Pu’u Ohulehule Northwest to Northeast Ridges

It was time to raise the bar or at least get the juices flowing on today’s hike. Or as somebody put it “get back in the windward ridge game.”

We all met up in Kahana Valley where Matt surprised us with 808 Random Hikers T-shirts that he had made in Korea. Group photo left to right: John, Cisco, myself, Aida, Allison, Ryan, Quan, Enrique, Marilyn, Narissa, Lilyn, Matt and Tessa. Lucky 13.

Passing through Hawaii’s only public ahupua’a or subdivision of land.

Enjoying the wide open and dry trail while it lasted.

Some of the group took their shoes and socks off so as not to get wet. You guys know there are a couple more stream crossings? Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

All swing and no splash.

Welcome to the jungle.

Soak, rinse, repeat. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Matt gave an impromptu speech on the importance of promptness and then Chris showed up. The definition of irony.

Allison looking at True Manana and Two Apes Talking. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Last stream crossing for some of us. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Somebody was feeling good about themselves. It would not last for long.

Pushing our way through the patch of uluhe ferns that dominated the trail. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

The group climbing up the first of many hills.

Verdant valley views behind us. Photo by Allison Banks.

We could see the saddle for the mountains. Photo by Allison Banks.

You guys don’t take 5 or 10 minute breaks? Who’s in charge of this hike? Oh, the death marcher. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Group photo, left to right: John, Aida, Narissa, Chris, Marilyn, Matt, Cisco, Allison, Quan, Lilyn, myself, Enrique, Tessa and Ryan.

Tessa belting out another rendition of Ms. Lonely.

Enrique scrambling up the steep hill towards the summit.

Gaining elevation with each step that we took. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Lilyn pulling herself up. All those hours in the gym were finally paying off.

Allison climbing her way to the summit. Photo by Aida Gordon.

What’s going on here? A) Matt is slaking his thirst by drinking the water pooling in Ryan’s poncho. or B) Matt is administering a mountain massage with a happy ending.

Photo bombers in the rain. Kahana was living up to its reputation as one of the wettest valleys on the island.

Group photo at the rained out summit. Zero visibility. We sat out the summit as rain saturated the area around us. Ideal conditions for climbing an unknown ridge. Whose ideas was this?

We waited until the rain clouds blew over and then we separated into the hardy and the foolhardy groups.

Somebody in blue said this ridge is not that bad. Famous last words. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Time to break out the webbing. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Pushing through the woody climbers as we made our way down the ridge. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Descending from the clouds as we had to be mindful of the abundant dead trees and branches that broke off under our grasp. Instead of braking our descent, they could have easily accelerated our descent. Not a good thing.

The ridge became narrower as the views got better with each drop we did. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Matt climbing as rocks got dislodged with each step. Luckily no rocks were dislodged during my climb down. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Chris hugging the sliver of a ridge as he climbed his way down.

Somewhere in the mountains, there is elevator service. We also saw the hardy group going down the Northwest ridge from our precarious perch. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Just call me Otis. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

The rest of the group waiting their turn to climb down the webbing secured with an existing anchor. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

The rolling rocks had rolling rocks on this ridge. They definitely gather no moss here. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Matt checking out the next drop. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Going down. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Keeping my distance from the spiked shoes.

Drop after drop. Do we have enough webbing? Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Bye bye. For reference’s sake, I was talking to an inanimate object and not a living person. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Straddling the skinny ridge. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

The rest of us scooted down on our bellies, whereas Chris let his feet do the walking. Perhaps it had something to do with the beer belly. Perhaps not.

Matt lowering himself down using the lip of the rock as an anchor.

It was just a hop, skip and slide for Lilyn. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Contouring and climbing my way up for what passes as a pile of crumbly rocks topped with skinny trees and dry grass.

Tessa making herself comfortable as she hunkers down for the oncoming inclement weather. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

We temporarily suspended all climbing as we watched …

… the rain showers slowly march in from the ocean and saturate the ridge and us with its watery cargo.

Tessa ready to start hiking again after the brief burst of H20. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Matt climbing down the last drop for the day.

Traversing the moss carpeted ridge line punctuated with trees of varying density and depth. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Approaching the Kualoa ridge dominated by the peak of Kanehoalani.

What’s going on here? A) I was so happy to find out that Matt’s test came back negative. Not saying what kind of test it was. or B) We were bucking the stereotypical roles while re-enacting the 2005 movie helmed by Ang Lee.

We took our individual and collective photos at the intersecting spot with sweeping views of the mountains, valleys and ocean.

Is this the way to the gardens?

Bench with a view. What a view. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Bye bye. Inanimate object. I think I can speak for the group when I say that the Northeast ridge is one of the hardest trails we have done in recent memory. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

When you got to go, you got to go. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Watching out for droppings from the winged reptile. Who let the animal out? Oh, what long nails you have!

Where’s the beef? Thanks to Aida, John and Quan for picking us up on the side of the highway. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Our adrenaline adventure that took us over old and new grounds clocked in under six miles. Glad to have done it with this bunch of friends. Thankful that everybody made it down safe, albeit the minor mishap of the out of towner that tumbled down and landed on the skinniest person. Post hike meal at Kenko-ya as the other choices were closed or did not offer dine in service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqR5vE96oOE&t=337s

Video by Matt Vidaurri of our ridge hike.

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: ka'a'awa valley, kahana saddle, kahana valley, kualoa ranch, northeast ridge, northwest ridge, puu ohulehule