Red Hill to Kalihi Saddle (Powerlines)

by kenji SAITO on May 6, 2017

Hiking Red Hill to Kalihi Saddle (Powerlines)

Our last primer camping hike before the balloon goes up. Met up with Ben, Dale and Ethan at Moanalua Valley.

Trailhead

Trailhead

We followed other hikers going to the stairway. Different routes. Same end.

Kamananui Valley Trail

Kamananui Valley Trail

Greeting a steady stream of Korean hikers making their way out of the valley.

Kamananui Valley Trail

Kamananui Valley Trail

What? You can just drive into the trail and forego the walking? Sign me up for the next Hunter’s Education Class!

Kulana'ahane Trailhead

Kulana’ahane Trailhead

Yea, though we walk through the valley of the saddle, we will fear and respect her, malama ka aina.

Kulana'ahane Trail

Kulana’ahane Trail

Let’s not follow the arrow today.

Godek-Jaskulski Trail

Godek-Jaskulski Trail

The group going up through the sea of uluhe ferns. Uluhell.

Godek-Jaskulski Trail

Godek-Jaskulski Trail

Picking up the trail in the guava strawberry forest. Bread crumbs would help when ribbons will not.

Godek-Jaskulski Trail

Godek-Jaskulski Trail

We soon gained the ridge of Red Hill and huffed and puffed ourselves straight up to the summit.

Red Hill Summit

Red Hill Summit

Steve Lin bumped into our group resting at the summit as he had come up behind us and was on his lonesome way to Stairway to Hell.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben and Dale dropping down into the saddle.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Yielding to other hikers making their way up the ridge to keep Steve company in Hell.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben making his way down past the “shaky tree.”

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Looking out towards the CCL building perched on top of the mountain. It was still looking clear at the top.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben coming down to join us at the summit.

Kulana'ahane Summit

Kulana’ahane Summit

Ben giving us running commentary on the other hikers progress to hell with his thousand yard stare.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Time to tackle the better half of the saddle. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Dale climbing up one crumbly rock at a time.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben contouring his way around the ridge. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben and Ethan scrambling their way up on the Windward side.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Heading to the Dirt Triangle.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben and Dale contouring around the triangle. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Dale making his way up.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Just a couple crumbly sections between us and heaven.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Contouring around the Leeward side to gain the ridge line. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Dale scrambling up the rotten rocks.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Watch out for falling rocks. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ethan making his way up.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben making his way up the five point of contact section with four points of contact. He did not honor the traditional way of climbing up.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

All uphill from here.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Looking back at the saddle. One down, two more to go.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Landing on the first pad, that used to anchor antenna cables that stretched 7,200′ across the valley. Engineering marvel of the day.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ethan with his one yard stare, noticed something was turned inside out. That’s how they roll in Virginia.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ethan leaving the pad for the summit. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Ben and Dale walking up the back stairs to the CCL building. Mystery solved.

Moanalua Saddle

Moanalua Saddle

Almost to the top.

Haiku Stairs

Haiku Stairs

Group photo with views for days, left to right: myself, Dale, Ben and Ethan.

Haiku Stairs

Haiku Stairs

Seeking shelter from the crisp winds while knocking the rocks from my shoes. Photo by Ben Hinders.

Pu'u Keahi a Kahoe

Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe

We parted ways with Dale at the Moanalua Middle Ridge Junction. Good job on your first saddle, Dale! Thanks for the fun company!

Ko'olau Summit Ridge Trail

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail

Ben making his way down the ridge line.

Moanalua Middle Ridge

Moanalua Middle Ridge

Hello from the other side.

KSRT

KSRT

Hello back. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

KSRT

KSRT

Making our way down to the abandoned relay station. VT call home. Photo by Ben Hinders.

KSRT

KSRT

Passing the power lines. No swings seen.

Tripler Summit

Tripler Summit

This would make a really, really good camp site. Photo by Ben Hinders.

KSRT

KSRT

Heading to the summit of Bowman. Just passing through.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Do you see Ethan?

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Oh, there you are.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Ben approaching one of the cracked and crumbly sections.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Going over the boulder that’s still somehow hanging on.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Ben and Ethan making their way around the loosely packed overhang.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Approaching the dirty rope slide.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Ben making his way down the slippery slope.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

The wave’s ride is over.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Ben barreling down the hill.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Looking for the porta-potty. Photo by Ben Hinders.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Climbing down the chossy rocks. Slowly.

Rock Triangle #1

Rock Triangle #1

Following the rope down to the Leeward side of the ridge line.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Ben and Ethan standing on an eroded section. Heck, the entire ridge was practically eroded.

Rock Triangle #2

Rock Triangle #2

Looking for the stirrups to climb down. What the heck?

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Making our way down the skinny ridge. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Ben preparing to descend down tabletop rock.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Bottoming out from the steep descent …

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

… then going back down.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Crossing over one of the more narrower sections of the ridge line.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Ben approaching the Witch’s Hat. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Group photo on top of Witch’s Hat.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

Making our way down the backside.

Kalihi Saddle

Kalihi Saddle

We had spotted three hikers earlier milling about the power lines, worried that our reservations might be usurped, Ethan surged ahead to secure our place for the night. It was all for naught as the group was intent on pressing to Haiku Stairs. Ben continued his running commentary on the hiker’s progress with his used to be better thousand yard stare.

Camp Centipede

Camp Centipede

Hunkering down for dinner that was rudely interrupted by a slithering venomous arthropod making a beeline for my tent. Didn’t bother to count if it had 100 legs. I was too busy smashing it with a rock that it had come under from. Photo by Ben Hinders.

Camp Centipede

Camp Centipede

Good night from the saddle. The rain came down hard during the night. Sleep tight and don’t let the centipedes bite. Tent zipped up tight. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Camp Centipede

Camp Centipede

Good morning from the saddle. The rain had cleared up but left us with wet rocks. Gee, thanks. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Camp Centipede

Camp Centipede

I came back from pooping and found the campsite being rolled up. Time to mosey on down to the power lines.

Powerlines

Powerlines

Shout out to Dale for dropping Chris and Khym at the power lines trail to join us for a meet and greet hike. Not a saddle hike. Sorry guys.

Powerlines

Powerlines

Ethan ending his abstinence from soda after two years. Thanks to Chris and Khym for hauling up the soda and water.

Powerlines

Powerlines

The rocks were wet from last night’s pounding and the weather looked gloomy. Somebody was doggedly trying to convince us it was going to be a beautiful day. Second opinion. Third opinion. Better safe than sorry.

Powerlines

Powerlines

We may as well take a group photo as this is far as we are going to get on the saddle today. Left to right: myself, Ben, Ethan, Chris and Khym.

Powerlines

Powerlines

Panoramic view from the power lines. There was a “trail” that looked promising for another exploration hike.

Powerlines Trail

Powerlines Trail

Dejected and disappointed, well maybe not everybody, we made our way down the trail and into Kalihi Valley.

All pau

All pau

Ben coming down the trail and detouring around the fenced building. Do not enter the open gate, it’s a trap. Mahalo to Ethan’s friend, Phil, for picking us up and shuttling us to our cars in Maunawili.

GPS Tracks

GPS Tracks

Even though our three saddles hike got abbreviated to one and half saddles, covering 10.05 miles through crumbly terrain and scenic sights with great company made it all worthwhile. Post hike meal at Lilihia Bakery. Not Lover’s Bakery. I never experienced standing room only at a restaurant until today.

Note: I have been made aware the 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.

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Ferlino Carinio May 26, 2017 at 1:50 pm

Nice. Thank you for sharing. Hope to meet you one day.

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kenji SAITO May 26, 2017 at 8:00 pm

Aloha Ferlino,
Thank you. I see that we have mutual hiking friends, hope to hike with you one day as well.
Mahalo

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