Chris B, Chris C, Gen and myself joined the HTMC on hiking this recently cleared trail in Hau’ula. We recognized some familiar faces in the group that included Bernice, Dale, David, Erik, Thea and Wyatt.

Maakua road

Thea, the hike coordinator, gave the standard briefing and then we all flowed down the road, parting for traffic until we came to the gate. Photo by Chris Chun.

Gate

Who has the keys?

Trailhead

The group entering the Hau’ula Loop Trail.

Stream crossing

Traffic jam. Over thirty hikers trying to cross. One at a time. Photo by David Johnson.

Switchback

The group ascending the first switchback to start the loop trail.

Kaipapau Gulch

Another hike for another day. Photo by David Johnson.

Steps

To step or not to step?

Dog leash junction

We kept to the right and followed the ridge up.

Return ridge

Looking at the ridge that we would take back down.

Trail

The trail started to get a little steep and somewhat muddy. Hang onto those plants. Photo by David Johnson.

Tree hugger

Some trees are made for hugging.

Tree break

Some trees are just made for sitting and sprawling. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

Almost there

It’s almost lunch time.

Steep

The final push to the top. Photo by Chris Chun.

Ridge view

Looking back at the ridge we had just hiked. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

Panoramic view

Click here for the larger image.

Lunch spot

Group photo by Chris Chun, left to right: Chris C, Gen, myself and Chris B. There was a ridge at the top that connected to the Castle trail. Another hike for another day.

Deep thoughts

Some of us were thinking, while one kept talking. Perhaps it was time to go back down already. Photo by Chris Chun.

Going down

The group leaving the lunch spot and their deep thoughts behind. Photo by David Johnson.

Looking back

Dale and Chris making their way down.

Going down

The rest of the group making their way down from the top. Photo by Chris Chun.

Going up

HTMC volunteers had spent over a year clearing and opening this trail. Big mahalos for their selfless work and dedication to keeping the trails open for the rest of us.

Hanging out

Some of us took turns hanging off this sturdy ohia tree. We are easily amused. Photos by David Johnson.

Looking out

Click here for the larger image.

Black balls

Did these fruits/seeds die on the branch? Or is this how nature tells predators to forage elsewhere in the interest of self preservation? Random thoughts.

Trail

Chris leaving the last section of uluhe behind us.

Trail

The group entering the cool shade of the pine trees.

Trash day

Under Thea’s direction, we scooped up the remnants of somebody’s long abandoned shelter and took it with us. Hope no homeless person was affected by this movement. Photos by Chris Chun and David Johnson.

Trail

This trail was tailor made for jogging down with a sack of rubbish.

Junction

The loop came full circle. We’re almost out of the woods.

Where’s the dump?

We continued down the road peppered with questions from curious neighbors. It’s a body. It’s a pig. It’s just rubbish. Photo by Chris Bautista.

All pau

The trash was put into its proper place, Chris was helping himself to Justin’s fresh cut fruits and funny faces were being made. All’s right with the world. Photos by David Johnson and Genesaret Balladares.

Post hike meal

Taking out the trash made us hungry, so we all stopped at Papa Ole’s for their garlic chicken, pulehu ribs and roast pork. Group picture left side, back to front: Gen, myself, Thea, Daniel and Bernice. Right side, back to front: Chris B, Chris C, Justin, David, Dale and Erik.

GPS Tracks

The looping hike covered 5.02 miles. It was a cool little hike on the North Shore with a great hiking club.

Our group consisting of Alex, Chris B, Chris C, Gen, Glenn, Jasmin, Ryan and myself met up with the HTMC for this normally restricted trail in Haleiwa. The combined group numbered at least two dozen. Our plan was to separate from the HTMC group at the Kawailoa summit and go down the Laie trail. Bernice, Erik and Patrick had the same idea. Hiking minds think alike.

The less traveled road

After Ralph, the HTMC hike leader, sorted out who were traversing the Koolaus and who was coming back, we all piled into several trucks to drive to the trailhead.

Don’t follow the arrow

Our truck was the last to reach the trailhead. We all jumped out and went into the bushes.

Open field

One of the HTMC hikers, Patrick, explained to us that the club encourages these hikes as they keep trails like these alive. The Wahiawa Camp of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a public work relief program to help out the unemployed during the Great Depression, built this trail back in 1934. Walking on history.

Cleared trail

The club had cleared roughly half the trail to the summit two weeks earlier. Made the initial hike a lot easier. No bushwhacking involved.

No breaks

The hiking pace was steady without breaks. Those HTMC hikers are hardcore! Gen was trying to catch up to Peg Foster, a silver haired hiker that put many of us to shame.

Uluhe

Glad the head high uluhe fern sections were cleared. Can’t imagine swimming through those thickets of forked ferns.

Not so cleared

The trail soon became muddier in terms of overgrowth and literally. But thanks to the hard work of Gordon Junior Lau and Roger Breton, who were on point bushwhacking to the summit, it was barely a blip as we pushed forward. The mud we couldn’t help but notice, thanks to its constant presence and the numerous shrieks from Nanae.

Kawailoa Wind Farm

Providing 69 megawatts of power to the public and bumping off bats and birds since 2012. Photo by Ryan Meyers.

Lunch spot?

Patrick had designated this Australian tea grove as the turn around point for those not summiting. Dale, Nanae, Svenga and Wyatt decided to head to the summit with the rest of the group. The rest of the HTMC group, including Jasmin, turned around and went back down.

Loulou Palm Tree

Passing Hawaii’s only native palm tree. No, it’s not the coconut tree.

Ridge

We are getting close. Very close.

Waianae range

Coast to coast view. True wilderness country out there. No signs of civilization as far as the eye can see.

Final push

We found Gordon and Roger resting at the base of the summit after their exhausting bushwhacking drive to the summit. Big mahalo for their help.

Kawailoa summit

Kudos to Dale for persevering and making it to the summit with us. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Helipad

Bernice and Chris B walking past the scattered planks of the Kawailoa helipad.

Kawailoa summit

Group photo at the 2,360′ summit. Standing left to right: Chris B, Patrick, Glenn, Ryan, Nanae, Wyatt and Alex. Crouching left to right: Svenga, Dale, Chris C, Gen, Bernice and Erik.

Pre-paid tickets?

The group making their way down the bowl shaped depression to gain the KST. Somebody didn’t have her pre-paid ticket to join us. I guess we can overlook it this one time.

H20

Ryan filling up for the trip back down. Patrick showed us this handy water source in case we ever found ourselves parched in this neck of the woods. I also got to try out my spanking brand new Steripen. Ryan didn’t get sick, so I guess it worked.

KST

Patrick and Ryan making their way along the winding Koolau Summit Trail.

Laie summit

Another summit, another view. We can only hope.

Horse shoe

Group photo in the foxhole at the 2,240′ summit, right before the clouds wiped out the views.

Laie trail

Another CCC project that was finished in 1935, that was originally called the Wailele Trail.

Koolau Range lobelia

Only found on Oahu.

Mud trail

I was half expecting to hear more shrieks. Thankfully only the sounds of conversation floated through the air.

Landslide

The only notable landslide seen on the trail.

Laie

Going down, we noticed several trenches on the side of the trail that were dug by the Army in WW2 in case the Japanese invaded. They would have packed them with explosives to prevent the Japanese from using the trail. Now you know the rest of the story.

Follow the sign

The trail going down to Kahawainui Stream.

Going down

Descending down to the falls.

Swimming hole

Half of us jumped into the water and the other half cleaned their shoes and spikes.

Laie Falls

Group photo at the 15′ waterfalls. Dale and Erik elected to stay topside and waited for us to come back up.

Tree hugger

Some people just have to hug.

Cook or Norfolk?

Hiking through the towering conifers.

Dirt hiking

No dirt bikers on the trails today. We had it all to ourselves.

Casual hiking

Soggy shoes leads to slipper hiking.

All pau

The group taking a collective rest as we stepped off the official end/beginning of Laie trail. Now, it was just a short walk to our cars.

Got signs?

I think we got the message. The colorful signs and wording seemed to have been toned down from my last visit here.

GPS Tracks

The crossing of the KST from Haleiwa to Laie covered 17.68 miles but a good 5 miles of that was paved road. Many thanks to HTMC for hosting and keeping trails such as these open for hikers. Post hike meal at Teddy’s Bigger Burgers. Happy hour. Happy hikers.

When I heard that HTMC was going down Waiakeakua Falls, I jumped at the chance to go visit another new place. Glenn picked me up and we met the other club members by the Manoa Chinese Cemetery. We also witnessed why hikers in general get a bad rap from the stupid minority of hikers who fail to exercise common sense. Another hiker with a different group blocked somebody’s driveway and some sort of accident ensued, with the obvious unpleasant outcome as a result. I fail to see why people can’t just follow a couple rules – don’t block people’s driveways, don’t use their garden hoses, don’t leave trash and don’t make a lot of noise. Is that too much to ask? Time to get off my soapbox and start hiking!

The briefing

Thea, the hike leader, told us during the briefing that we weren’t going down Waiakeakua Falls as originally planned, but would instead go down Manoa Middle Ridge. Bummers. I saw a couple of familiar faces in the group, Bob and Randy, from prior hikes.

Which way to go?

A couple hikers split from the main group and went on the Puu Pia trail. They wanted to go up the Manoa Middle Ridge and would meet us at the top.

Kolowalu Trail

The rest of us made our way uphill on the Kolowalu trail.

Wa’ahila Trail

An hour later, we were at the junction that went up the “unmaintained” part of the Wa’ahila trail.

Clearing

It was shaping up to be a nice day on the Koolau’s. There are three of these clearings as you make your way up to Olympus. Perfect times to take pictures and catch your breath.

Panoramic view of town

Click here for the larger image.

Dirt + Water = Mud

When Mother Nature turns on the faucets, this section literally becomes a mud slide.

Mount Olympus

This is the closest we came to Olympus. Even though the hike was billed as going to Olympus, there were no takers. What a shame as Olympus is usually swathed in clouds, today was the exception.

Headed to the Koolau Summit Ridge Trail

We went back down the trail a bit until we connected to the KSRT ( Koolau Summit Ridge Trail ).

Koolau Summit Ridge Trail

It’s always a blast to be walking on top of the Koolau’s, especially when the weather cooperates and gives unrestricted views as far as the eye can see.

Looking for the “sedan” rock

As we made our way along the ridge, we failed to see the rock formation that looked like a “sedan.” Must have been more like a smart car. But we did pass the trail that would have took us down to Waiakeakua Falls. Another hike for another day.

Which way does the wind blow?

It’s always interesting to see how the wind shapes the trees and terrain up in the mountains.

Making it up to the Manoa Middle Ridge

The rest of the group making their way up to meet us at the top of Manoa Middle.

Lunch time

What a lunch spot!

Manoa Valley

After we filled our bellies and stretched our legs, some of us headed down the Manoa Middle Ridge. Hikers can thank the HTMC for clearing this trail going down into Manoa Valley. The rest stayed to enjoy the views a little bit longer. Who could blame them?

A big tree

As we lost elevation coming down the ridge, these huge trees started looming over us and forming a canopy at the lower elevation.

Ridge going down towards Waiakeakua Falls

We spotted the ridge that would have taken us to Waiakeakua Falls to our left.

Upstream

Exploring a little bit upstream, we found a rock dating back to 1891. It’s always amazing what one can find in these valleys. You just have to take the time to look.

Queen’s Bath

The water at this popular watering hole was so crisp and clear, it was almost out of a spring water commercial.

Until we meet again

We bid farewell to one of the group as he followed the stream out to his house in Manoa. We had a short cardio blast going up this small hill past these huge Chinese Fan Palm Trees.

Puu Pia trail

After a short climb to the top, we made a left and followed the Puu Pia trail out back to our cars.

GPS tracks

The 5.4 mile leisurely paced hike took us about 5 1/2 hours to complete. Even though we didn’t get to go down Waiakeakua Falls, it was still a fun hike.

We made the hour drive to the North Shore to meet up with the HTMC ( Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club ) to do their annual hike to Three Corners. We parked right outside the Mokuleia Forest Reserve Access Road, which is very popular with walkers, runners and bicyclists. After the obligatory briefing and checking in with the hike leader, we shoved off a little past 9am.

Gulch

We walked about two miles on the paved road until we came to a bend in the road and then hopped over the guardrail into the gulch. Parts of the gulch floor were covered with kukui nut shells which felt like ball bearings under our feet as we walked over them. We soon climbed over a fence meant to keep out pigs and other animals that can harm the native plants and birds. Then we followed the fenceline all the way to the top.

Mokuleia Trail

We eventually connected to the Mokuleia Trail where we ran into a couple Boy Scouts who were shoveling and compacting the trail. Be prepared. A little later, we walked into the HTMC camping site. After a brief water stop, we took the path going up Makua rim to continue the hike to Three Corners.

Ohikilolo ridge

We got to the top of Makua rim and took a left towards the trail to Three Corners. If you take a right you will hit the Kuaokala Trail that will take you to the northern end of the Waianae mountain range.

Follow the fenceline

We continued to follow the sign and fenceline as the ridge rollercoastered going up and down, mainly down. While the fence is a blight on the landscape, it sure does come in handy as a handhold.

Makaha valley

We got to to the top of Three Corners around 12:30pm. Just in time to eat lunch. Some of our hiking group had got separated and took a longer route to get to the top, but they didn’t seem the worse for wear.

Makua valley

Three Corners is aptly named because at this point you can see the valleys of Makua, Makaha and Mokuleia.

Mokuleia

We spent about half an hour up at the top eating lunch and taking pictures. Weather conditions cooperated in giving us a great hike and the the views that go along with it.

Peacock Flats

After our group came back down from the ridge and assembled at the HTMC camping site, two exit options were offered. Most of the hiking group decided to return the way we had come from. Our smaller group elected to continue down Mokuleia Trail, pass Peacock Flats and descend down the nearly four mile paved road back to the trailhead. While our route did prove faster coming down, it was harder on the feet as my blisters soon proved. And I had the Great Aloha Run the next day.

Glider

We got back to our cars after six hours of hiking and covering over ten miles. I wish I knew somebody who had the keys to these DLNR gates. That would sure save a lot of time pounding the pavement.

Kaena Point can be approached from the Waianae side or the Mokuleia side. We met up with the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club in the Kaena Point State Reserve Park parking lot at the end of Mokuleia.

Jeep road

Our large group of about 20 hikers started walking on this two mile stretch of uneven road, which is shared with fishermen driving their off road trucks and mountain bikers. We also saw a couple of planes and gliders fly overhead from nearby Dillingham Airfield. Kaena means “the heat” in Hawaiian, a very fitting name. There is no shade from the hot sun, none at all. Be prepared with sunscreen and hats.

Trailhead

We soon came to the entrance of the Kaena Point Nature Reserve. From this point, due to obvious reasons, off road trucks are not permitted, only hikers and mountain bikers can pass through. The club said they had obtained a special permit to access the reserve, but I saw a number of mountain bikers pass through this gate with no “special permits.”

Spirit Leap Rock

Along the trail, we saw the Spirt Leap Rock or leina a ka ‘uhane, where in Hawaiian mythology, the recently passed would use this place as a jumping point into the afterlife.

Lighthouse – new and old

The lighthouse marks the tip of Kaena Point. The original concrete lighthouse can be seen to the right where it fell over.

Waianae Mountain Range

Looking back at the Waianae Mountain Range.

Look!

Mari pointing to a Hawaiian Monk Seal.

Hawaiian Monk Seal

We saw this Hawaiian Monk Seal sunbathing in one of the coves. They are federally protected, so do not approach them to closely or bother them.

Tidepools

The reserve is ringed with tidepools teeming with all sorts of marine life. During winter time, the surf rivals and exceeds the monster waves at Waimea Bay. Due to it’s remoteness, few surfers come out here to ride them.

Sea Cucumber

Checking out a sea cucumber, a fellow Chinese hiker was telling me that in China, this is considered an expensive delicacy. What are you waiting for?

Sea Urchin

Looking at another marine delicacy, sea urchin. The Japanese call it uni, which they slather on top of sushi. Hold the wasabi.

Albatross chick

We left the waters to trek inland to see an albatross chick out of his nest which was right on the edge of the trail. They are building a pest fence that would contain most of the ocean facing areas from the mountain areas in an effort to prevent feral pigs, dogs and rodents from entering the preserve and eating the eggs and chicks.

Black footed Albatross

Along with the Black footed albatross, the preserve is also home to the Wedge Tailed Shearwater birds and other seabirds as well as endangered plants, some only found at Kaena Point.

Going back

Eventually we made our way back on the trail, hiking a total of around five miles. It was a nice exploratory hike on the West side.