We went back to the land of cannibal chickens where the grass needed to be mowed and the bushes trimmed back. Wishful thinking.
Trailhead
Thanks to Daryl and Lilyn for shuttling Art, Barry, Chris, CJ, Quan, Tessa and myself from Laie. Photo by Daryl Cacatian.
Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road
When the scare doesn’t go off as planned.
Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road
Repairing the road for the return of the Stryker Brigade? Photo by Art Young.
Pupukea Trail
Leaving the road for the trail. Don’t let the hunting dogs make you miss the turn off. Inside joke. Photo by Art Young.
Black Junction
Group photo at the traditional start of the 52 mile plus traverse along the Ko’olau Mountain Range.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
Pushing our way to the first summit of the day. Photo by Art Young.
Pu’u Hina
What do you do when not everybody wants to get up from their posterior to take the group photo. Ghetto improvisation.
KST
Leaving the summit for overgrown pastures. Photo by Art Young.
KST
Keep to the left to stay on track. Detour to the right to go off exploring the other side of the hill.
KST
Pushing our way through the overgrowth.
KST
Quan’s hair got into a tussle with Mother Nature. Guess who won? Photo by Art Young.
KST
Flagging the trail. Accidentally.
KST
Group photo at the halfway spot.
KST
Making our way to the lunch spot. What? The lunch spot!
Maleakahana Junction
From one hand to another. The old glove marker was getting long in the tooth.
KST
The overgrowth tapered off as … Photo by Barry Lau.
KST
… the trail meandered through the Ko’olau Mountains. Photo by Art Young.
Laie Summit
Group photo at the foxhole left to right: Art, Chris, myself, Quan, CJ, Tessa and Barry.
Laie Trail
Leaving the 2,240′ summit.
Laie Trail
It was all downhill on the six mile graded trail punctuated with native forest, slippery rocks, uluhe ferns, landslides, pine trees and rutted trails.
Laie Trail
Passing the steep cliff on our left and coastal views on our right.
Laie Falls Junction
Somebody’s idea of washing their spikes in the waterfalls went out the window as the day became longer than expected. Photo by Art Young.
Laie Trail
Art in the middle of the stand of towering pine trees.
Laie Trail
Keeping up with the goat. Photo by Barry Lau.
Laie Trail
Some people come down in their own different ways. Photo by Art Young.
All pau
Catching the pine tree filtered sunset on our way down as we finished our 13 plus mile hike filled with stifling overgrowth and good company. Photo by CJ Mendiola.
GPS Tracks
Some people had to rush to go home and the beach. The rest of us had our post hike meal at Zippy’s where some people like to pay for expensive soup sans the oxtail.
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.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Right on advice for the uninitiated
Thanks
Aloha Tom,
Purely entertainment value for the most overgrown section of the Ko’olau Summit Trail. LOL.
Mahalo