I had lost something valuable coming down the unscheduled stairs descent last week and went back on a rescue and recover hike. Met up with Aida, Katie and Quan who agreed to join me.
Stairway to Heaven
The rain was coming down in sheets as we embarked up the stairs in the wee hours. Perfect hiking weather. Somebody questioned our sanity.
Stairway to Heaven
Cardio climbing up the rain slicked stairs. Photo by Aida Gordon.
Stairway to Heaven
Passing the hoist house. Almost there.
Stairway to Heaven
We can see the CCL building for the rain. Photo by Aida Gordon.
CCL Building
Boiling up hot ramen noodles for breakfast. Photo by Katie Bingham.
CCL Building
Disappointed that I was unable to recover my valuables, we took a group picture in the cold rain.
Stairway to Heaven
Aida and Quan headed back down the stairs due to the inclement weather.
Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)
Katie and I struck out in the direction of the saddles hoping the weather would clear. Hoping against hope.
Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe
Heading down the mud slicked trail. Photo by Katie Bingham.
KSRT
Descending towards the defunct radar station. We observed the no climbing signs. Photo by Katie Bingham.
KSRT
Katie passing the powerlines on the trail.
KSRT
Still looking for that ray of sunshine. Photo by Katie Bingham.
Tripler Summit
The painted rock has left the summit.
Bowman Trail
Heading down on the six mile trail that we would cut short. Photo by Katie Bingham.
Bowman Trail
Katie passing through the mossy wetland on top of the mountain. Similar to Kaala, just missing the boardwalk.
Bowman Trail
Practicing the long lost art of water milking. Photo by Katie Bingham.
Bowman Trail
Descending from the 2,740′ summit of Pu’u Kahuauli.
Bowman Trail
Switch backing our way down the “face” of Bowman. Photo by Katie Bingham.
Bowman Trail
The only company we had on the ridge were the highway noises coming from Likelike Highway.
Bowman Trail
The rain subsided so we cooked up some more ramen and miso soup.
Kalihi Saddle
Clearing up. Missed opportunities. The mountains will always be there. Keep repeating and believing that.
Commando Trail
Going down the trail on the spur ridge that HTMC pioneered. Photo by Katie Bingham.
Commando Trail
Katie coming down the trail with the “face” of Bowman in the background.
Commando Trail
Can you see the hikers for the tree?
Commando Trail
The rain came back to pay us a visit.
Commando Trail
If a hiker falls down in the forest, does he make a sound? Yes, especially if he’s barking like a dog to scare off pigs heard in the forest. Photo by Katie Bingham.
Commando Trail
Climbing over trees as we followed the highway sounds to help us exit the valley.
All pau
Sticking out your thumb seems to work better than flashing your phone lights in catching a ride. Thanks to Quan for picking us up. No post hike meal as no restaurants were open.
GPS Tracks
Our 4.12 mile hike went through heaven and somewhere in between. Thanks to Aida and Quan for coming up the stairs and Katie for sticking it out in the rain. No post hike meal as everybody had food waiting at home.
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.
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