Tower

We took the short gondola ride down instead of the elevator. The wait was significantly longer than the ride itself.

Waymo

Who’s driving?

Waymo

The self-driving car navigated the congested streets of San Francisco with great aplomb. No worries whatsoever.

In-N-Out Burger

No trip to the Bay area is complete without a stop at the popular fast food restaurant, that is still family-owned to this day to ensure quality control.

Home2

Home Sweet Home for the night.

Chinatown

Day 2

What better way to celebrate the year of the Horse than in the oldest Chinatown in North America?

Chinatown

Mari against the backdrop of Transamerica Pyramid that is the second tallest building in the city topping out at 853′.

Chinatown

Not my year.

Chinatown

Multiple vendors were selling bunches and branches of the “queen of flowers,” plum flowers represent the five blessings of longevity, prosperity, happiness, peace, and good luck.

Chinatown

Taking my picture against Tin How Temple, which is one of the oldest still-operating Chinese temples in the United States. Closed for the holidays. Even Taoist monks need a vacation.

Chinatown

We caught the colorful lion dance parading through the streets. The lion is not native to China, so the dance is thought to have originated in Persia or India.

Chinatown

What fortunes await us at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory? The Chinese fortune cookie actually originated in Japan and spread to America in the 1900s. Don’t ask for them in China. No fortune cookies for you!

San Francisco

The iconic cable cars of San Francisco are the world’s last manually operated cable-car system.

Cable Car Museum

Spending some time at the working museum that chronicles the history of the cable cars.

Chinatown

What?!?

Chinatown

Standing at the Southern entrance to Chinatown that is marked by the Dragon Gate that was built in 1969 as a gift from Taiwan.

Union Square

Checked out two of the four Hearts in San Francisco sculptures at the public plaza that is at the hub of upscale stores, restaurants, art and entertainment bordered by the homeless.

Union Square

Mari in front of the 85′ tall Dewey Monument that celebrates Admiral Dewey’s victory in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.

Waymo

Better than Uber.

Ghirardelli Square

Of course we had to stop here. The square was originally the headquarters of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in 1893, until they relocated to San Leandro in the early 1960s. In 1964, it was repurposed into a community of shops and restaurants.

Ghirardelli Square

Fed our savory and sweet tooth’s.

Waymo

Shotgun!

Trader Joe’s

Pit stop at the “neighborhood grocery store” that seems to be a magnet for Hawaii people.

California Academy of Sciences

Day 3
The forecasted rain finally showed up on our last day. What to do on a rainy day? We drove to Golden Gate Park to visit one of the largest natural history museums in the world.

California Academy of Sciences

We were greeted at the door by a replica fossil of a T-Rex with a Tiny Chef in its mouth.

California Academy of Sciences

Meandering our way through the over 400,000 square feet of over 46 million specimens. We were going to see a mere fraction of that.

California Academy of Sciences

Looking down at the Alligator Snapping Turtle, which are the largest freshwater turtles in North America.

California Academy of Sciences

Standing in simulated earthquakes that have rattled San Francisco in 1906 and 1989. We then walked over to the Morrison Planetarium to take in an immersive meteor crashing simulation.

California Academy of Sciences

Is that Tiny Chef dressed up in a wetsuit and ready to clean the stream?

California Academy of Sciences

Which watermarked photo shall we pick? We’ll take them all.

California Academy of Sciences

Judging by the long line, this must be the most popular exhibit.

California Academy of Sciences

Exploring the four-level dome that are home to over 1,600 live animals.

California Academy of Sciences

Passing by the aquarium teeming with marine life.

California Academy of Sciences

Probably a close runner up for the most popular exhibit, the African Penguins. Didn’t know they had penguins in Africa.

California Academy of Sciences

Checking for cavities or holes in my head.

San Francisco

Checking out. San Francisco, it was real. Until next time.

Photos taken by Mari Saito 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.

Our planned trip to summit the largest active volcano on Earth was scuttled due to lack of permits, so we just decided to explore some spots on the youngest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. No sense wasting a perfectly good three day weekend.

Teshima’s Restaurant

Our flight landed on the Keahole Point runway that was built on the 1801 lava flow and met up with Roger and picked up our Turo Jeep. Brunch was at the Japanese restaurant built in 1957 and consisted of American breakfast fare as lunch time was so close but yet so far.

Pebble Beach

We briefly stopped at Roger’s house and then drove down his neighborhood to start our coastal hike. Why walk when you can drive?

Puoa Point Trail

Roger and Aida using the stepping stones over the chunky and crunchy ‘a’a lava. Ow! Ow!

Puoa Point Trail

Mari passing through a stand of trees that offered the only shade on the trail.

Puoa Point Trail

Ferlino hanging off a tree. A force of habit.

Puoa Point Trail

Approaching the wave weathered rock formation that will eventually erode and allow the coastline to migrate inland.

Puoa Point

The power of the ocean as demonstrated by the high surf crashing against the rocks which continuously change the character of the coastline.

Puoa Point

Looking out towards one of numerous sea arches that populate the shoreline.

Puoa Point

Perched on top of the rocks as the ocean waters churned all around us.

Puoa Point

Can you see Roger for the waves?

Kaluahe’e Rock

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Do I want to be on the six o’clock news? Where is the nearest lifeguard station? How are the medical facilities on this island? Prudence was the better part of valor in this case of rough waters and lack of strong swimming skills.

Kaluahe’e Rock

Ferlino demonstrating the safer practice of hanging over terra firma.

Kaluahe’e Rock

Drone view of cable rock towards the group. Roger stated that an enterprising local strung up this cable wire during the height of Covid to secure his own fishing spot.

Puoa Point Trail

Walking over the different textures of pahoehoe lava.

Puoa Point Trail

Our search for the lava tube that descended vertically into the sea was called off due to lack of time.

Puoa Point Trail

Does Pele’s Curse apply to goat skulls?

Puoa Point Trail

I left my heart in Captain Cook or more accurately Kealakekua Bay.

Puoa Point Trail

On the way back, high surf completely drenched a particular Galaxy Phone and her owner. Electronic devices and seawater do not mix well.

Puoa Point Trail

Keeping out of the surf zone. I have an iPhone.

All pau

Following the trail back to our cars and dry clothes for some.

Manago Restaurant

The hotel has been closed as of 2023, but the restaurant is still open for business. The food and settings appear to have been frozen in time since the 1940s. Of course we had to sample their famous pork chops. Comfort food.

Manago Restaurant

Eating our dinner in the no-frills, rustic and old school eatery that won the 2023 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award, which has been described as the “Oscars” of the food industry.

Manago Restaurant

Group photo in the longest continually running restaurant in Hawaii. We retired to Roger’s house to play the card game of Shithead. The former winner declined to play and the host was declared the winner that night.

Day 2

Punalu’u Bake Shop

The next day, we had Chicken Papaya for breakfast that Ferlino had prepared the night before. Salamat. We then made the trip to Hilo which takes roughly two hours, on the way we stopped at the Southern most bakery in the US to sample the best malasadas according to somebody. I think she’s all wet. Oh wait, that was yesterday. It was actually ono (delicious).

Punalu’u Bake Shop

Chowing down our bakery breakfast before continuing the relatively long drive to Hilo.

Kulaniapia Falls

We picked up Scotty and rolled into what is billed as Hawaii’s largest privately accessible waterfall. Mahalo to Scott for the suggestion to check out this place. They don’t take walkups as one might be trampled by the hordes beating a path to their door so to speak. Staff gave us a short briefing and initially I thought this is what we paid a Benjamin for?

Kulaniapia Falls

Two trails diverged in a bamboo forest,
And happy we could travel both
And looked down as far as we could
To where water flowed in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and a waterfall;
Though as for that the passing there
I doubted if we should ever come back.

Kulaniapia Falls

Making our way clockwise on the loop trail as we descended down towards Waiau Stream.

Kulaniapia Falls

Rearranged the furniture for our group shot from the pavilion.

Kulaniapia Falls

The landscape of the place has a strong Asian-inspired feel to the 22-acre property.

Kulaniapia Falls

In search of that “hot tub” that Scotty had pointed out earlier.

Kulaniapia Falls

I think somebody and their phone are marked safe from any “splashing” today.

Kulaniapia Falls

Scrambling downstream where I ran across multiple rappelling anchors bolted into the rocks. Optional activity that was not considered by the group due to lack of interest, time and cost.

Kulaniapia Falls

So close, yet so far. I didn’t want to pull an “Aida” and decided to stay put and dry.

Kulaniapia Falls

We explored a little more downstream to discover triple waterfalls.

Kulaniapia Falls

Flying Filipino on the rocks. Shaken, not stirred.

Kulaniapia Falls

We followed the trail to the main falls where others were engaged in the optional activities offered for a price.

Kulaniapia Falls

Group photo in front of the recorded 120′ falls. Some would dispute that number.

Kulaniapia Falls

Keeping the social distance of 20′ away from the falls where the height of the falls became less disputable.

Kulaniapia Falls

Making our way back to our cars which ended our “exhausting” less than a mile loop trail and dropped Scotty off at the airport to catch his flight back home.

Hilo

We had pho at Van’s Vietnamese Cuisine, visited the local Baskin Robbins, picked up an apple pie from the local supermarket that we never ate, sampled free cookies and coffee and even had time to clean the eco-system that was growing in the gutters.

Volcano House

Is that Episode 41? Hoping against hope. Come back next weekend.

Volcano House

We had a roughly one hour wait at the bustling building that has been around since 1941, but has its roots going back to 1846. Our dinner was pepperoni and wild mushroom pizza which was gobbled down in short order as Aida had to catch her flight back.

Highway 11

Driving back to Kona on the inky blacktop, we were surprised by the Blue Light Special. The police gave us a marked down speeding ticket. Not quite the sale we had been hoping for. Nobody was in the mood to play another card game of Shithead. So we all hit the sack.

Day 3

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

We arrived at the trailhead of the many furrowed hill while staying under the speed limit on our last day in Kona.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Why did the sheep cross the road? The sheep identifies as chickens, if it works for humans, why not domesticated ruminants?

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Approaching the jello mold hill as we soon traded the paved road for a jeep road.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Passing an abandoned structure, multiple guesses were tossed out as to the original use of the building.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Slowly gaining elevation on the hill.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Border control. No whistling allowed.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Dung beetle hard at work rolling cow shit into a ball to be buried for food storage which also plays a part in soil nutrition and seed dispersal. They are also quite strong as they can pull over 1,100 times their own body weight, which is the equivalent of an average person pulling four loaded city buses.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Cresting over the 4×4 road that are used by ranchers and students planting native plants and trees.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Approaching the steep section. Where?

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Looking back at the now steep section. Perspective.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

The cows had the right idea as they were sheltering for shade.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a

Ferlino approaching the summit.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a

Group photo at the 3,956′ top of the 100,000 year old cinder cone.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a

Drone views.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a

Looking out towards Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Descending off the cinder cone that sits on the North slope of Hualalai, the third highest peak on the island. Next on my list.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

Looping back on the trail.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

All downhill from here.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a Trail

“Pulling” the cinder cone towards us. If only it was that easy.

All pau

Hop, skip and a jump and we were back to our car.

GPS Tracks

Our hike covered 6.68 miles with an elevation gain of 1,864′ and 3 hours and 26 minutes of hiking time.

Kona

We stopped to get our bag of the Kona version of Maui style chips and had a late lunch at the restaurant housed in a building that dates back to the 1930s. Looks like it.

The Coffee Shack

Enjoying our panoramic views of the Kona coast and the natural air conditioning afforded by the missing window pane.

Kona

We caught the sunset on the way to the airport to catch our flight back home and got upgraded to exit row seats as we all needed the extra legroom for our extremely long limbs. Many thanks to Roger for hosting us at his house, Ferlino and Roger for driving all over the island and everybody for the fun company. MLK weekend well spent.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Ferlino Carinio, Mari Saito, Robin Farr, Roger Schiffman, Scott Dea, 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.

Rain was drenching the islands for almost a week, you would think the stream levels would be overflowing. One would think.

Wahiawa

We all met up on the street that was named after the California Colony that was founded by families from the 31st state who came to farm pineapples and fruits in the early 1900s.

Wahiawa Hills

Edgar making his way down the heavily rooted and forested hill.

Wahiawa Hills

Following the thick rope down that ran the entire length of the slippery slope. Kudos to whomever carried and left it for others to utilize.

Wahiawa Hills

Passing through a farmed and managed area.

Wahiawa Hills

Our first crossing of the longest river in the islands.

Wahiawa Hills

Putting our glutes and quads to good use this morning.

Wahiawa Hills

Scott getting our bearings in the rolling hills. Multiple hikers have gotten lost and rescued in this lush jungle and one hiker never made it back.

Wahiawa Hills

Descending to our exit stream crossing.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Scott tying a yellow towel to an overhanging branch so that we would have a visual reminder where to get out, otherwise we would rack up extra mileage. Not the kind you can redeem either.

Wahiawa Hills

They don’t call this place Wahiawa Hills for nothing.

Wahiawa Hills

Group photo on the relaxing horizontal stretch of ground.

Wahiawa Hills

Matt standing in front of a Traveller’s Palm, despite his doubts. Google Lens confirmed the flowering plant. It’s on the Internet, so it must be true.

Wahiawa Hills

Keeping to the lower trail.

Wahiawa Hills

The group “exploring” in the hills. All trails eventually lead to the stream. Right?

Wahiawa Hills

Deja vu.

Wahiawa Hills

We are absolutely and positively on the right trail this time. That and a nickel will get us wet.

Wahiawa Hills

Getting ready at the launch point, as we inflated our floaties and put on our wetsuits.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Making our way to the stream which was full of water but not as deep as we had hoped.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

We have buoyancy!

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Floating lazily down a river.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Squirting water on suspecting passerby’s.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Adding more air to my floatie as it was already running low. Do I need to lose weight?

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

The mostly shallow river meant we had to cross the exposed rocks by foot or by butt.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Sandra on the rocks. Shaken and not stirred.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Scott banking off the bank, like a pool shot.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Nature’s wet’n’wild waterpark. Saved us $39.99 and standing in lines and subject to the exorbitant food and beverage prices.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Groot and the chain gang.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Kenny adopting the drag coefficient position to float down the river.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Swimming and tubing in the deep section.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Matt requiring assistance from the Kauai chapter of AAA. I would also require assistance.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Sandra riding the rocky class two rapids.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Back at the finish line sans my gopro. I was more than ready for terra firma. Keep my floatie. Thank you very much.

North Fork Kaukonahua Stream

Deflating the floaties as we dragged our water soaked bodies out of the river that drains into Kai’aka Bay.

Wahiawa Hills

Climbing our last hill for the day.

All pau

Exiting back to our cars where Sandra recovered her banana from my truck that was still sitting there. No hungry chronics in this neighborhood.

GPS Tracks

Our hike/floatie ride covered 4.67 miles through the hills of Wahiawa with a fun group. Thanks to Scott for putting this together. Post hike meal at a local staple in the town, Dong Yang Inn. Under new management without the pupus that used to come with your entrees and everything is now packed to go. Still tasty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8upgtMVRd8

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our tubing/hiking day.

Photos taken by Edgar Gamiao, Kenny Lui, Matt Vidaurri, Sandra Walter, Scott Dea 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.

We killed two birds with one stone by having our #15 perimeter walk and celebrating Tessa’s birthday all wrapped up in one day.

Hale Cantu

The group met up at Chico’s house while Santa checked out his Harley with his two elves as he gets ready for his Christmas Toys for Tots ride.

He’eia Kea Boat Harbor

Thanks to Blaine, David and Lilia for shuttling us to the only public pier on Kaneohe Bay to start our walk.

He’eia Kea Boat Harbor

Nothing beats watching a rainbow while sitting on your own personal potty. Autographed no less. Happy Birthday Tessa!

Kamehameha Highway

The rain started coming down on our walk. Doesn’t that trigger a Pavlovian conditioned response? Tessa is prepared.

He’eia Estuary

Cutting across one of 30 coastal reserves in the country that was established in 2017 to protect the 1,385 acres of coastal wetlands.

Kamehameha Highway

Exiting back to paved paradise.

Kamehameha Highway

Sharing the road and sidewalks.

Windward Mall

In Hawaii, Santa doesn’t get a plate of cookies, he gets a box of malasadas. Thanks to Kenny for buying us the sugar glazed Portugese doughnuts.

Windward Mall

Group photo in front of one of five Leonard’s malasada wagons spread across the island. Photobombers welcome.

Windward Mall

Rounding up Santa’s sleigh and reindeers.

Windward Mall

Santa and his nine reindeer all carted up and nowhere to go.

Windward Mall

You know Kenji and Aida and Roger and Allison
Cristy and Marilyn and Susan and Aileen
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Tessa the yellow-bucket Reindeer
Had a very shiny seat
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it pilau

Windward Mall

Then one humid Hawaiian day
Santa came to say
“Tessa, with your bucket so stink
Won’t you guide my sleigh today?”

Then how the reindeer held their noses
As they shouted out with glee
“Tessa the yellow-bucket Reindeer
You’ll go down in history”

Habilitat Hawaii Christmas Trees

No discount for Santa. They do offer assistance to people with funny faces.

Kamehameha Highway

When one has choices.

Kamehameha Highway

Snack break at one of 85,000 7-11 stores worldwide.

Kamehameha Highway

No! I don’t want to be your reindeer!

Kamehameha Highway

Group photo with the public display on the library and police station grounds.

Kaneohe

We detoured off the highway and took the side streets where we saw a muscle car and Christmas decorations.

Kaneohe

The group briskly walking through the passageway that cut through the neighborhood as we didn’t want to be reported for loitering.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Dale exiting the passageway onto the road that was funded in 1935 to create a scenic route along the bay.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Picturesque view of the largest sheltered body of water in the islands with the rugged Kualoa Mountains in the background.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Passing the Kokokahi site of the YWCA that was founded in the 1920s to promote racial unity.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Mari with the world famous beagle decked out in his holiday clothes who first made his appearance in 1950.

Kaneohe Bay Drive

Santa parachuting into the neighborhood to deliver presents to the nice kids. Naughty kids get a lump of clean, beautiful coal courtesy of Trump.

Kaneohe Yacht Club

Group photo in front of the oldest continuously operating yacht club that was founded in 1924.

Kaneohe Yacht Club

Before and after.

Kaneohe Yacht Club

Pier photo.

All pau

Our walk has ended but the fun is just starting. Congratulations to Aida for finishing the last chunk she needed to complete the entire 140 mile perimeter walk around the island.

GPS Tracks

Our birthday perimeter walk #15 covered 6.65 miles. It was actually slightly higher, but edited out of consideration for the annoying church slut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veWikbFzB6g

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our perimter walk.

Hale Cantu

Warming up our pitcher’s arms.

Hale Cantu

A modern take of the TP tradition. These TPs are worth their weight in greenbacks.

Hale Cantu

Next time there is a hurricane warning, you know who is not making a run to Costco.

Hale Cantu

Thanks to everybody for bringing ono food for the pot luck and Mari for baking the birthday cake.

Hale Cantu

The pool shark known as Waialua Skinny showing us his skills.

Hale Cantu

Jingle Bells. Chico won but being the gracious host gave the prize to the runner up, Kenny.

Hale Cantu

Watching corn kernels explode into popcorn. The first commercial popcorn machine was invented in 1885, but the practice dates back thousands of years with the Native Americans.

Hale Cantu

LCR. Guess who won? Again! Karma must not be a bitch.

Hale Cantu

Kanak attack. Time to go home. Mahalo to Chico and Lilia for graciously hosting us at their home for Tessa’s birthday party. Thanks to everybody that came and participated and made it a fun day.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Aileen Agustin, Akira Suzuki, Andrew Hirai, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Cristy CM, Dale Yoshizu, Dave and Susan Katz, Edgar Gamiao, Kenny Lui, Mari Saito, Marilyn Bermudez, Roger Schiffman, Scott and Mateo 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.

Our sandbar sailing got cancelled due to mechanical and physical breakdowns and so we pulled a magic trick. We turned a two hour hike into a full day. How? Read on impatient ones.

Ka’a’awa

We all met up despite the annoying church slut saying it was raining and perhaps a waterfall hike was in order. What rain? 100000000000%!

Ka’a’awa

Left the highway and scrambled up a trail less traveled. No signs.

Ka’a’awa

Mere minutes later, we arrived at the first bunker that was currently being occupied. No open bunker today?

Ka’a’awa

Can you see the lion for the bunker? Let me hear your primal roar! Keep it quiet up there, people are trying to sleep!

Ka’a’awa

Sunday Showing was canceled, so we popped over to the next bunker.

Ka’a’awa

The second bunker was open for showing that showcased ocean views and cross ventilation. This was the affordable section of town.

Ka’a’awa

The view from the rock, can you see the group for the distance?

Ka’a’awa

Follow the arrow if you can see it for the group.

Ka’a’awa

View from the studio sized bunker.

Ka’a’awa

Go back out there and catch the rainbow. Be quick about it.

Ka’a’awa

I couldn’t even taste the Skittles. Let alone that the bag of sugared candy are missing blue and violet colors, so it would have been an incomplete taste test as nonsensical arguments goes.

Ka’a’awa

Leaving the man-made structure for natural rock formations.

Ka’a’awa

The hard part was over per Allison. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Whew.

Ka’a’awa

Looking down at Huilua Fishpond located in Kahana Bay, believed by some to have been built by the legendary menehunes.

Ka’a’awa

Short climb to the top of the ridge.

Ka’a’awa

Akira should be DJing instead of dancing.

Ka’a’awa

We got the mountain views.

Ka’a’awa

Tessa perched high on the rock with her ocean views.

Ka’a’awa

Cristy with her coastal views.

Ka’a’awa

Group photo on the overlook rock. How many people can perch on this spit of a rock, safely?

Ka’a’awa

Aida wanted to show off her dance moves too.

Ka’a’awa

Making our way down to the saddle.

Ka’a’awa

Hugging the cliffs as we made our way to the crouching lion rock formation. Hawaiian legend has it that the formation is actually of the demigod Kauhi’?makaokalani, or large dog that was sent from Tahiti to guard the area. He was trapped by roots and turned into stone when trying to escape the goddess Hiiaka’s siren song.

Ka’a’awa

“What we have here is failure to communicate.” I thought Allison meant we were doing the loop trail to Kahekili, she meant the loop trail back down. Oh well, let’s take a group photo before going up towards the rock formation.

Ka’a’awa

Scrambling up the rear of the “lion.” Or shall we call it a dog now?

Ka’a’awa

The girls were not going any higher.

Ka’a’awa

We coaxed and cajoled Kenny into joining us for the views to no avail. The acrophobia is still strong with this one. Work in progress.

Ka’a’awa

Standing on the head of the “lion.”

Ka’a’awa

Akira climbing down the direct descent. No contouring.

Ka’a’awa

Step back from the edge.

Ka’a’awa

Look who’s talking.

Ka’a’awa

360 views of the four of us shoved into this faint resemblance of a cave.

Ka’a’awa

Leaving the eroded section for greener pastures.

Ka’a’awa

Allison walking down the “runway.”

Ka’a’awa

Fond farewell to the “large dog” or “crouching lion”, however historically accurate or not you want to be.

Ka’a’awa

Somebody was making the most of their anniversary gifted IPhone 17 Max. Tessa’s birthday is coming up.

Ka’a’awa

Descending back down to civilization.

Ka’a’awa

Over and under going down the trail.

Ka’a’awa

Back on the road again.

Ka’a’awa

Talks of further explorations and lunch were abruptly cut short when somebody locked their keys in the trunk. Don’t blame the duck either. Googling and YouTubing didn’t help matters much either. Let’s eat. Better to think on a full than empty stomach.

The Crouching Lion

What better place to eat than at a restaurant named after our hike? ‘Nuff said.

The Crouching Lion

Sampling the culinary creations of the restaurant that just reopened last year after a decade of being shuttered. The dishes were small, pricey and tasty. We also had the freshest rice we ever had in our life per our waiter. Say what? We are in Hawaii right? Just had to check.

The Crouching Lion

Raise your hands if you have the keys to your car. Tessa, put your hand down! Our bellies full, Akira and I drove to Pearl City to Kalihi and back to Ka’a’awa to get his spare key. Road trip. The rest of the group would go look for that plane wreckage that Allison had told us about.

Ka’a’awa

The group spent over an hour trying to find the plane wreckage. They had a lot of time on their hands.

Ka’a’awa

Success!

Ka’a’awa

Exploring the wrecked fuselage.

Ka’a’awa

Posing in front of the plane that turned out to be a former movie prop, likely a Bristol Britannia from the 1950s.

Ka’a’awa

Everybody wants to be a pilot until the crash.

Ka’a’awa

Reunited!

All pau

Walking back to our cars, keys in hand, our day was finally over. That is how we turned a two-hour hike into a full day filled with fun, food, and good company that turned a bad situation into a good one. Now you know the rest of the story.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Allison Banks, Cristy CM, Kenny Lui, Mari Saito, 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.

The random dumping of rain over the weekend resulted in cancellation of the original hike and its easy peasy lemon squeezy replacement.

Manoa

We met up deep in Manoa Valley under a constant pitter patter of rain and paid our four dollars to park inside while somebody parked in the neighborhood.

Manoa

Going through the shipping container that leads to a picture perfect rainforest that has been the backdrop in many Hollywood productions.

Manoa

Walking through the gravel path that winds its way through the forest of trees.

Manoa

Kenny playing in the water colored by rain and runoff.

Manoa

The girls didn’t want to get any more wet, so they stayed on the trail.

Manoa

Close enough without dipping my big toe in the water.

Manoa

Clustered around the tree throne that was grown by Mother Nature and maintained by the State of Hawaii.

Manoa

Walking up the reinforced steps as we approached the 150′ waterfall that was a little more voluminous than usual due to the weekend rain showers.

Wahii Nui Falls

Group photo at one of seven waterfalls in the valley, this being the most popular, well-known and misnamed.

Manoa

A bug’s eye view. Watch where you step. Met up with Allison and her daughter on the way down.

Manoa

Leaving the Honolulu Makau Trail System where talks of visiting another waterfall at nearby Lyon Arboretum were quickly dropped due to lack of interest and water.

Paradise Park

Gaining admittance to the 76-acre bird park that opened in 1967 and shuttered its operations in 1994 due to low visitor count.

Paradise Park

Akira making use of one of multiple abandoned aviaries throughout the compound.

Paradise Park

Wanna be birds climbing in the Aloha Aviary, where they were given more space than the smaller aviaries.

Paradise Park

The roof was for the most part still non-permeable which allowed the group shelter from the rain.

Paradise Park

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

Paradise Park

I was half expecting a pack of velociraptors to emerge from the shadows in the dilapidated Kamehameha Amphitheater.

Paradise Park

The only thing that was lurking in the amphitheater shadows was these poison dart frogs that were introduced from Panama in 1932 to control the mosquito population.

Paradise Park

This unamazing untrained bird that flitted across the amphitheater stage sucked. No wonder the place shut down.

Paradise Park

Trying out the Coconut Margarita from the Snack Shop.

Paradise Park

Potential sighting of a night watcher? I think it came from Temu.

Paradise Park

Eyes wide shut or open?

Paradise Park

Taking what was left of the Menehune Trail as we returned back to the road, washed our muddy shoes upstairs and got back into our cars. Our short exploration around Manoa covered 2.56 miles where we saw the main waterfall and checked out the deserted bird zoo that can be yours for the princely sum of $21 million.

Manoa

Post hike meal at Nishi Moncho Ramen. The set meals were the best bang for the buck. Akira auditioned for the missing Ronald McDonald statue that was stolen by a solitary person in the middle of the night according to the employee. Think he can fill his red clown shoes?

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Kenny Lui, Mari Saito, 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.