We all met up at the town that used to be a sanctuary for fugitives until they were abolished in 1819.

Laie

The original plan was to ascend all 18 waterfalls until we reached the top of Laie Falls to celebrate Kenny’s birthday. However, a raft of issues such as anxiety, centipede or spider bite, gout, cyst, bad knee, bad foot and other issues literally forced a change in the direction of the hike to make it accommodating to all. For a minute, I thought I was working at Straub ER.

Laie Trail

Hiking over the eroded path as we pushed our way to the grove of pine trees.

Laie Trail

Chico literally going out on a limb.

Laie Trail

Walking under the towering Norfolk pine trees that can live up to 200 years under the right conditions.

Laie

The timing was fortuitous as CB caught up to the group just as we were going off the trail to descend down to the stream.

Laie

Most of us went down the direct express way – on our butts, while others sensibly used the strawberry guava trees on their descent.

Laie

How’s that working out for you?

Laie

You guys okay?

Laie

Dropping down to the stream.

Laie

The others making their way down.

Wailele Stream

Smack dab in the middle of mangrove country. Fun. Fun. Fun.

Wailele Stream

The group going over, under and through the tangled branches.

Wailele Stream

Akira “walking” on water as he navigates his way downstream.

Wailele Stream

Looking for those waterfalls that Edgar mentioned that a couple of our friends had explored downstream on a prior hike.

Wailele Stream

Chico taking the Polar Bear Plunge. Hawaii version.

Wailele Stream

Rock hopping our way down the perennial stream which measures 12.5 miles from top to bottom.

Wailele Stream

Sighting of the elusive strawberry fungi tree. Found only at mid-elevations with inconsistent water flow.

Wailele Stream

Cristy and Allison hiking their way through the stream whose name literally means waterfall. Speaking of that.

Wailele Stream

Remind me again why I don’t really care for waterfall hikes? Well I guess this doesn’t really count, as we have yet to see one.

Wailele Stream

Alexis and Kenny still searching.

Wailele Stream

Maybe it’s under this tree? Maybe not. The waterfalls downstream are like unicorns.

Wailele Stream

Cristy pulling leaves from her butt that got stuck there during our slide down the hill from the trail above us.

Wailele Stream

Happy Birthday Kenny! Many happy returns. Where did that cupcake come from? Cristy?

Wailele Stream

Chico substituting happy birthday punches with water squirts. Better for the skin. Moisturizing and not bruising.

Wailele Stream

Time to blow this waterfall-less stream and make our way back to the ridge line above us.

Laie

Pulling ourselves up through the thicket of strawberry guava trees.

Laie

Bushwhacking our way up the trail. What trail?

Laie

CB enjoying a brief respite from the cloying overgrowth.

Laie

Allison enjoying her decision to wear long pants instead of shorts on this hike.

Laie

Chico flashbacking to his Army days as he low crawled through the uluhe ferns.

Laie

The birthday boy probably thinking he should wished for a different hike.

Laie

You can see Edgar’s shakas somewhere in that hot mess of a jungle.

Laie

Forced smiles. We are smiling on the inside.

Laie

Pushing through this insufferable overgrowth was taxing to say the least.

Laie

Somebody was muttering about mechanical extraction and threatening assault or something worse on some green-yellow shirted person. Must be the jungle talking.

Laie

Alexis fighting the overgrowth or was it the overgrowth fighting Alexis?

Laie

Tessa and Akira looked like they were enjoying themselves. Immensely.

Laie Trail

Cristy leaving the painful memories behind her.

Laie Trail

Enjoying our well deserved relaxation amongst the pine trees. While it may have seemed like we spent an eternity in overgrowth hell, the elapsed time from the first person up the hill until the last person gained the ridge line was roughly a little less than an hour.

Laie Trail

Hanging upside down from a tree where gravity won and my phone fell to the ground. No insurance needed.

Laie Trail

My phone wasn’t the only thing that fell from the tree. Even monkeys fall from trees.

Laie Trail

CB and Chico ran up the hill to nowhere with their boundless energy.

Laie Trail

Two way traffic on the trail constructed in 1935.

All pau

Kenny got one more birthday gift in the form of 40 pine cones that were pelted at him while hiding behind the sign. Our birthday bushwhacking and waterfall-less hike covered 6.33 miles with awesome friends. Post hike meal at Saito and Pho where house condiments were used on outside food. The 100000000000 % annoying church slut skipped lunch as well. That explains the number.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrHd4J4TzV4

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our bushwhacking birthday hike.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Alexis Catarina, Allison Banks, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Cristy CM, Edgar Gamiao, Kenny Lui, Marilyn Bermudez, 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.

Hurricane Lester chased us off the mountains and into some deep waterfalls this Labor Day Weekend. I had been talking to Scott earlier as the approaching mass of rotating storms had canceled both our three day weekend hikes. He agreed to show us the 18 waterfalls of Laie, as he had hiked the canyons multiple times. Three times to be exact. Met up with Ani, Chris, John, Scott, Shirley, Stuart, and Yoly at Laie.

Laie Trail

We all met at the ball field and looked up at the blue skies. What hurricane? The good news was that we wouldn’t be swept away in a flash flood in the confined canyons. The group pushed off a little behind schedule. Hawaiian time. At least somebody would be buying lunch. Right?

Trailhead

Group photo left to right: Stuart, Scott, Yoly, myself, Shirley, Ani, John and Chris. Have permits, will hike.

Scrambling Hills

Hikers straight ahead. Dirt bikers to the right.

Laie Trail

The group going up the eroded section of the trail.

Laie Trail

Something new. Leave a bottle. Donate a nickel. Pretty sad when people can’t pack out what they pack in.

Laie Trail

Edible fungus? Shade for bugs. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Laie Trail

Panoramic view of the trail going up. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Strawberry guava

Trail snacks. Ripe for the picking. No spitting. No spreading. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Norfolk Pine Trees

Looking for the junction and the proverbial needle (pine tree) in the haystack (grove of pine trees).

Laie Trail

We couldn’t find the big tree amongst the other big trees, so we continued up the trail. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Laie Falls

Group photo at the junction. Now would be a good time to waterproof.

Laie Falls Trail

Headed down into Kahawainui Gulch.

Laie Falls Trail

We can hear water!

Waterfall #2

Some people just can’t sit still for long. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Waterfall #2

Shirley taking the dry way up.

Waterfall #1

Yoly already on the top. No more waterfalls ahead.

Waterfall #1

John taking the wet way up.

Waterfall #3

Time to go, as other hikers started to make their way down. Who’s in charge of counting the waterfalls? Shirley?

Waterfall #4

Too steep and slippery to climb down, time to contour.

Waterfall #4

Chris making his way down.

Waterfall #4

Looking back. Photo by John Caicedo.

Waterfall #5

Scott stepping his way down.

Waterfall #5

The water was cold. Ice cold. Well, at least refrigerator cold.

Waterfall #6

Time to break out the webbing.

Waterfall #6

Shirley making her way down.

Waterfall #6

What are you waiting for? Take the plunge. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Laie Falls Trail

Have life vest, will float.

Waterfall #7

Waterfall leads to pools. Deep pools. Photo by Yoly Bedford.

Waterfall #7

Sunbeam for Stuart.

Waterfall #8

Scott making his way down.

Waterfall #8

Who’s counting? Stuart? Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Waterfall #9

Ani making her way down the slippery rocks under Scott’s watchful eye.

Waterfall #10

Going down the water slide. Nature’s waterpark. Photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Waterfall #10

Stuart trying to delay the inevitable. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Laie Falls Trail

The canyon walls seemed to contract and expand as we made our way downstream.

Waterfall #11

Time to contour again. Don’t trust that old rope.

Laie Falls Trail

Stuart and Yoly threading their way down through the dense pocket of strawberry guava trees.

Laie Falls Trail

Lunch time for some … Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Waterfall #13

… while John, Shirley, Stuart and Yoly climbed up to see the waterfalls that we had contoured around. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Waterfall #11

Instagram photo of the day. How many likes can I get? Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Waterfall #12

Yoly and Stuart making their way down. Photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Laie Falls Trail

Going back to rejoin the rest of the group. Somebody was getting restless. Photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Laie Falls Trail

Over the rocks. Under the branches.

Laie Falls Trail

Rock hopping down the stream.

Laie Falls Trail

Walk or wade. Take your pick.

Waterfall #14

Looking back at twin waterfalls. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Laie Falls Trail

Does this count as a waterfall?

Laie Falls Trail

Low clearance ahead.

Waterfall #15

Looking back. Photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Waterfall #16

Stuart climbing down into the pool.

Waterfall #16

Hey guys, turn around. Group photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Waterfall #16

One climbing in, one swimming and one getting out. Rinse and repeat. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Waterfall #16

Shirley and Chris taking memories. Photographic memories.

Laie Falls Trail

Stuart rock hopping down the stream.

Waterfall #17

Chris and Shirley scrambling over the mossy rocks.

Laie Falls Trail

Chris trying not to get wet. More wet.

Waterfall #18

Who needs rope? Not John.

Waterfall #18

Ani making her way down. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Waterfall #18

The last waterfall discharging into the deep pool.

Laie Falls Trail

Stuart making his way downstream. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Laie Falls Trail

The waterfalls had ended and now we had to find our way out of the canyon and back onto the ridge.

Laie Falls Trail

Yoly wading through a pool ringed with ginger scented flowers.

Laie Falls Trail

Splish, splash, the camera was taking a bath. Photo by Shirley Hamamura.

Laie Falls Trail

The group heading into the hau jungle gym.

Laie Falls Trail

We were hanging and walking on branches suspended over the gulch floor. Snap, crackle and pop.

Laie Falls Trail

It felt like we were trying to extricate ourselves out of a giant spider web of mossy hau branches.

Laie Falls Trail

Somebody was happy to get out of the thicket of hau trees. Skipping happy. Photo by Yoly Bedford.

Laie Falls Trail

Ani threading her way up through the densely packed strawberry guava trees.

Laie Falls Trail

The trees thinned out as we neared the top of the ridge.

Laie Trail

Back on the trail again.

Laie Trail

Still looking for that junction? Just look for that big tree.

Laie Trail

Where’s the fire?

All pau

Wet. Muddy. Tired. Happy. Not necessarily in that order.

GPS Tracks

Our waterlogged hike covered 8.54 miles. We saw 18 waterfalls, give or take. Which begs the question, what defines a waterfall? Water? Falls? Amazing adventure with fun friends. Post hike meal. Seven Brothers? Mormon Sunday. North Shore Tacos it is. Cut the dessert six ways. Let me get a knife. We also unwittingly provided embarrassing and entertaining conversation for the lady sitting next to us. You are most welcome.

Note: I have been made aware the some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. It is not advisable to hike to waterfalls during heavy rain as one will be at risk to flash flood conditions and falling rocks. 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.