Mount Ka’ala to King Kong Ridge

Somebody requested to hike the highest point on the island for his birthday hike. Thanks to Maureen for dropping Analyn, James, Ryan, Shirley and myself off deep in Waianae valley.

Four pairs of shoes and one pair of slippers hit the much reviled road.

From a fertilized egg to a sun bleached pig skull.

Reading with pictures.

We soon left the valley floor and started to make our way up the steep hill.

Looking up the rooted and leaf carpeted trail.

Yoga on the trail. Bring your own tree branch.

Will the real Bolohead please stand up?

Seeing double which meant twice the photo shoots. Photo by Analyn Baliscao.

Following the fence line which soon yielded to …

… assorted rocks of various sizes …

… that we climbed up and over them.

James climbing up the steep, rock studded trail.

Ryan making his way up.

Established in 1981 to protect the diverse ecosystem found on this often cloud soaked flat summit.

Walking through the mostly stunted native forest.

Dew kissed lehua blossom. Hoping that rain will not kiss us on the hike today. Photo by Ryan Wong.

We soon saw the radar dome which signaled the end of the boardwalk.

Blowing the candle out before the wind does it. Happy Birthday James!

Group photo left to right: Analyn, Shirley, myself, James and Ryan.

Seeing double is usually a scary experience. Just ask Analyn.

Overlooking the North Shore towns of Mokuleia and Waialua. Photo by Ryan Wong.

Leaving the 4,025′ summit.

Why is my phone making the photo circular? Smart phone problems. Photo by James Crabb.

Analyn picking the dark, leafy greens from the side of the road. Better than Farmer’s Market.

Cooling off from the humidity drenched day.

We saw the yellow bird circling the summit, looking for passengers?

It was another nice day to be on the West side.

Heading down the ridge.

James and Ryan making their way down, mindful of the false holes.

Squeezing myself in between the trees and the mountain. Photo by James Crabb.

I wonder how long this webbing has been here? Still holding up.

Shirley and Ryan coming down from the contour around the knob. Photo by Analyn Baliscao

Hikers on the right, Kong on the left. Photo by Ryan Wong

The three victims of riled up social wasps. Analyn and I escaped unscathed, due to our lack of sweetness.

No room for Ryan at the top.

Shirley climbing her way down.

Group photo on the shoulder.

Heading back down the ridge after our photo shoot that was filled with bees and multiple re-takes.

Approaching the larger than life boulders standing on the ridge.

Hanging out with the mosquitoes. No yellowjackets allowed.

Threading our way through the densely packed invasive trees.

Cooking up strawberry guavas, wild mushroom and leaves with my imagination. Going be here for a long time.

No stone fruits were ready to be picked today.

Crossing one of three streambeds in the valley.

Ask and you shall receive. It also helps that Ryan threw rocks in the trees to scatter and shower the ground with the buttery berries. Yes, the avocado is botanically considered a berry.

It was close enough for Ryan to cool off.

We were in over our heads wading through the invasive and itchy grass.

Analyn standing in front of one of Oahu’s best preserved and restored Hawaiian temples; thought to have been originally built in the 15th century and dedicated to Lono; the God of agriculture, fertility and rainfall.

Walking through the valley as we passed a farmer tilling her plot. Photo by James Crabb.

Leaving the recently burnt valley that is nicely bouncing back.

Our valley to valley hike covered 9.6 miles with new and old friends. Mahalo to Chris for picking us up and saving us from the peacocks. Post hike meal at Thai Lao. Family style. Hold the seafood.

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: kaala nature area reserve, kahuna cave, king kong ridge, makaha valley, mount kaala, waianae valley, waianae-kaala trail