Kalihi Saddle (Powerlines) to Pali Puka

Weekday. Hiking. Usually those two things don’t go together, but since I had to burn my last vacation day before my work anniversary, I found myself at the Pali Lookout with Chris and Shirley.

Thanks to David for dropping us off on the side of the highway. Chinese and Hawaiian times do not mix well. I don’t think that qualifies as a hard hat.

We scrambled up the trail to find ourselves in the middle of Kalihi Saddle. The winds were blowing. Hard. Time to put away the tourist hat.

Back in the saddle. Comfortable as an old shoe. Old hiking shoe.

Hello Bowman! We’ll see you on the flip side.

Shirley and myself climbing up a slight pitch. Photo by Chris Bautista.

The wind was in our faces the whole hike. Just ask Shirley’s hair.

Panoramic view.

The bugs haven’t swarmed the fleshy fruit of this woody climber yet.

Where are the handrails?

Hiking at a 45 degree angle. Or something close to it. Math was never my strong suit.

The summit of Lanihuli was surprisingly clear.

We noticed a lot of bees. They noticed us too. Just ask Shirley and myself. Chris somehow escaped unscathed.

More walking, less sitting please. Photo by Chris Bautista.

There we go again – sitting.

It’s obvious which way the wind blows on the saddle.

Chris and Shirley scrambling up the sliver of a ridge.

Approaching the Bunny Ears.

Shirley scooting her way down.

Chris and Shirley in between the Bunny Ears.

Which one is the Rabbit’s Foot?

Nice view of the Windward side.

Shirley climbing down Doorstop. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Chris making his way down Doorstop.

Shirley climbing down the Pimple, while Chris waits his turn at the top.

Scrambling to our brunch spot.

Group photo rule: There can only be one selfie stick up at one time.

Contouring below the Can Opener. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Found the rope. Let’s climb.

Shirley pulling herself up.

Chris and Shirley on the contour trail below the Can Opener.

Where’s the rope? Let’s free climb.

Looking back at Kalihi Saddle.

The last section with webbing.

Almost there.

All uphill climbing.

Chris and Shirley back on the ridge.

How to train your dragon. Caption credit: Shirley Hamamura.

The struggle is real.

The struggle continues.

Uki grass is your friend on the mountains. Your best friend.

Heading towards the socked in summit of Lanihuli.

The smell of sardines punctured the air which must have helped to clear the clouds from the summit.

Our appetites and sensory views somewhat sated, we took our leave of the summit.

Panoramic view.

Chris and Shirley approaching the anvil.

We dropped down the flank of the ridge to work our way around the sharp drop.

Shirley contouring to get back on the ridge.

Climbing up towards the anvil or the original Pali Puka. How long has this electrical cord been here? Photo by Chris Bautista.

Shirley showing off her results from working out at 24 Hour Fitness.

Chris and Shirley back on the ridge.

Can you spot the photobomber? Photo by Chris Bautista.

Group photo perched on the “W” or the “true” Pali Notches. Depends who you ask. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Chris and Shirley weaving in and out of the rocks.

The clouds started to follow us down as we lost elevation on the ridge.

Looking across at the summit of Konahuanui that was completely socked in.

Shirley coming down cobblestone ridge.

Looking back as the clouds slowly left the summit of Lanihuli.

One of many tour choppers that buzzed past us on the saddle. Wonder if they saw us? We saw them.

Double shaka on the saddle. Photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Shirley coming down one step at a time.

We stopped a bit to check out the unshaven views, found no razors and then moved on. Photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Chris and Shirley dropping down and contouring around the rocks.

Shirley scrambling out of the notch.

Chris and Shirley coming over the rocky ridge.

Almost there.

The last climb.

Taking in the last panoramic view before dropping off the ridge.

Shirley going down the contour trail.

Last group photo of the day.

We can see our cars. That’s a good thing.

The bottom of the trail was teeming with hikers making their way up as we were making our way out.

Our rollercoaster of a double saddle hike covered 3.13 miles that included bee stings, dust in our eyes, gusty winds, a whole lot of climbing and stunning sights. I couldn’t have asked for better company to spend in the mountains with on my day off. Post hike meal at Au’s Garden. Out of clams with black bean sauce. What kind of Chinese restaurant is David running?

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

Tagged as: bunny ears, dirt dragon, doorstop, kalihi saddle, kalihi valley, koolau summit ridge trail, ksrt, lanihuli, lanihuli wall, nuuanu saddle, pali notches, pali puka, pimple, powerlines, puu suicido, shark fin, w