I felt the need to be gouged, poked and scratched. A trip to the Northern Ko’olaus would take care of that.
Laie Trail
Exchanged morning pleasantries with a distant cousin of Mister Ed as I made my way to the trailhead.
Laie Trail
New sign. Same permit.
Laie Trail
Hiking through the eroded section that only dirt bikers can love.
Laie Trail
The proverbial recycling question, “Is the rubbish can half empty or half full?”
Laie Trail
Sunbeams perforating the clouds and illuminating the mountainous terrain.
Laie Trail
Passing through one of multiple gullies on the way up.
Laie Trail
Fire in the hole! I briefly flirted with the idea of climbing down into the trench, that was to have been filled with explosives to render the trail impassable to potential invading Japanese forces during WW2. The trench looked deep and it would have been embarrassing to be rescued from a hole of my own making.
Laie Trail
I can see the summit for the vog.
Laie Summit
Can you taste the difference at 2,240’? Sorry, Hawaii Volcanic Water, I could not discern any difference.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
I took my leave of the foxhole and dropped down to pick up the KST.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Rolling hills for days.
Malaekahana Junction
The glove that Chris left behind, as the original green sign is just a splinter of its former self.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Bushwhacking for days.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Panoramic view.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
All smiles. The halfway mark.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Can you see the trail for the hole?
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Back to bushwhacking.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Can you spot the geocache?
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Show me shade and I’ll show you moss.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Da slippah junction.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Colorful non-edible berries lined the fringes of the trail.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Survey says!
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
A relatively flat open area marked the start of the trail going down.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
I think more than the three little pigs have been here.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
No more bushwhacking. Can it be?
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
The Black Junction that marks the beginning of the KST. Or in my case, it was the end of the KST for me.
Pupukea Trail
The trail back down to Pupukea.
Pupukea Trail
Orchid flowers on the wide open highway going down.
Pupukea Trail
A fallen tree will gather a lot of moss.
Pupukea Trail
Where the trail meets the road. Looking for traffic both ways before I cross.
Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road
I checked the water gage before crossing. Bone dry.
Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road
The road that the military built to traverse from the North Shore to Wahiawa.
Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road
A picnic shelter and here I am without any wine or cheese.
Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road
Looking at the windmills slowly pin wheeling in the distance.
All pau
The end of the trail were teeming with dog walkers. Shout out to Shirley for picking me up and even bringing my favorite carbonated beverage to slake my thirst.
GPS Tracks
The solo grinder through the most overgrown section of the KST covered a little over 15 miles and claimed my sunglasses and chapstick. Post hike meal at North Shore Tacos. One can eat a giant burrito without hiking. Will gastronomic wonders never cease.
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.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Funny i lost both my slippers there
Aloha Khym,
Sorry, didn’t see your slippers. Just “Scott’s.” The search continues…
Mahalo