Ma’akua Gulch

Cisco, Ferlino and myself decided to explore a relatively dry canyon today.

Check in

We signed the log in case we got swept away by a freak flash flood or stampeded by a herd of unruly and wild pigs. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Pow wow

Salute not shaka. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Concertina wire

I guess the BOWS really doesn’t want people climbing into their pumping station.

Pow wow 2

More graffiti. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Trail

Leaving the paved road and heading into the rocky gulch.

Trail

Hopping over the horizontal trees.

Trail

If a boulder lands in a forest, does anybody hear the impact? Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Trail

The trail meandered and alternated between the stream bed and the banks.

Trail

Passing through a clump of lauhala trees and its crunchy carpet of fallen leaves.

Streambed

Not a drop of water to be seen or splashed.

Landslide

Passing through an unstable section of the hillside that had collapsed earlier. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Time of the month

The mountain apple flowers were shedding their magenta stems and carpeting the trail. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Streambed

We finally came across isolated pockets of water in the stream bed.

Waterfall chute

Making it pour since Mother Nature was absent today. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Canyon trail

Heading into the canyon as the walls narrowed and rose steeply above us.

Waterfall #1

Taking the plunge into the deep and icy cold pool at the base of the first waterfall. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Waterfall #1

Waiting for my turn to climb up. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Waterfall #1

We’ll be back as Cisco decided to stay at the bottom. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Waterfall #2

The second waterfall had a shallow pool and a steeper climb.

Waterfall #2

In rope we trust? Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Canyon trail

Ferlino heading back.

Waterfall #1

Going back down through the tunnel. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Waterfall #1

The creation of the selfie hiker. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Waterfall #1

Ferlino exiting the pool. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Canyon trail

Heading back out. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Canyon trail

Making our way out of the narrow canyon. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Make a wish

Who’s going to get the larger part of the tree bone?

Sky heart

Looking up towards an optical illusion made possible by GoPro.

Stone heart

Stone cold heart. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Trail

Cisco heading down the dry stream bed.

Tree hugger

Ferlino about to re-enact another high school graduation photo.

Punji sticks

Running into this would ruin ones day. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Fungi

The recyclers of the forest detritus.

Trail

The best seat in the forest. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Trail

Eye see you.

All pau

We arrived back to the trail head safe and sound after our 5.6 mile hike into the gulch. Post hike meal at North Shore Tacos. This is not your Taco Bell. Thanks to Jasmin for dropping and picking us up.

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.

Tagged as: 7 falls, maakua gulch, maauka falls