Pali Lookout to Manoa Middle

Met up with a rather large group comprised of Aida, Allison, Ani, Art, Bill, Chris, Dale, Janell, Jason, Justin, Katie, Naomi, Quan, Shirley and Tessa at the Pali Lookout with favorable conditions or so I thought. Some of us had places to go and some of us didn’t. Drone photo by Justin Wahl.

Somebody found one of Dale’s painted rocks that he plants around the island’s hiking trails. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Nothing to wake you up like a short, steep and slippery climb first thing in the morning.

Trail runners yielding to the hikers.

Dale overlooking the valley that once housed leprosy patients before they were shipped out to Molokai. Photo by Art Young.

Janell with the backdrop of the Windward Oahu unmatched by the Pali Lookout.

Climbing up the short and steep rocky section to get to the notches. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Met up with Allison, Naomi and Jason at the top of the first notch.

Dale spotting Janell as she made her way down, while Bill and Shirley caught up with the group. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Drone photo by Justin Wahl of the group scattered throughout the notch.

Catching the breaking sunrise on our way to the second notch. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Art watching Bill making his way down as Janell takes her leave of us. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

We lost Allison, Ani, Janell, Jason, Justin, Naomi and Quan as we pushed past the notches. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Why contour, when you can go up and over? Photo by Art Young.

Katie climbing up the side of the rock formation. Photo by Aida Gordon.

The group in various stages of picture taking, posing, waiting, climbing and watching.

Everybody waiting their turn to climb the vertical rock stack as Aida makes her way up. Photo by Art Young.

The many faces of the chimney. Photos by Aida Gordon, Bill Yogi and Tessa Bugay.

Most people come prepared to hike. While others just eat their breakfast and sun themselves on the rocks. The nerve of some people. Bill and Shirley turned around after getting their fill of Portuguese sausage and Vitamin D. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Bird’s eye view aka WAP. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Katie climbing over more rocks on our way up.

Working my way towards the Leeward side of the constantly crumbly rock side. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Tessa pulling herself up. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Katie using her slightly large gloves to get a halfway good grip on the crumbly dirt.

Climbing our way up as we slowly gained elevation.

Katie grabbing on the woody climbers that populated the ridge line.

Is this webbing safe? Photo by Aida Gordon.

Making our way up the ridge line infested with uki grass, the hiker’s ubiquitous friend. Photo by Aida Gordon.

It’s always hump day somewhere in the mountains.

Always happy to extend a helping hand. Photo by Katie Bingham.

The girls perched on a particularly skinny section of the ridge line. Photo by Art Young.

Making my way up the side of the mountain that has turned more step than wall. Photo by Art Young.

Tessa pulling herself up the slippery slope. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Approaching the summit through a hole in the clouds.

No views on the highest peak on the Ko’olau Mountain Range with nothing but biting flies for company that seemed to have a particular affinity for the Year of the Rat blood. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Traversing the ridge that kept the clouds at bay on the Windward side. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Chris joined us at the summit where somebody had ripped off one of the geodetic markers from its pipe stand. I guess the threat of fine or imprisonment had failed to deter the individual(s) involved. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Leaving the twin peaks on our way down to Manoa Middle, a long cry from our original exit point of Kuli’ou’ou.

The group following the spine of the Ko’olau Range. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Looking back at the crown jewels of the Ko’olau Mountain Range.

Chris in one of the grassy meadows on the trail. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Staring into the sun to get our group picture.

Tessa trying to flush Katie’s eye out after too much exposure to dirt and sunshine.

The sun was out and about, so Art and Katie beat a path down the trail to escape the heat.

Passing a towering Albizia tree on our way down the trail.

To summit or to stream?

Aida climbing her way down the steep section of the trail.

We hit the valley floor and followed the stream for a bit. Some followed it more than the others.

Chris going up the last hill of the day.

Katie’s face said it all. The end of the hike couldn’t come fast enough.

Art coming down the heavily rooted trail. Photo by Aida Gordon.

We finished our 4.39 mile hike in the back of Manoa Valley where Quan and Justin were waiting to pick us up.

Our post hike meal was at the eatery that doesn’t seem to run out of oxtail soup. Great hike with a fun crew.

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: chimney, contour, k1, k2, konahuanui, koolau summit ridge trail, ksrt, manoa middle, mud wall, nipple, nuuanu saddle, pali lookout, pali notches, puu pia trail