Poamoho to Pupukea

We spent the weekend in the mountains where the country is still country.

Thanks to Lopaka for taking Charlie, Chris, Ferlino and myself up the dark and bumpy road.

Halfway to the summit, we kept moving as the clear summit was slowly turning cloudy.

Looking at the line of clouds across the skyline.

Heading into the misty gulch. Photo by Charlie Antonio.

Jumping the stream, which signaled that the summit was a mere 10 minutes away. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Only 12.7 miles more to go! Photo by Chris Bautista.

We had to use our imagination to visualize the jaw dropping scenery behind us.

No views at the 2,520′ summit, so we had to keep ourselves easily amused. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Leaving the fun and games behind us. We had more fun and games ahead of us, otherwise known as mud. Deep mud.

Charlie and Ferlino making their way down the outer fence that soon joined up with the inner fence.

Arriving at the iconic boot and sign, which begs the question. Who left it here?

Crossing the cloud soaked meadows where somebody’s house was not in order.

Hugging the edge of the fenced cliff.

Paying close attention to the fence and not so much the sign.

Did I mention fun and games were involved?

Chris took Charlie and followed the fence line to the cabin, while Ferlino and myself took leave of the fence and went down the rabbit hole.

The cabin with the best views on this side of the range. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Ferlino coming out of the rabbit hole and crossing over to another fence line.

Follow the arrow. Photo by Charlie Antonio.

What big teeth you have.

Group photo left to right: Ferlino, Charlie, Chris and myself.

We left the fence line for a spell as we headed out into the open country. Keep the country country.

Let’s not see this again shall we?

Hanging out with the suspended roots.

Standing on the rock that normally offers expansive views of the WST. It was closed today. Instead we checked out the stack of rat traps. No fresh catches. Thankfully we weren’t hungry at the time. Photo by Charlie Antonio.

Charlie and Ferlino climbing in and out of the deep hole on the trail.

Back on the fence line. Photo by Chris Bautista.

We discovered with baited breath that the cabin was back open for business.

Luckily Plan B was just for show and not for real.

The cabin log was back. Free facials by Ferlino. Pedicure by fire and sharp edges. Playing Pepito. Eating hot food. Cabin life doesn’t get much better than this.

Trying to catch the sunrise before turning in for the night. No such luck. Photo by Chris Bautista

Thank you for the hospitality. May you remain open for many more years to come.

Some of us had our morning constitutionals before our departure. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

It’s always good to see a familiar face in the morning.

Dashing through the mud in a clean pair of shoes, o’er the trails we go, laughing all the way. Photo by Chris Bautista.

The fence soon gave way to chest high overgrowth, while the mud decided to stick around.

Making our way across the bowl shaped depression. Photo by Chris Bautista.

360 degree views at the 2,240′ foxhole summit.

We were initially elated as it appeared that the trail was freshly cut from the summit.

The elation soon evaporated as we realized it was too good to last.

Can you spot the hiker for the forest?

Passing through a stand of trees that were densely packed with moss. It was quite inviting to sit on. Photo by Chris Bautista.

It would seem that this busy bee took a shine to my glove, perhaps mistaking it for a source of pollen.

Maybe in time, Chris’s glove will prove to be just as enduring as the boot.

Seemingly making our way towards the churning windmills in Kahuku. Optical illusion. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Looking back at the coastal town of Laie. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Winding our way through the mountains.

Popping in and out of the overgrowth. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Pushing our way through the overgrowth.

Halfway there. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Hey, wait a minute! Didn’t you say that was bad for your teeth? Photo by Charlie Antonio.

Chris getting lost in the bushes.

Getting constantly whacked by the bony branches was not high on the fun list. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Much to our surprise, the last push to the summit was surprisingly cleared.

Taking a well deserved break after the bruising battle with all the overgrowth.

Leaving the summit with a last view of the Waianae Mountain Range. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Charlie and Ferlino making their way down the highway of a trail.

Group photo at the end of the most overgrown and muddiest section of the Ko’olau Summit Trail.

This must be the way home. It can’t come soon enough.

Going down the graded and downhill trail. What a treat.

I’m guessing circumcised. Fresh cut. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Leaving the trail for the road; that was strewn with rubble, trees and suffering severe erosion.

Where was this curbing during the muddy sections of the trail? Photo by Chris Bautista.

Thanks to Jasmin for picking us up at the end of Pupukea and bringing us cold cans of Pepsi. Post hike meal at Haleiwa Joe’s where the wait was so long that the turf ran out and I ended up eating the surf. Great weekend spent with a bunch of good guys. Photo by Charlie Antonio.

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: army cabin, black junction, koloa cabin, koolau summit trail, kst, laie summit, malaekahana junction, opaeula cabin, poamoho summit, poamoho trail, pupukea summit, puu hina