Return to Poamoho Falls

Somebody waited for four years to visit this place, might as well grant her birthday wish.

Chris opening the combination lock. Adventure awaits.

Trying to fit four off-road vehicles in one muddy parking spot.

A rather large group of 17 friends gathered to celebrate not one but two birthdays, Allison and Mona’s special days.

The birthday girls getting lei’d by Agnes and Sandra. The original lei was introduced by the early Polynesian settlers who originally used flowers, leaves, shells, seeds, nuts, feathers, and even bone and teeth of various animals. The tradition of giving and wearing leis boomed with the advent of tourism in the islands and a cottage industry developed around it with lei stands and shops that populated Chinatown and the Airport areas.

Chris and Mona modeling the latest in fashionable life vests.

Matt getting muddy. Before the trail even started. He just wanted to get it over with.

The start of the trail with everybody still dry and relatively clean.

Hiking on the cleared corridor of uluhe ferns.

Passing one of recent landslide areas that are still denuded of vegetation.

Looking down into our destination – Poamoho Stream.

Time to put on our micro-spikes for that extra traction.

Leaving the trail.

Going down the short and slippery slope.

We soon hit rock bottom. Stream bottom.

Once the group was collected, we all started wading into the swollen stream.

Matt opened the floodgates, much to the delight of those below him. Little did they know, he was holding it from last night.

Poised and posed in the stream waters.

Staying dry and then getting wet again. Rinse and repeat.

Going upstream like so many spawning hikers.

Saved Sandra from getting swept downstream by the strong current. Slight exaggeration.

Weekend warriors. Water guns have existed since the 1860s when they were made out of metal and eventually into the clear plastic ones we use today.

Stopped at a side waterfall that was flowing due to the generous rain the area had experienced the past few days.

Back to playing in the water.

Matt and Tessa sitting in a tree. Wait, where’s Akira?

Are we going to Sacred Falls?

Matt hydrating while being hydrated in the turbulent waters. The impermeable stratified squamous epithelium says otherwise.

Fighting water with water.

Akira playing in the deep end. Swimming against the current.

Rock hopping galore.

Plunging into “The Narrows.” Ice cold.

Most of us crabbed, floated, swam or walked. One special person got carried through the water. It must be her birthday.

Pool after pool.

Approaching the lower waterfall.

Finally some climbing! The rock hopping was getting old pretty fast.

One by one, we all got up with a little help from our friends.

Matt demonstrating his flexibility.

Going over one of many fallen trees in the stream.

The canyon walls narrowed through some of the stream corridors.

Contouring our way around the cascading water.

Drinking directly from the source. No filter needed.

Are we there yet?

Rock stacker. Caveman would be proud.

We have arrived!

A watering hole in every sense of the word.

Mud of Mountain better than Oil of Olay. Preferred by Weekend Warriors.

Splish splash. The recent rain had increased the flow and volume of the falls much to the delight of the group.

Happy Birthday Allison and Mona! We sang the most recognized song in the English language to the pair, the song was produced in 1893 under “Good Morning To All” and the birthday lyrics were added later. Music publisher Warner/Chappell claimed copyright ownership and demanded royalties if used commercially or sung in public since 1949. In 2016, the courts ruled that the song belonged in the public domain. Sing it loudly and freely.

Group photo in the pool with the 40′ falls behind us.

Going with the flow.

Akira skirting the rushing waters.

The stream feeding hikers into the narrow slot of the canyon.

More fun than Wet’n’Wild Hawaii.

Climbing down to the pool while Matt ensured that I remained wet. That’s what friends are for.

Looking at a side stream. Another waterfall perhaps? Another day.

Chris spotted a webbing hanging off the hill and gambled that it was a trail back to the trail. Good call.

Back on terra firma after some minor scrambling up the hill. Saved us over an hour rock hopping in the stream.

Ambushing the weekend warrior. Must be a REMF.

Going through the gates and back to our trucks.

Champagne toast for the birthday girls. Prost. Kanpai. Cheers. Tagay.

Akira saying his goodbyes to the large, domesticated livestock. Cows despite being herbivores, will eat meat and other animals.

Our semi-loop waterlogged birthday hike covered 6.17 miles through a canyon filled with rocks, pools and waterfalls. Fun day all around with good friends. I tried to make phoking reservations at the phoking restaurant but they didn’t take phoking reservations for our phoking post hike meal. Hot soup does a wet body good. Happy advance birthday wishes to Allison and Mona, excuse the ghetto birthday cards. It’s the thought that counts.

Photos taken by Agnes Bryant, Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Allison Banks, Brian and Kilani Hudson, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Dave and Susan Katz, Jimmy Hernandez, Lawrence Murray, Lilyn Avendano, Matt Vidaurri, Monaliza Guillermo, Samantha Taylor, Sandra Walter, Tessa Bugay, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

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. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

Tagged as: poamoho falls, poamoho stream, poamoho trail, waterfalls