Hobbs Ridge to Kolekole Pass

by kenji SAITO on July 5, 2014

Hiking Hobbs Ridge to Kolekole Pass

Back in the Waianae Mountains. The wet Waianae Mountains.

Weather forecast?

Weather forecast?

Met up with Jasmin, John, Jose and Steve in Waianae Valley. Clouds were already spilling over the mountains.

Branch break

Branch break

Taking a break on Hobbs Ridge. Rain had started to fall earlier while we were in the valley. Jose punched up the weather and the forecast was rain all afternoon. Group photo left to right: John, Jose, Jasmin and Steve.

Agave plants

Agave plants

Steve looking for the worm to put in the bottle.

Follow the arrow

Follow the arrow

Pretty hard to get lost on this ridge.

Follow the can

Follow the can

We lost over half of our crew after this section. Jasmin and Jose were not feeling well, so they turned around. Steve didn’t like the weather, so he joined them. John and myself were left to finish the hike.

Huffing and puffing

Huffing and puffing

John making his way up the ridge.

Follow the webbing

Follow the webbing

The final push to the terminus of Hobbs Ridge.

Follow the fence

Follow the fence

We took a right on the Waianae Summit Trail. Into the clouds.

Have pole, will hike

Have pole, will hike

John’s hiking pole came in handy. He cleared a swath through the overgrowth and especially the thorny plants.

Fence break

Fence break

There were several sections on the trail where the fence broke its continuity due to landslides or changing terrain.

Is this the WST or KST?

Is this the WST or KST?

Some people think that the Waianae Mountains are arid and dry. I beg to differ.

See anything?

See anything?

Still socked in.

Blackberries

Blackberries

Tempting trail snacks.

Summit?

Summit?

We missed the 3,504′ summit of Pu’u Kalena. I still can’t believe it. We just summited and continued down the fence line.

Primordial forest

Primordial forest

Looking down the ridge. The clouds and light rain added to the effect.

We can see

We can see

We dropped below the cloud deck as we lost elevation.

I can see my car

I can see my car

Looking into Waianae Valley.

Clouds are clearing

Clouds are clearing

Click here for the larger image.

Road open?

Road open?

The Kolekole Pass Road connects Schofield Barracks to the West side of the island. Some confusion as to whether the road is semi-open or permanently closed due to unsafe conditions.

Looking back

Looking back

Click here for the larger image.

SeXXXy ridge

SeXXXy ridge

The spur ridge that is the photo opportunity for many a hiker. Not us. Not today. Photo by John Garrity.

Ridge going down

Ridge going down

We continued hiking down the ridge by following the fence. Can’t get any easier.

What happened to the fence?

What happened to the fence?

Exposed dike sections replaced the fence line on the trail.

Optical illusion

Optical illusion

Looked like I’m standing in a hole. Just the exposed dike section. Photo by John Garrity.

Pu'u Kalena

Pu’u Kalena

Our summit in the background photo.

Panoramic view

Panoramic view

Click here for the larger image.

Camouflage

Camouflage

Grey hiker on a grey dike. Photo by John Garrity.

Looking back or up

Looking back or up

John making his way down the ridge.

Stop and smell the flowers

Stop and smell the flowers

Bunches of these bright red flowers were sprinkled throughout the trail.

Don't miss the junction

Don’t miss the junction

Coming down, we missed the flagged junction and was making our way down on the exposed ridge when we realized our mistake and backtracked.

Left or right?

Left or right?

The trail continued to the left. The right looked like a dry stream bed.

Crumbly

Crumbly

This section was heavily exposed and eroded. Every step we took sent cascading showers of dirt and small rocks down range.

Kolekole Pass

Kolekole Pass

The lowest point in the Waianae Mountains. We saw several cars come up the road and turn around at the barrier. No hiking for them. That’s what they get for taking the easy way. LOL.

Open for business?

Open for business?

Who let the dogs in? Thanks to Jasmin for picking us up and driving back to Waianae Valley. Photo by John Garrity.

GPS Tracks

GPS Tracks

Our cloudy and rainy hike was 6.9 miles. Still had some stunning views. Back to Outback for our post hike meal. Can’t get enough of that wood fire grilled prime rib.

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