Our original destination was changed due to impaired physical conditions, so we ended up making the most of our weekend. All good.

Poamoho Road

Driving up 2WD the whole six miles. It’s not the car, it’s the driver that makes the road.

Poamoho Trail

It was a boys trip this weekend as the other usual female suspects were not feeling well.

Poamoho Trail

Scott entering the pearly gates of Poamoho where magical views await.

Poamoho Trail

Blink and you’ll miss the bench with views of the Waianae Mountain Range.

Poamoho Trail

Stepping foot on the mostly graded trail which by the looks of it was recently cleared of overgrowth.

Poamoho Trail

The group traversing over a landslide that since been reclaimed by Mother Nature. I remember when we hiked this same path five years ago and came across the fresh mass wasting of the trail. It was wrecked and DLNR subsequently closed it that following Monday and took months before the trail was reopened back to the public. Nothing in life is permanent, everything is temporary.

Poamoho Trail

Last chance to turn back. The maintained trail ends and who knows what lies beyond this gate.

Poamoho Trail

Entering the gulch and the stream crossing.

Cline Memorial

Standing next to the rock obelisk dedicated to avid hiker, Geraldine Cline who perished in a car accident in 1975. In 1978, friends and family each carried a small rock to build this memorial in her honor.

Poamoho Summit

Group photo at the 2,520′ summit with sweeping views of Punalu’u and Kahana Valleys.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Chico and Scott entering the gates to step foot on the historic KST that originally spanned from Pupukea to Kipapa when it was first carved out of the mountains back in the 1930s.

KST

Panoramic views.

KST

The group contouring below the ridgeline.

KST

Back on the fence line.

KST

Is social distancing still a thing?

KST

Chico climbing up the hill to get away from the fence line.

KST

Back on the fence line. Theme of the day.

KST

The fence glove is getting a little long in the tooth.

KST

Brushing past the native mint that lacks the mint smell as there were no predatory animals to eat them back in the day.

KST

Group photo at the iconic boot junction. The KST sign is also getting long in the tooth.

KST

Why did the hikers cross the meadow? To get to the other fence line.

KST

Scott contouring around the fence line.

KST

The KST is this way!

KST

Passing a native lobelia plant that seemed on the verge of flowering.

Rabbit Hole

Group photo with the KST sign that has definitely seen better days.

Army Cabin

Cabin Sweet Cabin for the night.

Army Cabin

The face of exhaustion after lugging nine liters of water through the mountains.

Army Cabin

Cooking in the mountains. Everything tastes better in the outdoors. Especially steak!

Army Cabin

We all enjoyed watching the fiery sun setting behind the Waianae Mountains. No green flash but eye popping nevertheless.

Army Cabin

How many times can you be a shithead in one night? Some didn’t wait and find out and just went to sleep.

Sunday October 12, 2025

Army Cabin

Good morning from the Ko’olau Mountains! We cleaned up the cabin and even received two 5 gallon water bottles that was delivered by Menehune Water. Talk about commitment and dedication.

Army Cabin

Nothing like starting off your hike in early morning fog.

KST

Followed up by skin exfoliation through a cocktail of uluhe, clidemia, and fence line.

KST

Stepping in mud baths on the trail that draws out tensions and toxins as it rejuvenates the body with fermented soil and water.

KST

Nothing like cold wind on the exposed ridges to keep one chilled.

KST

The rising sun slowly burned off the morning fog revealing the valley views.

KST

We left the jungle behind us.

KST

Looking down at the snail habitat and of course, the awesome valley views.

KST

Man down! Chico seems to have a knack for finding false holes on the trail. He should have been a gravedigger.

Poamoho Trail

Descending down into the gulch as we left the summit.

Poamoho Trail

Low clearance. Luckily I washed out of the NBA tryouts.

All pau

Our cabin weekend with priceless views and a stunning sunset covered a little over 11 miles with awesome company. Aida, Mari, Roger and Tessa met us for our post hike meal at the restaurant chain (CPK) that was founded by two lawyers in 1985.

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Kenny Lui, Scott Peterson 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.

It was our second attempt with the same crew for the same trail. The first one was aborted due to severe weather. This time around was different. We would finish, come hell or high water or mud.

Poamoho Trail

Mahalo to Edgar for driving Aida, Jeremy, Roger and myself up the jeep road for our hike today.

Poamoho Trail

Jeremy crossing the barely wet stream that was a marked departure from our last visit where the stream was flowing quite forcefully.

Poamoho Summit

Group photo on the surprisingly still summit at 2,520′ elevation.

Cline Memorial

Leaving the summit as we stepped foot on the Ko’olau Summit Trail. Stuart Ball said “The Ko’olau Summit Trail is for experienced hikers only because it is overgrown, muddy, and sometimes narrow and obscure.” Truer words were never spoken for this day.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

We stayed to the left of the fence line as we made our way past the snail habitat and opened the gate to where the country is still country, trails less traveled.

KST

Contoured our way below the fenced ridge line and traversed across the old landslide until we regained the fence line.

KST

Breaking free of the mud and overgrowth, we enjoyed a brief respite on an open section of the trail. Enjoy it while it lasts.

KST

Climbing up the gradual slope where we soon regained the fence line again, a constant companion on the trails.

KST

Following the fence line against the backdrop of Kahana Valley and the prominent peak of Ohulehule.

Boot Junction

Group photo at the iconic junction, wondering when the boot will eventually fall off the stake due to constant exposure to the elements.

KST

Roger going over the fence after crossing the spongy meadow.

KST

Resuming our fenced walk.

KST

Keeping the fence to our left and the views to our right.

KST

Fences for daze.

Rabbit Hole

Group photo at the sign that needed a new home or was it the home needed a new sign?

KST

Roger and the rest of them did not want to get “baptized” by the deep mud at the foot of the gate. Sticks in the mud.

Papali Summit

Taking a well-deserved break at the summit.

KST

Resuming our hike on the trail. Roger was probably thinking “what trail?”

KST

The group following in the footsteps of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that blasted and carved the KST out of the mountains from Black Junction to Kipapa from 1933-1935.

KST

The mostly young men lead by experienced engineers had to work in inhospitable terrain and often in grueling conditions that was marked by low hanging clouds, incessant rain, mud and heavy overgrowth.

KST

The original purpose of building this trail was justified for invasive animal eradication, forestry management and later recreation.

KST

Watching the fiery sunbeams as it slowly washed over the Waianae Mountain Range.

KST

The group climbing in and out of the notch, which meant …

Koloa Cabin

… which meant we were close to our cabin for the night. The door was unhinged and almost fell on me as I turned the doorknob. What a welcoming surprise. The rest of the group wanted to see the cabin from the top before coming down to dry out as best as we could for the night. No one wanted to be a Shithead tonight, so my deck of playing cards stayed in its pack.

Koloa Cabin

Day 2
We woke up to starry skies which was a pleasant surprise to me as most of my overnighters were marked by gusting winds and rain and morning clouds.

Koloa Cabin

Once a princess, always a princess in the mountains.

Koloa Cabin

Group photo after we cleaned up the cabin, used the open air outhouse and got ready for another day of mud and more overgrowth.

KST

Mud race anybody? Tradition dies easily in the mountains.

KST

We all enjoyed the mud in our own ways.

KST

The jarhead wanted to take point and show us that he still got it, in terms of land navigation skills. Semper Fi.

KST

Let’s go this way as we don’t want to hike on the Kawailoa Trail. Not today.

KST

Winding our way through the mountains as “The Eddie” was kicking off at Waimea Bay.

Laie Summit

Celebrating Aida’s second KST finish with the non-traditional non-pouring of bottled water. Such a buzzkill.

Laie Summit

Leaving the 2,240′ foxhole summit as we made our way to the trail.

KST

Looking up at the satellite that keeps the tides and ecosystems in check on Earth.

KST

Somebody didn’t believe me when I said the overgrowth would be worse than yesterday and the duration and distance longer. Seeing is believing.

KST

Meandering through the mountains as we spied rows of the single trunked palm tree with fan shaped leaves below us, the endemic loulu palm trees.

Malaekahana Junction

There once used to be an HTMC green wooden sign that marks this spot, now only a friends glove marks the junction.

KST

Round and round we go throughout the mountains. That is why this is called the Ko’olau Summit Trail and not the Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail.

KST

Disappearing into the overgrowth, only to pop up later like so many jack in the boxes.

KST

Jeremy was just having a grand ole’ time, wallowing in the overgrowth.

KST

Group photo at what I call the halfway spot on the trail.

KST

Taking our lunch break, further down the trail and away from the mud pits.

KST

Pays to be limber and flexible on this trail.

KST

Who brought the machete? Crickets.

KST

Crawling and scrambling our way through the often dense overgrowth.

KST

Overgrowth all day and then some. No exaggeration.

Pu’u Hina

Enjoying the city lights from the summit of Pupukea.

Black Junction

We reached the end or start of the KST. It also marked my #18 passage across the dormant fragmented shield volcano. Yes dormant, not extinct.

All pau

The yellow gates near Camp Pupukea did not mark the end of our hike. We still had another mile to walk to Jeremy’s car. 1.2 miles to be exact. Shall we call Uber? Don’t bother. Nobody’s going to come. Let’s start walking and get this night over.

GPS Tracks

Our weekend camping hike covered 19.46 miles through mud, overgrowth and mountainous scenery. Congratulations to Aida for finishing the KST for her second time. Fun times with a good group of friends. Post hike meal at Jack in the Box. In the parking lot.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Jeremy Cannone, Roger Schiffman, 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.

The cabin is calling and we must go. Met up with Akira, Chico, Mari and Tessa for another weekend adventure in the mountains.

Helemano

We dialed in the lock combination and closed the gate as we left civilization behind us.

Poamoho Trail

Group photo at the start when we are all nice and clean.

Poamoho Trail

Hugging the uluhe carpeted cliff as expansive views of the Ewa Forest Reserve opened to our right.

Poamoho Trail

Chico transferring some of his ice water to a friend in need of something more than room temperature.

Poamoho Trail

Man down!

Poamoho Trail

Traversing through the largest landslide that shut down this trail several years ago.

Poamoho Trail

Some can climb over, while others have to step over.

Poamoho Trail

Crossing the trickling stream.

Poamoho Summit

Group photo on the clear and windy 2,520′ grassy hump. What a view!

Cline Memorial

Checking our mileage before we left the summit to begin our cross-over.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Dropping down to the sheltered trail which offered us temporary refuge from the howling winds.

KST

Akira closing the gate behind us as we stepped foot on the Windward (exposed) side of the trail.

KST

Contouring our way below the ridge line.

KST

Making our way to another gate.

KST

Mari cresting a hump with commanding views of the valleys behind us.

KST

Scrambling our way up the hill to reconnect to the fence line.

KST

Joining up with the ridge fence line.

KST

Akira next to the gloved one, because it’s cool and different than just having two gloves on the fence line.

KST

Looking through the ubiquitous fence line as the group followed the man-made structure as it meandered its way through the mountains.

KST

Climbing over the fence line to the trail that has now been largely reclaimed by Mother Nature.

Boot Junction

Group photo at the iconic weathered boot that has marked this junction for at least a decade. I still am curious as to who left the boot and the backstory.

Boot Junction

Climbing over the fence to traverse the spongy meadow field.

KST

Valley views that would be better off without the fence line. I believe the fence line started to be installed in the early 2000s to protect the watershed and endemic fauna and flora from invasive critters. Several noted hikers such as Patrick Rorie were opposed for the most part to the fence line being installed as it would be a blight on the landscape among other reasons. However, it does help with navigation in the mountains, especially when the area is socked in as it is for the most part.

KST

Mari climbing up with the summit of Pu’u Ohulehule behind her.

KST

The girls climbing up a steep hill with a wrap around sign marking the way.

Army Cabin

Our destination soon sprang into our sight. Motivation.

KST

Hiking sticks are used for balance and stability. They can also be be used to measure the depth of a mud pit.

Rabbit Hole

Wandering off the reservation.

Opae’ula Trail

Some people use their legs to measure the mud depth.

Opae’ula Trail

Approaching one of the few KST cabins with a view.

Opae’ula Cabin

Cabin sweet cabin.

Opae’ula Cabin

Group photo with the sun setting in the background.

Opae’ula Cabin

Pictures don’t do it justice.

Opae’ula Cabin

Our dinner menu consisted of steak, shrimp, tempura udon, zucchini, rice and brownies for dessert. Thanks to Chefs Cantu and Suzuki for cooking the food, Sommelier Bugay for the wine and Baker Saito for the browies.

Opae’ula Cabin

Catching a last glimpse as the sun shimmered its way down the Waianae Mountain Range.

Opae’ula Cabin

Pop and vino toast.

Opae’ula Cabin

Table talk revolved around paternal origins, new words and family activities.

Opae’ula Cabin

Shithead! The preferred card game of hikers, or so I’ve been told.

Opae’ula Cabin

Day 2
We woke up to a completely different landscape, one that was soaked in clouds. Packed our bags, swept the cabin and took our leave.

Opae’ula Trail

Mari passing through the gate to get back onto the reservation.

KST

Embracing the suck. Literally.

KST

Tessa leaving the Kaluanui NAR.

KST

Which way does the wind blow? Take a wild guess.

Boot Junction

Following the fence line on our return trip as we had learned our lesson.

KST

Tessa entering the tree tunnel.

KST

Making our way down back to the fence line.

KST

Crossing over a narrow section of the trail that was a result of a prior mass wasting. The inclement weather decided for us to skip another summit visit and continue down the graded trail.

Poamoho Trail

The group working their way out of the gulch where the stream gurgled below them.

Poamoho Trail

Fauna and flora hitchhikers had attached themselves to us during the hike. One was a native Hawaiian fern and the other was a pre-escargot.

Poamoho Trail

Passing through an old landslide area where we ran into two groups of hikers making their way to the summit.

All pau

We soon arrived at the trailhead which ended our roughly 11 in and out mile hike but began our six mile ride down the bumpy and muddy jeep road amplified by aggressive driving.

Post hike meal

The best cheeseburger in the country was not open, so we had our lunch at Chicken in a Barrel. Chico making Akira work for his gummies and providing entertainment at the same time. Great camping trip with good friends.

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Mari Saito, 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.

We spent a weekend in the mountains. Glamping.

Poamoho Road

Backing up the truck from a mud pit to a mud stop. Small difference.

Poamoho Road

When one doesn’t have a rain jacket, a sun visor will make do in a pinch.

Poamoho Trail

Group photo at the trailhead. Already wet.

Poamoho Trail

Mari passing the trail marker.

Poamoho Trail

Going through the gates meant to filter only hikers onto the trail.

Poamoho Trail

Looking out into the vast expanse of the rain soaked Ewa Forest Reserve.

Poamoho Trail

Traversing over an old landslide area, still bereft of vegetation.

Poamoho Trail

Mud on the trail. A constant theme for the weekend.

Poamoho Trail

Halfway point. Are we there yet?

Poamoho Trail

Approaching the trail section that saw the most impact from the landslides that hit the area back in 2021.

Poamoho Trail

Rounding the bend in the trail.

Poamoho Trail

Looking at the flowing Poamoho Falls in the distance that we had just hiked to last week.

Poamoho Trail

The maintained trail has made further inroads into the trail from our last visit.

Poamoho Trail

Heading into the side gulch with the stream crossing.

Cline Memorial

Approaching the Cline Memorial framed with lobelia of mountain past.

Poamoho Summit

Summit photo at the 2,520′ grassy hump.

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

Stepping on the boardwalk.

KSRT

Rain showers rolling in from Ka’a’awa Valley.

KSRT

Approaching the oldest cabin on the KST.

Poamoho Cabin

We took off our wet clothes, fired up the stoves and started cooking chicken papaya, steak and shrimp. Soda on the side. Mahalo Chef Suzuki!

Poamoho Cabin

A burner stove not only heats up food, but wet clothes and pillows as well.

Poamoho Cabin

Cabin life.

Poamoho Cabin

Sunday – May 5, 2024
Akira practicing proper dental hygiene while greeting the sunrise.

Poamoho Cabin

One of these was not the part of our breakfast.

Poamoho Cabin

When you got to go. Hope it wasn’t the escargot.

Poamoho Cabin

Cleaned up the cabin. Bagged our trash. Put back our wet clothes and shoes on our warm and dry bodies. Ready to get back in the mud.

Poamoho Cabin

Somebody just couldn’t get off on the right foot in the morning.

Poamoho Cabin

Thanks for the five-star mountain hospitality!

KSRT

Mountain views in the morning.

KSRT

Looking down into the swollen marsh.

KSRT

Mari transitioning from the Leeward side to the Windward side of the trail.

Poamoho Summit

It was a chore to reach the wind blasted summit. The winds were howling something fierce.

Poamoho Summit

Somebody was holding on for dear life. No exaggeration.

Poamoho Summit

The Foolish Four at the 2,520′ summit. The gusting winds snatched the cap and sunglasses off my head and sent it sailing into the bushes. Thanks to Brian for retrieving them.

Cline Memorial

We retreated to the defilade and the protection from the wind afforded by the memorial that was built in 1978 by stones that were individually carried by Cline’s friends.

Poamoho Stream

Crossing back over the stream as we left the windy summit.

Poamoho Trail

Following the fence back out.

Poamoho Trail

Low clearance on the trail.

Poamoho Trail

Traversing the uluhe carpeted trail.

Poamoho Trail

Halfway there!

Poamoho Trail

Tracking mud in and out.

Poamoho Trail

Somebody’s burden became somebody else’s burden.

Poamoho Trail

End of trail.

All pau

We threw our stuff in the truck and drove back down the muddy road. Stopped at Green World Coffee Farm to get caffeinated and sugar kick in the form of coffee drinks and shave ice. Post hike meal at Chicken in a Barrel. Our fun glamping weekend hike covered a little over six miles with good friends and good food.

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Brian and Kilani Hudson, Chico Cantu, Mari Saito, 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.

Back to back hikes that replaced the overgrown hike with the muddiest one in the mountains.

Laie Trail

Thanks to Ferlino for driving Akira, Chris, Tessa, and myself all the way into the road to start at the trailhead. Saved us a whole ten minutes!

Laie Trail

Chris giving the surf report from the mountains.

Laie Trail

Hiking by artificial illumination.

Laie Trail

The sunrise peeking through the grove of Norfolk pine trees.

Laie Trail

Traversing the cleaned up landslide.

Laie Trail

Is this the summit or the falls? Trying to fool the new guy.

Laie Trail

Akira poking his head out of one of numerous trenches that were dug on the side of the trail during WW2. They were to be packed with explosives and set off in case the Japanese military had invaded Oahu after the attack on Pearl Harbor and wreck the trail.

Laie Trail

Some people are not easily fooled or scared.

Laie Trail

Passing the replacement sign on our way to the summit.

Laie Summit

Enjoying outstanding panoramic views of the Windward and Leeward sides at the 2,240′ foxhole.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Stepping foot on the spine of the Ko’olau Mountains.

KST

Contouring our way through the mountains.

KST

The group crossing the bowl shaped depression.

KST

Initial contact with the fence on the trail.

KST

Traversing through the uluhe carpeted trail.

KST

Climbing up the steep fenced hill.

KST

Akira embracing the suck.

KST

Why did the hikers cross the fence? To get out of the cold biting wind.

Koloa Cabin

Brief stop at the largest cabin on the KST.

KST

Back on the trail again.

KST

Tessa climbing in and out of the notch.

KST

Rounding the corner on one of the few sections of the trail that was devoid of overgrowth and mud.

KST

Who pushed Tessa down? The wind? The clouds? Akira?

KST

Vangee training with the speed bag for his upcoming match with Naoya “The Monster” Inoue.

KST

Tree hugger.

KST

Winding our way through the mountains.

KST

Approaching the group of mossed over trees that signaled we were close to the summit.

Papali Summit

A much needed break from the exhausting mud and overgrowth on the trail.

KST

Sole and soul sucking mud as we crossed the gated fence.

Rabbit Hole

The KST sign has seen better times.

KST

They were four constant companions on our hike today: mud, overgrowth, fence and clouds.

KST

Navigating through the KST has been made much easier with the fence line.

KST

Traversing through the cloud soaked rolling hills.

KST

The clouds finally relented and cooperated in providing us with valley and coastal views.

KST

Crossing the fence and meadow to reach the other side.

KST

Mountain views in the background.

Da Boot

Group photo at the iconic boot KST sign junction. The boot has seen better days as well.

KST

Talk to the glove.

KST

Staying on the right as we climbed up another hill.

KST

Leaving the fence temporarily behind as we descended down to the mud soaked trail.

KST

Exiting the gate to contour around the ridge line.

KST

Flowering lobelia against the backdrop of Pu’u Ohulehule.

KST

Entering our last gate on the KST.

Poamoho Summit

We pushed against the wind to make our way to promising views of Punalu’u and Kahana Valleys.

Poamoho Summit

Group photo at the 2,520′ grassy hump.

Poamoho Summit

Checking out our mountain mileage at the Cline Memorial.

Poamoho Trail

Halfway to the trailhead.

Poamoho Trail

Reflective trailhead.

Poamoho Road

A big shout out to Chico who drove up 4.4 miles up the road which meant we only had to walk roughly 1.6 miles down the overgrown and puddled road. Thanks also to Gordon and Nick for getting the gate combination over to us.

All pau

We ran into a cow blockade further down the road, infinitely preferable than a cow stampede. Glad we were safely encased in a truck when our paths met, otherwise we would have to learn to be paniolos on the job.

GPS Tracks

Our muddy hike covered 16.72 miles that could have been longer if not for Chico’s timely intervention. Punishing hike with old and new friends. Post hike meal at Popeyes on base where leaving our muddy tracks on a freshly mopped floor was not well appreciated.

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Chris Bautista, 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.

We spent Veteran’s Day weekend with veterans and non-veterans to help a friend finish the KST.

Jeep Road

Mahalo to Jimell and Mona for driving us up the road that was filled with cows and a solitary hiker.

Poamoho Trail

Stepping foot on what used to be known as the marsh trail until it was improved by the Civilian Conservations Corp in 1934 and renamed it to what it’s called today.

Poamoho Trail

The solitary hiker that we thought we had left in the dust on the jeep road soon caught up with us on the trail and passed us. Who is this guy?

Poamoho Trail

Crossing the small stagnant stream as we approached the windy grassy summit.

Poamoho Trail

We passed multiple Koolau Range lobelia whose tubular flowers were blooming.

Cline Memorial

No views at the summit so we started heading towards the cabin.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Traversing the boardwalk that was installed to limit the spread of invasive seeds to the mostly endemic area.

Poamoho Cabin

Pit stop at the oldest cabin on the KST for water and where we met up again with the hiker on the trail who turned out to be a cool guy named Eric. He was planning on hiking all the way to Manana but the inclement weather changed his mind.

KST

Using the trail that was blasted, chipped and dug out of the mountainside during the years of 1933-1936.

KST

Chico stepping through one of many gates on the trail that serves to allow passage to humans but not feral animals. Is there a difference?

KST

Traversing over one of many landslides on the trail that have long been weathered by footsteps and plant growth.

KST

Eric soon had his fill of the cloud soaked trail and turned back.

KST

The clouds were fighting with the views. The suspended water droplets were winning.

KST

Following the fence line that was installed to prevent feral ungulates from decimating the endemic fauna and flora.

KST

The Ko’olau Goose was receiving some unwanted or wanted attention.

KST

Looking ahead to the Waikane-Waiahole Junction.

KST

Life imitating art.

KST

The girls hugging the cliff as they made their way on the trail.

Schofield-Waikane Summit

We took lunch at the 2,360′ socked in clearing where we were denied views of the four undeveloped valleys. Rain, rain, go away. The nursery rhyme didn’t seem to work in the mountains.

KST

Chris pointing out the many false holes that pocketed the trail.

KST

Taking the high road as we split from the junction as the other trail drops down to Waikane Valley.

KST

Crossing over the well trodden landslide area.

KST

A snail on its last slimy trail? This particular unshelled gastropod was looking for a calcium fortress in all the wrong places.

KST

Contouring on the Leeward side of the mountain.

KST

Pushing through the corridor of congested uluhe ferns on the trail.

KST

Following the fence line down in the dark.

Tree of Life

Lack of daylight forced us to make camp in the wind blasted meadow that had everybody struggling to pitch their tents as the strong winds coupled with darkness pierced by our headlamps made a usual task extraordinary. On top of that, somehow my stake bag got lost and lucky I was camping with CB that had his knife and carved wooden stakes out of his hiking stick. To make matters more interesting, it started to rain on our parade as well which made us setting up our tents more urgent if we wanted to stay more dry than wet.

Tree of Life

Chico turned on his burner to stay warm and also added extra ventilation to his tent.

Tree of Life

Day 2 – Saturday November 11, 2023
Waking up the next morning to the illuminated lights from the central plain.

Tree of Life

Pictures with the vertical and horizontal Japanese Sugi Pine Trees. Yes that is a tree and not a bush behind us. We broke down camp as the winds persisted in keeping us company.

KST

It was a chore just to get out of the wind tunnel and back onto the trail. Any lighter and some of us would have been Mary Poppins.

KST

Walking on the trail that seemingly interrupted the flow of uluhe ferns that cascaded down the mountainside.

KST

Finally getting a break in the views.

KST

Approaching the small cut in the mountains.

KST

Passing the notch which I assume to be man-made much like the earlier notch after Poamoho.

KST

Dropping into the patch of Japanese Sugi Pine Trees under the shadow of Waiahole Summit.

KST

Walking amongst the moss covered red-cedar trees which are considered the national tree of Japan.

KST

We left Camp Rusty and climbed our way back to the ridge line.

Kipapa Summit

Where tomato becomes tomatoe. KST to KSRT.

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

The trail soon followed the ridge line instead of meandering throughout the mountains.

KSRT

Enjoying expansive views of the Windward coastline and valleys.

KSRT

Picking our way through the ankle biters, shin hitters and false holes on the trail.

KSRT

Crossing over with verdant views of the meadows, valleys and peaks.

Waiawa Gap

Taking a breather at the gated fence line.

Waiawa Gap

Descending into the gap.

Waiawa Gap

Climbing out of the gap.

KSRT

To bee or not to bee. The idea of whether is it better to live or to die. In this case for the honeybee, quite relevant.

KSRT

Mountain views for days.

KSRT

Back to our regularly scheduled program of hiking.

KSRT

I don’t know if I was giving the signal to land or to cook lunch. This was roughly the same spot where Doug Ross was plucked from the mountains and flown back to sea level.

KSRT

The hills had hills.

KSRT

Chris going through the tree tunnel and dropping off the ridge to the meadow below us.

The Corner

Much like salmon spawning, we went upstream to collect water from the creek.

The Corner

It was another deja vu moment as we all struggled to climb out of the wind swept meadow.

KSRT

Rounding the landmark ‘ohi’a tree. No plucking of the flowers, we don’t need any more rain on our parade.

KSRT

Descending down the ridge with the expansive overlook of the ancient ahupua’a, divisions of land which ranged from the mountain to the ocean, which was meant to sustain the local population and excess was for tribute.

KSRT

Passing the Windward views as we made our way to the final terminus on the trail.

Manana Summit

#20 – My customary champagne celebratory dousing of Aileen who had just finished her last section to put all the pieces together to complete all 52 miles of the Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST). Congratulations!

Manana Summit

Group photo at the 2,660′ knob. Chris made another pot of saimin which he shared with us at the top.

Manana Summit

Leaving the summit for what Stuart Ball calls “the best of the ungraded Ko’olau ridge trails.” I would have to respectfully disagree.

Manana Trail

Golden hour.

Manana Trail

Our last group photo as the sun slowly sank below the horizon, plunging the trail into darkness.

Manana Trail

Chico testing out the Uluhe bedding on the trail for potential camp spots.

Manana Trail

We interrupted a couple in their pitched tent on one of many false summits. I hope that’s all we interrupted.

All pau

We got out from the trail a little past midnight. Sorry that my banged up knee kept everybody up past their bedtime. Post hike meal was served on site from Teddy’s Burgers courtesy of Aida, Ferlino and Jasmin and a colony of feral cats. Congrats again to Aileen for finishing the KST and the group for another memorable hike that covered over 17 miles through the mountains.

Photos taken by Aileen Agustin, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Val Wang, 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.

It was that time to pay another visit to the least trafficked area of the KST.

Poamoho Road

Playing paniolo on a mechanized beast of burden while corralling cows back into their pastures.

Trailhead

Thanks to Edgar and Lilia for dropping us off at the start of the trail as it started to drizzle.

Poamoho Trail

Group photo, left to right: Ryan, Chico, Tessa, Aileen and myself.

Poamoho Trail

Dead roof rat on the trail. Rodent traps on the trails attempt to curb the scourge that attack native animal and insect populations.

Poamoho Trail

Hiking on the graded path, which the US Army once considered making this a jeep road all the way to the summit. The start of WW2 scuttled those plans.

Poamoho Trail

Halfway point. Checking for cannibals. Not cannabis.

Poamoho Trail

Crossing over the largest of the landslides that shut down the trail back in March 2021.

Poamoho Trail

Heading into the side gulch above a small tributary of Helemano Stream

Poamoho Trail

Crossing the stream, which marked less than 10 minutes to the summit.

Poamoho Summit

Windy group photo at one of the best summit spots on the island with sweeping views of Punalu’u, Kahana and Ka’a’awa Valleys.

Cline Memorial

Seeking shelter below the stone memorial before resuming our hike.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Contouring our way below the ridge line.

KST

Going through the fenced rolling hills in the cloud soaked mountains.

Boot Junction

Taking our group photo at the iconic boot that has stood witness in these mountains for many years.

Boot Junction

Why did the hikers cross the fence? To get to the other fence.

KST

Following the fence line for daze.

KST

What am I doing here? Or maybe he’s just rubbing his eyes.

Rabbit Hole Junction

Ready for more mud?

KST

Some embraced the suck, while most avoided it like the plague.

KST

I remember when there was no fence line or gates, just a thin trail through the overgrowth.

Papali Junction

Somebody with the longest arm took our group photo.

KST

Pushing our way through the bog like landscape.

KST

Is this the trail?

KST

Taking a break from slogging through the mud soaked and overgrown trail.

KST

Winding our way through the verdant mountains.

KST

Traversing on the exposed ridge line.

KST

Climbing out of the notch and towards the cabin.

KST

Sloshing through the mud as we regained the fence line.

Koloa Cabin

Approaching our home for the night. Would Tessa’s gamble pay off?

Koloa Cabin

Wash time.

Koloa Cabin

Enjoying our brief and somewhat dry spell in the cabin as we plugged holes so no rats would come around, filtered water, cooked ourselves dinner and most of the group medicated themselves to sleep for the night.

Laie Trail

Day 2
Chris started early on the hike that is a study in contrasts according to Stuart Ball, to join us at the summit.

Koloa Cabin

We cleaned up the place and took a parting group shot.

Koloa Cabin

Leaving the most spacious cabin on the KST.

KST

Tessa getting her feet back in the mud.

KST

Going down the steep fenced hill.

KST

Ryan against the background of the Waianae Mountain Range.

KST

Following the fence line for the last time on this trail.

KST

Dropping down into the bowl shaped depression.

KST

Meandering our way through the mountains with sweeping views of the coastline.

Laie Summit

Meeting up with Chris at the 2,240′ foxhole of a summit.

KST

Leaving the summit behind us as we resumed our hike on the trail.

KST

Man on the ridge line.

KST

Following the trail carved into the sides of the mountains as it meandered through the Ko’olau Mountain Range.

KST

We can thank the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the US Army for carving the KST out of the mountains back in the 1930s.

KST

The KST was not made for hikers but rather for the military and pig hunters to access the previously inaccessible mountains.

KST

Tree hugger.

KST

Halfway there! Let’s have lunch.

KST

Back on the trail that was in serious need of trimming and then some.

KST

Face in the tree.

KST

Taking a break from the cloying and constant overgrowth.

KST

Let’s go that way. Never argue with a man with a machete.

KST

Going through the forest that was seemingly covered with moist moss.

KST

Rainbow in the mountains.

KST

Somebody looked slightly annoyed as we followed the trail that no longer looked like a trail.

KST

Climbing our way back up to the ridge line.

KST

The group emerging from the forest of constant poking and pulling.

KST

Approaching our last summit of the weekend. We were not out of the woods yet.

KST

Crawling through tunnels of overgrowth.

KST

I fought the uluhe and the uluhe won.

Pu’u Hina

Somebody disentangled the leaves, sticks and ferns in her hair while somebody else self-medicated their private parts. Turn away. Not safe for children.

Pu’u Hina

Group photo at Pupukea Summit, no need to stand up. This is also considered the junction for the abandoned Kahuku Trail built in the 1920s that has since been reclaimed by Mother Nature.

KST

Leaving the summit behind us.

Black Junction

The “official” end or start of the Ko’olau Summit Trail.

Pupukea Trail

We were still not out of the woods yet and caught the setting sun as we made our way down to the road.

Military Road

The one and done crew exiting the trail.

Military Road

Height check.

Military Road

Less walking, more running. You got a wife to meet at the bottom of the road.

Military Road

Things that go BOO in the night. Got me good.

All pau

Big shout out to Lilia for waiting several hours over the projected exit time and picking us up at the end of the dark and deserted road. Post hike meal was not at the much anticipated, mouth watering Haleiwa Joe’s thick cut of prime rib. Due to the late hour, we ended up eating at the nearby McDonald’s. In the parking lot.

GPS Tracks

Our grueling and taxing camping weekend with a good group that weathered the hike with a couple scratches to spare and ferns stuck in odd places covered over 18 miles where the country is still country.

Photos taken by Aileen Agustin, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Ryan Meyer, 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.

Back to the muddiest section on the KST to help another friend connect his dots. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Trailhead

A big thanks to Edgar for driving Art, Katie, Tessa and myself up the mud caked jeep road. At one point, we thought we might either have to get out and walk or push. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

We all answered the call of nature in our own ways as we started on the trail.

Poamoho Trail

So far, it was just another day on the same graded trail that we have hiked countless times. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Poamoho Trail

We turned around the bend and it became a totally different day and trail. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Looking down straight to the stream. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Didn’t there used to be steps around here? Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

The landslide had wiped out the trail down to the rock in some sections. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Poamoho Trail

Crossing the loose and unstable topsoil on the trail. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Poamoho Trail

Another perspective looking back at the mass wasting on the trail.

Poamoho Trail

Katie going up what I call the drainage ditch.

Poamoho Trail

Finding our way over a massive blowdown that was covered with a carpet of uluhe ferns. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Lost & Found

It wasn’t Art’s size, so he returned it to its rightful owner. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Poamoho Trail

Mother Nature had scarred the side of the ridge as she took everything down in her path. Trees, stones, dirt and plants got pushed down to the stream. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Poamoho Trail

Art crossing over the new trail. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Poamoho Trail

Standing on the exposed rock. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Poamoho Trail

This was by far, the most devastating rupture that the landslides did to the trail. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Katie contouring her way around the massive landslide.

Poamoho Trail

Tessa scrambling her way across the slippery slope. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Katie threading her way through the last major blowdown.

Poamoho Trail

Art stepping carefully on the fallen trees as he made his way across. Some of us weighed more than the others. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Poamoho Trail

Working my way around some trees to make my way across to some other trees. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Poamoho Trail

Art traversing the last landslide on the trail.

Poamoho Trail

I was sure glad that we were off the maintained trail and hiking the unmaintained portion of the trail. Well, that’s what the sign said.

Poamoho Trail

Heading into the gulch to go over the stream crossing.

Poamoho Trail

Approaching the cloud soaked and wind blasted summit. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Poamoho Summit

The clouds soon cleared, but the winds stayed behind. Good enough for photographic opportunities.

Cline Memorial

Leaving the 2,520′ summit behind us for mud soaked trails and spectacular ridge, valley and coastline views. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Snail habitat

Unlocking the gate that set us free on the KST, but not the snails. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Art contouring below the fence line on an old landslide. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Misty mountains. Photo by Art Young.

KST

Art standing on the historic KST carved out of the mountains in the 1930s overlooking the Leeward ridges and the Waianae Mountain Range. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Tessa pushing up the hill to reconnect to the fence line. Photo by Art Young.

KST

Art and Tessa approaching the intersection where the old and new trails meet.

KST

Following in Art’s deep footsteps through the muddy spots on the trail. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Catch me if you can.

KST

Going down the fence line as it followed the convoluted landscape. Photo by Art Young.

KST

Approaching the iconic boot junction. Soon to be replaced by the more iconic slippah. Photo by Art Young.

Boot Junction

Some of us got booted off the sign.

Boot Junction

Going over the fence line.

Fence Meadows

Crossing the spongy ground to get to the other side. Photo by Art Young.

Fence Meadows

Standing on the fence to get a better view of the valleys below us. Photo by Katie Bingham.

KST

Enjoying a more expansive view further up the fence line. Photo by Art Young.

KST

Looking at Opae’ula Cabin in the distance. Photo by Katie Bingham.

KST

Going down the fence line down where we soon detoured and followed the trickling stream bed to explore a waterfall. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Waterfall #1

Nothing to write home about … Photo by Art Young.

Waterfall #1

… but good enough to take a photo. Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui NAR

We kept to the left to stay on trail. Go to the right to see more waterfalls. Photo by Art Young.

KST

Huh. What the hell. Oh my gosh. Disgusting. It was disgusting. Level inflection was maintained throughout. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Kaluanui NAR

Is this the beginning or the end?

Rabbit Hole

Pushing through the overgrowth on the mud soaked trail. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

You know it’s getting serious when somebody puts on their gloves, the mud was deep. Photo by Art Young.

KST

The fence sprawl has gradually spread throughout the mountains. Photo by Katie Bingham.

Papali Junction

I was too hungry and cold to smile at the camera. Slurping down a hot bowl of pho was priority on my list. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Katie coming up through a corridor of moss encrusted trees.

Waterfall #2

Looking at another massive landslide on thankfully another ridge with a small gurgling waterfall besides it. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

How long have I been hiking with this stick?

KST

Art making his way on the somewhat narrow trail masked with overgrowth and pitted with false holes and tripping roots, branches and vines.

Scenic rock

Tessa skirting around the scenic-less rock, but gave it a hug nonetheless. Photo by Art Young.

Waterfall #3

Spotting a waterfall coming out of the mountains. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Meandering our way through the KST. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Waterfall #4

Another waterfall spotted running off the side of the mountain. This is probably the most waterfalls I have seen on this section of the KST. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Art climbing his way out of the notch. We are almost there! To the cabin that is.

Waterfall #5

Looking at a waterfall coming out of the landslide. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

We soon regained the fence line which meant we were close to the cabin. Locked? Unlocked? Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Disgusted much? Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Koloa Cabin

Some of us didn’t handle our approach down to the cabin as gracefully as the others.

Koloa Cabin

No liquor was consumed in the production of this photo.

Koloa Cabin

Outside the cabin that had a new door and fresh paint.

Chariots of Fire

The traditional mud race upon leaving the cabin. Art enjoyed the fruits of victory, while I enjoyed the spoils of the pungent mud. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Waterfall #6

Spotting our last waterfall on the nearby ridge. Malaekahana Falls? Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Art making his way on the trail that was covered and carpeted with cascading uluhe ferns.

Dale’s Birthday

Aida, Dale, Cisco, Hana, Jenn, Lilyn, Quan and Sally had hiked up the Laie Trail, frolicked in the waterfalls and ended at the summit. While waiting for us, they celebrated a past birthday.

KST

Sloshing through the bowl shaped depression. I was so over the mud. Photo by Art Young.

Laie Summit

Trying to beat the clock as the group didn’t want to wait one minute past the hour. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Quan’s Birthday

Celebrating a future birthday.

Laie Summit

#15. Pouring my traditional celebratory champagne over Art to congratulate him for completing his last section needed to finish the Ko’olau Summit Trail which spans from Makapu’u to Pupukea. Welcome to the club. No secret handshake, just an empty champagne bottle to mark your induction.

Laie Summit

Group photo left to right: myself, Katie, Aida, Quan, Tessa, Art, Lilyn, Sally and Cisco.

Laie Trail

Taking our leave of the 2,240′ summit. Photo by Art Young.

Laie Trail

Working our way down the muddy trail. Photo by Sally Chow.

Laie Trail

Brushing our way on the uluhe carpeted ridge line.

Laie Trail

You guys call this a landslide? Photo by Art Young.

Laie Trail

Flanking the side of the steep cliff. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Laie Trail

Somebody was overly optimistic in saying we could get down within 90 minutes. You’re the forgetful hiker and not the fast hiker. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Laie Falls Junction

We became night marchers in more ways than one, from this point down to the road. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Laie Trail

The Hawaiian version of bread crumbs. Photo by Sally CHow.

All pau

Exiting the trail where we passed one farmer who was surprised to see us, possibly thinking we were poachers. Shout out to Cisco and Quan for driving us back to our cars in Mililani. Most of us just wanted to crawl into a shower and hit the sack, so no post hike meal today.

GPS Tracks

Our 15.5 mile hike had an unforgettable beginning and a memorable finish through the Northern Ko’olau Mountains. Congrats again to Art for completing the KST.

Note: DLNR has shut down Poamoho Trail as of March 15, 2021 due to trail conditions.

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.

Team BASK had its rare meet up in the mountains this weekend. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Trailhead

Mahalo to Edgar for driving Analyn, Bill, Shirley and myself up the bumpy jeep road. No cows sighted this time around.

Poamoho Trail

Passing through the barriers that filtered only two legged hikers onto the trail.

Poamoho Trail

Heading into the gulch with a trickle that was barely passable as a stream.

Poamoho Trail

Isolated pockets of still flowering lobelia punctuated the trail on our approach to the windswept grassy hump.

Poamoho Summit

Group photo at the 2,520′ summit, where I also discovered one of my slippers had popped out of my backpack. Not again.

Poamoho Summit

The views did not disappoint as did the winds. It was blowing hard at the summit.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Sheltered from the winds as we made our way on the Leeward side of the trail.

Poamoho Cabin

We ran into a group of bullfrog hunters that were staying at the cabin, where we topped out our bladders and bottles, left a cupcake surprise for the birthday girl and alerted Tessa and company of the situation. Photos and facetiming slowly convinced her of the impending cabin conflict.

KST

Back on the fenced trail.

KST

Analyn hiking out on what I like to call the “runway.” The runway to spectacular scenic views second to none.

KST

Looking back at the trail cut into the side of the mountain. Photo by Shirley Gloriani.

Pauao Junction

The overgrown trail that goes down into Kahana Valley.

KST

Our pic … Photo by Analyn Baliscao.

KST

… for your pic. Photo by Shirley Gloriani.

KST

Hugging the side of the cliff as the winds were really gusting hard in the mountains today.

KST

The winds were so loud that it drowned out YawYaw#2, no small feat I can tell you.

KST

Even the endangered Ko’olau Goose was being battered and stripped of its feathers. Photo by Analyn Baliscao.

KST

Analyn approaching the junction.

Schofield-Waikane Junction

Group photo at what is arguably the superior viewpoint of the valleys below us.

KST

Brushing past one of many loulu palm trees that dotted the trail.

KST

Making our way over the uneven terrain towards the split in the trail.

Waikane-Waiahole Junction

Blink and you’ll miss it.

KST

Traversing the now well-trodden landslide.

KST

Looking out into the rugged landscape.

KST

Wait, why are we doing this section again? After some of us said one and done?

KST

Bill was doing some kind of obscene dance over Shirley as she was tying her shoes. It’s okay, they’re engaged.

KST

Analyn rounding the bend in the trail.

KST

Following the fenced line down towards the first clumping of sugi pine trees.

Tree of Life

Group photo with the horizontal pine tree. I should work on my camera angles.

Tree of Life

Climbing our way out of the meadows as the winds tried to push us back.

Selfie Stick Junction

Might as well make myself comfortable as we’ll be stuck here for quite awhile.

KST

Passing through the notch as we dropped into the grove of Japanese Sugi pine trees.

Camp Rusty

Three tents made the campsite more comfortable.

Camp Tessa

Meanwhile back at the cabin, Tessa and her group had somehow convinced the other group to camp outside. They partied the night away with my missing slipper that was recovered by Jenn. Happy Birthday YawYaw #3.

Camp Rusty

We woke up after a night of intermittent rain showers to stunning morning views. Chris had already left the cabin with the snoozing and snoring group in the dark to catch up with us.

KST

Climbing out of our campsite as we approached our first of many hills for the day.

KST

Looking back at the Windward valleys populated with ridges and peaks. Photo by Bill Yogi.

KST

Climbing up the steep hill was our morning wake up call.

Kipapa Summit

Where tomato becomes tomatoe.

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

The trail soon followed the summit crest rather than contouring and meandering in the mountains.

KSRT

Bill traversing the summit trail with Windward and Leeward views on both sides.

KSRT

Getting your head out of somebody’s else arse is a lot easier than your own. Photo by Shirley Gloriani.

KSRT

Approaching the gap, which has seemingly lost its cardio bite over the repeated visits.

Waiawa Gap

Dropping down the thickly vegetated saddle.

Waiawa Gap

Approaching the middle of the gap, where we all buttoned up in anticipation of the onslaught of female honey bees with their barbed stingers.

Waiawa Gap

We all survived the non-existent bee attack.

KSRT

Shaka to the sky.

KSRT

The random window openings were always a treat for our eyes. Photo by Shirley Gloriani.

KSRT

The goat soon caught up with us. Somewhere around this spot, I found a free drone that I had to give back to its rightful owner at the end of the hike. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KSRT

Everybody had their own opinion on this trail section, some more obscenely than others. Photo by Shirley Gloriani.

Never say Never

Team BASK on their last group photo on this section, as three vowed never to set foot on this route again. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Corner

Dropping off the ridge to look for much needed water. Photo by Shirley Gloriani.

Corner

The lower creek was running dry, so we followed the creek to its source where we found enough standing water to filter and fill our bottles and bladders.

Corner

Life in the creek, some were more active than others.

Corner

We left the cloud soaked meadow with our packs a little heavier from the mountain water.

KSRT

There is always time for another photo. And another. And another. To be continued. Photo by Shirley Gloriani.

KSRT

Chris making his way to the last summit of the day.

KSRT

Are we there yet? Are we here?

Manana Summit

The champagne got turned on myself as this hike marked my 11th completion of the KST.

Manana Summit

Drone photo by Bill Yogi of our group at the 2,660′ knob.

Manana Trail

Leaving the summit for the 5.5 mile ungraded trail or as Shirley calls it, the b*tch trail.

Manana Trail

Analyn making her way down from the top.

Manana Trail

Somewhere in the mountains, it was hump day. We were smack dab in the middle of it.

Manana Trail

Approaching the helipad where Aida had hiked up to meet us. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Manana Trail

Thanks to Aida for bringing me a frozen bottle of carbonated goodness. But first, Analyn didn’t let any of the overflow go to waste. Good until the last drop.

Manana Trail

Group photo, left to right: Aida, Chris, myself, Shirley, Bill and Analyn. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Manana Trail

Contact with the fence line. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Manana Trail

Looking back as we closed the gate on hump day ad nauseam. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Manana Trail

Analyn going down one of the steeper sections with the help of a rope.

Manana Trail

Walking through the grassy fields as we approached the picnic shelter. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Nature Walk

Taking pictures as it will last longer. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Manana Trail

Analyn crossing over the eroded section of the trail. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Scared Stoopid

Only one was scared, the others were either too tired or saw the terrifying group of Lilyn, Quan, and Tessa before they could spring their surprise scare.

Champagne Celebration

Another bottle of perfectly good alcohol going to waste. Photo by Aida Gordon.

All pau

Walking out the road to our cars.

GPS Tracks

Our camping hike covered 18 miles through the Northern Ko’olau Mountains with good friends and fun company. Looking forward to the next Team BASK reunion, which will probably be in six months to a year. LOL. Post hike meal at Outback Steakhouse. Clam chowder was finally back on the menu. It’s the small things that counts. Thanks to Quan for dropping Analyn and myself off in Mililani where we had parked our cars.

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.

I celebrated Thanksgiving in the mountains with me being the only turkey on the trail. Thanks to Edgar for dropping me off at the trailhead.

Trailhead

Not being particularly fleet of foot, I always thought this route was a comfortable two-day camping hike. I decided to push outside my comfort zone and finish it off in one day.

Poamoho Trail

Looking at the summit from the halfway point, the forecast for views didn’t look promising. I skimmed the informational sign and just hoped there were no leftover cannibals lurking in the valley.

Poamoho Summit

I arrived at the summit at 0730 to find the winds pushing me around and the clouds masking the views. Time to set foot on the Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST).

Lobelia gaudichaudii

Ran across plants from the bellflower family on the tail end of their blooming season below the fenced ridge line.

KST

Enjoying the brief interlude on the trail with no fences around.

Hawaiian Mint

Back on the fence line with the plant that takes the mint out of mint.

Da Boot

Arrived at the junction at 0830 with the boot and sign that has seen better days. The rain decided to keep the winds company on the trail.

KST

Struggling to stay warm and find views on the trail.

Kaluanui NAR

Entering the first established natural area reserve on the island. Stay left.

Mud pits

Oh yeah, let’s not forget the sole sucking mud on the trail. Character building.

Rabbit Hole

Plunging into more mud and overgrowth on the trail. More character building.

Papali Junction

Got to the sign-less junction at 0930. Sat down and ate a snickers bar. I became myself again after finishing off the chocolate bar.

KST

Winding my way through the Northern KST. Wish I could’ve seen more of it.

Koloa Cabin

Arrived at the largest cabin on the KST at 1130.

Koloa Cabin

Seeking temporary refuge from the biting winds and freezing rain, I sat down shivering and chattering, while I scribbled in the logbook and munched on my musubi.

KST

Leaving behind the fence line for good on the trail as I made my way towards the summit.

Laie Summit

Got to the 2,240′ foxhole at 1300 and took shelter from the biting wind. No views around. Left the summit after I had another Snickers bar and a short break.

Laie Falls

Halfway down and the sun came out to play. Never fails.

Laie Trail

Tasting the feeling underneath the pine trees as it was still ice cold. Why not? I was hiking all day in basically a giant refrigerator.

All pau

Leaving the trail around 1545 and walking out surrounded by farmland. Is that my ride?

GPS Tracks

My cross over on the muddiest section of the KST covered 15.4 miles where I was pardoned from being a hiking turkey. A big mahalo to Quan for picking me up and driving me back to my car in Mililani. Thankful to have friends like her and she also brought me turkey and all the fixings for my dinner. Happy Thanksgiving!

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.