Laie Trail to Pupukea

by kenji SAITO on February 4, 2017

Hiking Laie Trail to Pupukea

I felt the need to be gouged, poked and scratched. A trip to the Northern Ko’olaus would take care of that.

Laie Trail

Laie Trail

Exchanged morning pleasantries with a distant cousin of Mister Ed as I made my way to the trailhead.

Laie Trail

Laie Trail

New sign. Same permit.

Laie Trail

Laie Trail

Hiking through the eroded section that only dirt bikers can love.

Laie Trail

Laie Trail

The proverbial recycling question, “Is the rubbish can half empty or half full?”

Laie Trail

Laie Trail

Sunbeams perforating the clouds and illuminating the mountainous terrain.

Laie Trail

Laie Trail

Passing through one of multiple gullies on the way up.

Laie Trail

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

Laie Trail

I can see the summit for the vog.

Laie Summit

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)

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)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Rolling hills for days.

Malaekahana Junction

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)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Bushwhacking for days.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Panoramic view.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

All smiles. The halfway mark.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Can you see the trail for the hole?

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Back to bushwhacking.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Can you spot the geocache?

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Show me shade and I’ll show you moss.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Da slippah junction.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Colorful non-edible berries lined the fringes of the trail.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Survey says!

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

A relatively flat open area marked the start of the trail going down.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

I think more than the three little pigs have been here.

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

No more bushwhacking. Can it be?

Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST)

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

Pupukea Trail

The trail back down to Pupukea.

Pupukea Trail

Pupukea Trail

Orchid flowers on the wide open highway going down.

Pupukea Trail

Pupukea Trail

A fallen tree will gather a lot of moss.

Pupukea Trail

Pupukea Trail

Where the trail meets the road. Looking for traffic both ways before I cross.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

I checked the water gage before crossing. Bone dry.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

The road that the military built to traverse from the North Shore to Wahiawa.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

A picnic shelter and here I am without any wine or cheese.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Looking at the windmills slowly pin wheeling in the distance.

All pau

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

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.

Leave a Comment

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Khym February 17, 2017 at 7:09 pm

Funny i lost both my slippers there

Reply

kenji SAITO February 18, 2017 at 4:02 am

Aloha Khym,
Sorry, didn’t see your slippers. Just “Scott’s.” The search continues…
Mahalo

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