Akira and Kenny joined me today to get thrashed thoroughly by the jungle, just a glutton for punishment. Thanks to Tessa for dropping us off at the trailhead which saved roughly 10 minutes of walking. Had to conserve our energy for the hike ahead of us.

Laie Trail

Passing through the grove of Norfolk Pine Trees that were planted in the late 1880s to help stem erosion.

Laie Trail

Hiking through the corridor of leaning trees.

Laie Trail

Making our way alongside the cliff with steep drops to our right.

Laie Trail

One of three trenches dug by the US Army as they feared the Japanese would invade Oahu during WW2 and use the trail to traverse over the Ko’olau Range. The plan was to fill it with explosives and blow out the trail in the event of an invasion. Luckily that never transpired.

Laie Trail

We made it to the base of the summit in a little over two hours. The easy part was over.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Stepping foot on the storied trail that was created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s for the purpose of reforestation and pig control and to provide employment for young men thrown out of work by the Great Depression.

Malaekahana Junction

The green wooden sign is long gone, replaced by a hiking glove donated by CB.

KST

Traversing through the twisted topography of the trail as it winds and contours through the mountains.

KST

Swallowed by the Uluhe ferns, a common theme for the day.

KST

Group photo at what I like to call the halfway point, true or not. Time for lunch.

KST

There is a trail in all that mess.

KST

Dealing with a tangled mess of uluhe ferns, clidemia shrubs, vines, and strawberry guava trees that served to pull, strangle, poke and generally make life miserable for us on the trail.

KST

Faces in the forest.

KST

Kenny said he liked this trail. Is he on drugs? Or is that a rhetorical question?

KST

Coming up for air literally from the overgrowth.

KST

Sit, scoot and push our way through the “trail.”

KST

Back in the jungle.

KST

Crawling on our hands and knees through the uluhe tunnels. Knee pads optional.

KST

We lost the trail and got turned around for awhile before climbing out of the gulch. You still like this trail Kenny? No.

KST

Is this going to end?

Puu Hina

Group photo at the summit of Pupukea. Exhausted and glad most of the trail overgrowth was behind us. Kenny gave himself a haircut to get rid of all tangled vines and uluhe stuck in his hair. Memories. Scarred memories.

KST

Leaving the summit with the Waianae Mountain Range in our face and Akira had his insulated cup of a hot beverage to drink on the way down.

Black Junction

Group photo at the start or finish of the KST.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Where the trail meets the road.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Height check.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

The welcoming committee of Aida, Mari, Marilyn and Tessa would have met us at the trailhead if they remembered where it was located. They did bring cold beverages and ice. Much appreciated!

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

It’s all downhill from here. Well not really.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Group photo at the picnic shelter where there was ample conservative reading material to be had if so desired.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Fetch me a Coke! Not a stick!

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Jeremy showed up as well to walk us down the road.

All pau

Props to Kenny for finishing and Akira coming back for a second helping on a trail most consider one and done.

GPS Tracks

Our exhausting and grueling hike through the most overgrown section of the KST covered 12.47 miles. Post hike meal at the Pupukea Food Trucks. When proximity dictates your food choice.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Jeremy Cannone, Kenny Lui, Mari Saito, 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.

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.

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.

Back in the mountains after weekends of pounding the pavement. Met up with Aida under flashing lights in trees which probably kept the chickens up.

Laie Trail

Going up the heavily eroded and rutted section of the trail.

Laie Trail

Walking underneath the towering Norfolk pine trees.

Laie Trail

Traversing over the cleaned up landslide. Hats off to HTMC for all their hard work and trail clearing.

Laie Falls

It’s not only the sounds of running water, it’s also the sign that results in the urge to urinate. Fresh water was wasted in the making of this photo.

Laie Trail

Passing the steep cliff on the right and huge drops on the left.

Laie Trail

Reaching the replacement sign as we soon crossed paths with the KST.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Stepping foot on the most overgrown section of the KST.

KST

Where’s the other shadow?

KST

Fluttering and weathered flags marked the trail’s path through the dense overgrowth.

KST

Trudging through a somewhat exposed section of the trail.

Malaekahana Junction

Reaching the junction with the ridge that goes back down the namesake ridge that also has another waterfall.

KST

Following the faint trail with the pinwheeling windmills in the background.

KST

Forced smiles at one of our small breaks on the trail.

KST

Halfway there!

KST

Going under, contouring and convoluting our way through the trail was the common denominator of the day.

KST

Pushing through a seemingly impenetrable barrier of uluhe ferns, clidemia, strawberry guava trees, strangling vines and other plant life that seemed determined to poke, pull and generally make life miserable for hikers passing through their land.

KST

Face in the forest.

KST

Passing a pruner in the branches.

KST

Are we there yet?

Pu’u Hina

Group photo at the Pupukea Summit, which is also the junction for the “lost” Kahuku Trail.

KST

Dropping off the summit as we raced the sun sinking below the horizon.

Black Junction

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

Pupukea Trail

When you don’t get the scare that you expected. Picked the wrong person. Thanks to Tessa for meeting us up on the trail and picking us up.

Pupukea Trail

Where the trail meets the road. Don’t miss the junction Auntie!

All pau

Walking in the darkness back to our cars where not paying attention gets you a bloody nose at the gate.

GPS Tracks

Our overgrown KST hike covered 13.2 miles through a punishing trail that abused you six ways to Sunday. Post hike meal at Kenko-ya, where the location needs to be updated on Google so everybody can meet up at the correct spot.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, 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.

Our camping weekend was a working case of what can go wrong and right at the same time.

Trailhead

Met up with Amber, Doug and Thomas in the cat village at the top of Pacific Palisades. My original group of five had shrunk to two and Amber’s group had shrunk to two as well, and they were supposed to have started from Poamoho. Two groups passing in the night. In the end, we decided to combine our groups, which turned out to be fortuitous in the end. I also gave fair warning that I had some bad food and that might compromise my already slow pace, which would manifest itself later in the weekend.

Manana Ridge Trail

Rolling off the bike ramp. Imagination can take you a long way. And then cardio reality hits

Manana Ridge Trail

The most dangerous part of the trail.

Manana Ridge Trail

Adjusting and organizing at the picnic shelter.

Manana Ridge Trail

Welcome to the jungle. Uluhe jungle.

Manana Ridge Trail

The start of the rolling hills and false peaks.

Manana Ridge Trail

Rain showers at mile marker 3.5. Can it get any better?

Manana Ridge Trail

It can. The rain paused in watering the mountains.

Manana Ridge Trail

Steady grind in the mountains. One foot in front of the other.

Manana Ridge Trail

Watching random waterfalls flowing in the distance.

Manana Ridge Trail

Is this the last false peak?

Manana Summit

Group photo at the cloudy and rainy knob. Just another day in the mountains.

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

Leaving the 2,660′ summit for greener pastures.

Corner

Sliding our way down to the creek.

Corner

Thomas filtering water from the upper part of the muddy creek.

Corner

Some in the group didn’t need water or perhaps the thought of drinking mud and bug strained H20 wasn’t appealing.

KSRT

Back on the cloud soaked ridge line.

KSRT

Inching along.

KSRT

Are we having fun yet?

KSRT

We finally got a postcard worthy view.

KSRT

Passing through a small meadow in the mountains.

KSRT

Doug coming around the trail with the background views still holding.

KSRT

A bush of mountain naupaka flowers on the trail, these common endemic half flowers are found only on Oahu and Kauai.

KSRT

Going down on the trail section that has eroded over time. Hence, the webbing.

KSRT

Panoramic valley view.

KSRT

Talking shop in the mountains.

KSRT

This would be a nice place to camp. Be careful what you wish for.

KSRT

Somebody is looking for Olomana. No pointing allowed on this hike.

KSRT

Hiking on the ridge with the prominent Kualoa Ridge in the background.

KSRT

We need to have a meeting of the minds. Doug was rather extremely exhausted and options were discussed. Camp and rest. Return back to where we had started. None of them seemed feasible, so the call was made. I also got a text from CJ, our backup pickup at Poamoho, who advised me that the lock combination didn’t work. Fly in the ointment. Glad we found out sooner than later.

KSRT

Hello. This is Doc Brown. I need a ride. Back to the future.

KSRT

Where’s your DeLorean? In the shop. You guys want a ride down too? No, we are staying put. Yes, we know it gets cold and we have shelter, food and water. Thank you for the offer.

KSRT

Kudos to the skill of the chopper pilot that landed on the postage stamp sized spot to get Doug back to his warm bed tonight.

KSRT

And then they were three. Good night from Camp Ginger.

KSRT

Day 2
We had a lot of ground to make up as the unfortunate turn of events had put us back 4-5 hours from where I had originally wanted us to be today.

Waiawa Gap

Making our way down the cloud soaked mountains.

Waiawa Gap

Sunrise in the mountains.

Waiawa Gap

Hiking on the edge.

Waiawa Gap

Slippery climb up = taxing cardio.

Waiawa Gap

The clouds started to break apart, to give us some views worth hiking for.

Waiawa Gap

Taking a well-deserved break at the gated fence to enjoy the morning mountain views.

Waiawa Gap

Climbing out of the gap.

KSRT

Hiking into the clouds. Mother Nature can be so temperamental at times. Take what you can.

KSRT

Enjoying the last of the Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail section.

Kipapa Summit

Where tomatoe becomes tomato.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Sliding our way down the soft and spongy ground.

KST

Walking in the clouds as the sounds of civilization punched its way through the clouds.

KST

Passing through the scented Japanese Sugi Pine Tree Grove.

Camp Rusty

Group photo at the planned camping spot which is also the site of the former Kipapa Cabin.

KST

We passed under the shadow of Waiahole Summit as we crossed through the man-made notch.

KST

Meandering our way through the mountains.

KST

Thomas going over the selfie stick fence junction.

KST

Approaching the emerald depression where a certain tree is growing parallel to gravity.

KST

Rounding the bend.

Tree of Life

Thomas and Amber in front of the horizontal growing Japanese Sugi Pine Tree. It gets bigger every time I visit this magical place.

KST

If you haven’t slept on a bed of tree moss, you haven’t lived.

KST

Pulling our way up on the fence line with Windward views at our back.

KST

Contouring for daze.

KST

Going over the second fence junction.

KST

Amber coming around the last “tricky” junction, easier from our direction to find it.

KST

The trail for the most part contours on the Leeward side with ample Windward views to keep us motivated.

KST

Thomas going around the trail with the Waianae Mountain Range in the background.

KST

Amber crossing over one of the biggest landslides on the trail.

KST

All smiles as we popped out on the Windward side which meant we were pretty done with the contouring part of the trail.

KST

Finding our way down to the bottom trail.

KST

Are we there yet?

KST

Looking back at the peak of Pu’u Ohulehule, that is privately owned. Believe it or not!

Schofield-Waikane Summit

Group photo at the 2,360′ spot that also marked Thomas’s completion of the KST. Congratulations! Champagne is waiting at the car. We also asked Doug who was presumably well-rested from his recovery, to check the gate lock for us.

KST

Hiking on the runway of a trail. Or at least that’s what somebody said.

KST

No feeding of the Ko’olau Goose. However, drone flying is permitted.

KST

Hello? Yes, I would like to order a working gate lock. If my request is granted, I promise to stop pointing at Olomana.

KST

Enjoying what daylight we had left as the sun began to set. Doug also had mentioned that he had gotten ahold of somebody at DLNR to hopefully come out and change the locks. If for some reason, the lock could not be changed or opened, I suggested Plan B, which was to stay overnight at the cabin.

KST

Hiking by headlamps. Doug also confirmed that the lock was changed and the combination worked as it should.

KST

Passing through the gated notch.

KST

Back on the fence line.

Poamoho Cabin

Just a quick stop to filter water since Plan B was no longer needed.

Poamoho Cabin

Obligatory log entries.

Cline Memorial

It was also my KST finish as well. #16 in the books.

All pau

Many thanks to Cary for picking us up despite the late hour and driving us down the dark jeep road. Also a big mahalo to Aileen who was waiting down at the gate for us with food and drinks from McDonald’s and took us to our cars in Pearl City. Glad you didn’t come on the hike after all!

GPS Tracks

Our memorable camping hike covered 17.10 miles, always get different mileages when I do the same route. Go figure. This weekend proved that everything happens for a reason. It started with certain individuals dropping out of the hike for different reasons. Then, my friend CJ told me about the lock not working. Heads up on that one. Doug got pulled off the mountain, thanks to HFD, and he turns out to be the one that called DLNR to get somebody out there at night to get the lock fixed so that our ride, Amber’s husband who drove up the road to pick us up in the middle of the night. And lastly, Aileen who waited patiently for us well after midnight at the bottom of the gate with food and drinks and took us back to our vehicle. Many thanks to everybody that was part of the group and the support that we got during the weekend.

Photos taken by Amber Fonte, Doug Ross, Thomas Barrett, 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.