Kalihi Saddle (Powerlines) to South Haiku Stairs

Met up with familiar and not so familiar faces to hike what would later be known as the Ko’olau Summit Trail according to the fourth estate. Not far off from the mark.

We got dropped off on the side of the highway where we started our hike in the valley of introduced macropods and outdoor mechanics.

Got to the top of the saddle to find out that Amber, Justin and his friend Jackson had arrived earlier to catch the sunrise.

Climbing up the first ropes of the day.

Somebody pointing to their three favorite peaks and photobombing at the same time. Multi-tasking at its finest.

Passing through the land of predatory arthropods.

The early birds coming down from their lofty perch to join us on the trail.

Climbing up the backside.

Looking down at the congo line making its way up.

Chico going down against the backdrop of the imposing and steep saddle.

Somebody was waiting for a holiday to fly off the conical shaped rockface.

It was only Sunday. It’s going to be a long week.

Thomas walking across the skinny ridge line.

Does your group have reservations? Party of nine.

Can’t beat the view from the saddle.

Chico climbing up the Windward side.

Jen topping out as the others waited their turn.

The group traversing over the crumbly and eroded ridge line.

Everybody in the holding pattern, waiting to climb up the next obstacle.

Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full. Drone fly by.

Gecko eye view of the group climbing up.

Watch your webbing on the way up.

We soon heard the sounds nobody wants to hear in the mountains, “Somebody fell.” We climbed back down to make a better assessment of the situation and found out that that Jackson needed to be extracted for medical attention. The call was made to 911 and the response was swiftly forthcoming.

The harness being lowered by Air Rescue after Jackson received on site medical attention by the first responder.

Jackson being extracted to the landing zone in Kaneohe. What lead to his fall is all a matter of conjecture, as only he can answer that question. What we do know for sure; is that accidents happen, the group reacted and responded well to the events that unfolded and a big thanks to HFD for their urgent help in this matter. Best wishes for his speedy recovery.

Nothing to see here, except a rain of rocks, move along.

It was all about upper body strength on this section. For many, this was the hardest part of the trail.

Thomas using his wide wingspan to grab the next rock. According to one study, the average adult man has an arm span 2.1 inches longer than his height. That would give Thomas a whopping 6’5″ wingspan, still not good enough for the NBA.

The group scrambling out of the saddle.

Amber practicing her survival skills. Uki grass is your best friend in the mountains.

Hiking our way to the first summit of the day.

Somebody was out of the Navy.

Group photo at the 2,740′ summit.

Traversing between summits.

Group photo with Trump and his MAGA supporters at the summit of Kaho’omoe’ihikapulani.

Justin launching his drone from the 2,760′ summit.

As the drone flies. Straight to the summit of Lanihuli.

Return trip.

Close, but no cigar. The saying originated from early carnival days when cigars were the prizes.

Making our way to the second set of powerline towers.

Chico keeping his feet grounded.

The group making their way to the summit of Pu’u Keahi’a’kahoe.

Rose in the rutted trail that is almost a continuation from Moanalua Middle Ridge as we made our way to the Communications Control Link (CCL) building that was built back in 1942.

We asked a Marine to take our group photo and not to cut off the radar dishes at the top. I got this. Semper Fi.

The plan to continue our saddle hike was aborted in favor of getting off the mountain quickly as we didn’t want to be the source of repeat business.

Somebody finally noticed Profile Rock on our way down. Better late than never.

Going down the last of the 3,922 steps, give or take, that makes up the infamous “attractive nuisance.” The fate of these stairs, which literally draws thousands of people from the four corners of the world, is up in the air as the political winds keep shifting the goal post.

The group stepping off the stairs and into Haiku Valley.

Mahalo to Jasper, Allison and Quinn for showing us the way out, while the rest of the group went to church. Thanks to Lilia for picking us up.

Fun hike that covered a little over four miles and was tempered with a dose of reality with new and old friends. Post hike meal at Pho My Vi, where the burning question was how big are your carrots?

Photos taken by Aileen Agustin, Amber Fonte, Chico Cantu, Jen Odence, Justin Nambounmy, Rose Mathis, Thomas Barrett 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: bowman summit, dirty slide, hot wheels track, kalihi saddle, kalihi valley, koolau summit ridge trail, ksrt, powerlines, puu kahuauli, puu keahi a kahoe, rock triangle, stairway to heaven, tabletop, tripler summit, witch's hat