The weekend was here. What better way to spend it than camping and hiking in the Ko’olaus in dripping rain. Or was that dripping sarcasm?

Aiea Loop Trail

Thanks to James for dropping Gen and myself off at the top of Aiea Heights. Saved us from possible car abuse over the weekend.

Aiea Ridge Trail

We soon stepped off the Aiea Loop Trail and onto the Aiea Ridge Trail.

Aiea Ridge Trail

Dressed for dry weather.

Aiea Ridge Trail

Our last view for the day.

Aiea Ridge Trail

Dressed for wet weather.

Camping

We stopped shy of the summit to set up camp. Time lapse by Genesaret Balladares.

Camping

Jose hustled up the trail after work to join us. Our view for the rest of the day. No star gazing for us. Just tent gazing. All night long.

Top of the morning

After a night of howling wind and pounding rain, we rolled out of our tents to take in the morning view. What a view.

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We passed the power lines on our way to the summit and turned left on the Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail.

Lost & Found

Arnold! We found your tent. Maybe not. The search continues.

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The ridge thinned out in some sections.

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What goes down …

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… must go back up.

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We stayed on the Windward side of the ridge to remain on trail.

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Close to whiteout conditions.

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Gen staring into the abyss.

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Back to hiking.

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The cloud deck lifted somewhat to give us a view spanning from Kahalu’u Pond to Heeia Pond.

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The mountains were trying to keep the clouds at bay on the Leeward side.

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Making our way off the ridge.

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Somebody needed to roll some tobacco.

Waimalu Meadows

Heading down into the meadows. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

Waimalu Meadows

Testing for leptospirosis.

Waimalu Meadows

Anybody see Kikaida? The search continues.

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Leaving the meadows behind us.

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Jose the Redeemer overlooking Waihe’e Valley.

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The trail was a roller coaster of a hike. Up. Down. Rinse. Repeat.

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Looking back towards Kaneohe Bay.

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Gen making her way down to Waimano Summit.

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Waihe’e Valley, shadowed by heavy cloud cover, bordered by Ulimakoli Ridge and Kalahaku Teeth.

Waimano Summit

Hanging ten. The summit where time turns from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.

Waimano Summit

The human windsock.

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We got back on the trail with dry tents but still soggy feet.

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Looking back at Kalahaku Teeth.

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Looking towards Eleao Windward or Ulimakoli Ridge.

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Leaving the clouds behind us.

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Spoke too soon.

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Gen soaking in the mountain views.

Eleao Meadows

Home for the night.

Rolling Eleao Meadows

Pitching our tents on pitched ground before the bitching weather came. Time lapse by Geneserat Balladares.

Eleao Meadows

Good morning. Got five bucks for the bus?

Eleao Meadows

Saying goodbye to the miniature meadows.

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Different day. Same trail. Better views. More smelly.

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We saw Chris and Khym hustling up to the Manana summit.

Manana Summit

Group photo, left to right: Khym, Gen, Jose, Chris and myself. They came bearing cheese rolls and snickers.

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Passing Ka’alaea Valley to our right.

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Leaving Manana summit behind us.

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We were not alone. The trails were heavily rooted by pigs.

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Chris preparing to mark a junction where the trail started to bend to the left.

Pakalolo Meadows

Semi-synchronized headstands.

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Hikers in the mist.

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Lobelia gaudichaudii and homo sapien.

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Group photo enjoying the views in the company of grumpy and princess. Photo by Khym Ansagay.

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A clear view of the Waianae Mountain Range.

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Looking out towards Pu’u Ohulehule and Kanehoalani.

Shaka Junction

A good place as any to eat our lunch and enjoy the views while we had them.

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Gen climbing down to the saddle.

Waiawa Gap

Group photo at the notch.

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Climbing out of the saddle.

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Clear on the Leeward side, cloudy on the Windward side.

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The rollercoaster ride got more pronounced.

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Somebody saw people. Not everybody has 20/5 vision.

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I’m glad this is the last hill. This is not the last hill? Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

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We ran into another group that was hiking from Kipapa to Manana. Group photo left to right: Justin, Becca, Hugh, myself, Jose, Gen, Chris and Khym.

Kipapa Summit

No birds sighted. Photo by Khym Ansagay.

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Almost there.

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The rusted remnants of Kipapa Cabin.

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Walking through a corridor of Sugi Pine Trees.

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Pushing up the last hill.

Waiahole Summit

Congratulations to Gen for finishing the Ko’olau Mountain Range. Full circle from our last hike in September. Too tired to do her 30 second victory dance. It was cold, wet and we were tired.

Waiahole Uka

Time to get off the mountain.

Waiahole Uka

All downhill from here.

Waiahole Uka

Some sections were steeper than others.

Waiahole Uka

Kapitan Davy Jones in the mountains.

Waiahole Uka

Khym wading through uluhell.

Waiahole Uka

Gen coming down off the ridge.

Kuolani-Waianu Trail

Our mountain trek was over. Just a walk in the valley left.

Waiahole Valley

Who needs webbing? We got branches.

Waiahole Valley

Picking our way through nature’s game of jenga. Hoped no trees would come loose and crashing down. Photo by Khym Ansagay,.

Waiahole Valley

Waiahole stream flowing down through the valley.

Waiahole Valley

Time to do that dance now?

All pau

Many thanks to Zack for picking up five ripe hikers from the valley and taking us home.

GPS Tracks

Our roller coasting weekend hike covered a little over 16 miles blessed with fantastic views towards the end and great company. Post hike meal was supposed to have been at Haleiwa Joe’s to have a thick slab of cow to celebrate Gen’s KST completion. Long lines and no beef lead us to Pahke’s for our family style dinner. Pass the rice.

Note: I have been made aware the 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.

It was time to repay a visit to the Ko’olau Range. Gen, Jose and myself spent the Labor Day weekend cabin hiking in the mountains. Mahalo to Chris Hiona for dropping us off in Pupukea.

Pupukea

We shouldered our hefty backpacks, some were stuffed with the kitchen sink and the liquor store, as we started on the dirt road that passed the Boy Scout Camp and headed deep into the forest.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

The dirt road transitioned to a paved military road where we soon passed the Kaunala trailhead on our left that winds through the Pupukea Paumala Forest Reserve. Another hike for another day.

Off the beaten road

We left the road past mile marker 19 to begin our hike on the Pupukea trail. The road actually continues its way through the lower Ko’olau Range and ends at Helemano Military Reservation.

Black Junction

The “official” start of the KST trail. We decided to take a short jaunt to the lookout.

Summit Lookout

Group photo left to right: Gen, myself and Jose.

WST

Looking out towards the Waianae Range and the Kawailoa Wind Farm.

Hina

All feet on the Pupukea Summit. This is also supposed to be the junction for the old Kahuku trail.

Ocean View

Looking out towards Laie Point.

Slipper Junction

Jose plunging into one of the heavily overgrown sections on the trail.

Soggy

Ziploc bags and plastic containers are not foolproof nor waterproof over time.

Trail

Jose walking through knee high uluhe ferns and vegetation.

Laie bound

Just a couple more hours to the summit. Almost there. Flashbacks to another hike.

Trail

The trail opened up, giving us a brief respite from all the overgrowth.

Loulou Palms

Wading through waist high uluhe ferns and shrubs. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Country

Somewhere along this section, we missed the junction for the Maleakahana Trail. Another hike for another day.

Summit

The Laie summit.

Foxhole

Group photo at the 2,240′ summit.

Trail

The trail from the summit was initially defined and well trodden.

Meadow

We passed the summit of Kawailoa on our right as we crossed the bowl shaped depression. There’s also a nearby water source that Patrick Rorie showed us on our last hike in this area.

Mountain Yoga

Our first sign of the fence on the KST. It would keep us intermittent company through the following days.

Muddy shoes

Time to take a break. A break from the mud.

Follow the fence

We resumed hiking on the mostly Windward side of the fenced trail.

Cabin in the clouds

A sight for sore eyes.

Koloa Cabin

The best cabin on the KST.

Cabin life

Stuff I learned on my first cabin hike. Bring extra clothes, so you don’t have to be wet, dirty and miserable the whole day and night. Wet clothes and shoes will not dry on top of the KST. Bring a toothbrush, as dental hygiene is important when roughing it. Mountain House tastes a lot better than MREs, especially if you have a heat source. Hot chocolate is imbibed better laced with vodka. Smoking tobacco tastes better when you roll it yourself. Things that go bump in the night could be a rat or a ghost. But if you sleep soundly and snore loudly enough, things like that don’t bother you.

Sunrise

Click here for the larger image.

Morning musings

Rambling reflections of our hike so far that we left in the cabin log book, that was donated by Allison Baird.

Good morning

Group photo at the cabin.

Leaving the cabin

It was so hard to leave this cozy cabin in the mountains. Click here for the larger image.

KST

The Windward side of the Ko’olau Summit Trail.

Leeward side

The trail also meandered on the Leeward side that was marked by heavy cover and vegetation.

Trail

The trail weaved across open meadows and back to the Windward side.

Looking back

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Kicking It

Stretching it on the KST. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Ko’olau Faces

I always fail to get the memo. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

Waianae Mountain Range

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

The trail contoured the ridgeline for the most part.

Scenic view

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Ko’olau Range Lobelia

No plants were harmed or molested in the making of this photograph.

Castle Junction

Group photo.

Mountain activities

Time to stretch and relax.

Trail

Open country. Photo by Genesaret Balladares

Dragonfly

Hello. Which one of 5,000 species are you?

Hello fence

Just when we thought we lost the fence.

Army Cabin

A junction and cabin for another day. Time and weather was not on our side.

Ridges

Looking out at all the ridges and valleys.

Got Mud?

The Papali section is feet down, the muddiest section of the KST.

Mud break

We needed a Kit Kat break, not a mud break.

Ko’olau Award

Gen being badged the Wawae’iole club moss. The order of mud splatter was automatically awarded.

Deep Mud

Jose going through a typical muddy section of the trail.

Spartan Mud Race

Get ready. Set. Go! Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

The fence made some sections of the trail a little tight for space.

Ko’olau Massacre

Hiking in mud all day can do strange things to a person.

Cloudy view

We saw a stream meandering its way down to the valley below us.

Revenge of the Ko’olau Massacre

Hiking in the mountains all day can do strange things to a person.

Trail

Approaching a scenic point overlooking Kahana Valley.

Kahana Valley

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

Clinging onto the fence as the trail traversed a narrow section of the ridgeline.

Hanging on

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Meadow

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

Da Boot

The iconic landmark on the KST. Some believe this is the junction for the Pe’ahinai’a Trail, another trail that has fallen out of use.

Trail

We followed the contour trail on the Leeward side.

Fence

The fence picked the trail back to the Windward side.

Almost there

We left the fence line to continue following the ridge down to Poamoho.

Contouring

Hiking on the Windward side of the trail.

Gated hike

The gate was a sign that we were close to the Poamoho summit.

All wet

Soaked to the bone with mud and water.

Poamoho Summit

One of the best views on the island. When it’s not socked in. Like today.

Trail

There was no view at the summit to be had, so we pushed onto the cabin. The fence had extended its reach since my last visit.

Cabin and marsh

Let’s get out of this rain, but let’s take a group photo first.

Poamoho Cabin

Our cabin for the night.

Cabin entertainment

Poamoho cabin is the oldest extant cabin on the KST and is beginning to show its age. Especially after staying in the newer and roomier Koloa Cabin, but at least it wasn’t locked. We had a roof over our heads and all the rain water we wanted at our disposal.

Sunrise

Good morning! Time to put our wet clothes and shoes back on.

Morning smokes

Even robots just want to have fun.

Back on the trail

Our final day hiking on the KST, as we pushed towards our destination which was Waiahole Uka.

Donkey trail

These trails were blasted and carved out of the mountains by the CCC gangs back in the 1930s.

Hiking sign

Another new sight on the KST. What’s next? Lunch wagons?

Peek-a-boo

Can you see us? Photo by Jose Luis Delaki

Pauao Ridge Junction

The long hike down to Kahana Valley. Another hike for another day.

Trail

Hiking the Windward side of the trail.

Trail

Watching out for the numerous false steps on the trail. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

The mountainside was dotted with assorted shapes and sizes of native loulou palm trees.

Trail

The trail had numerous short up and downs. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

A trail with a view

Every now and then, the clouds would part to tease us with a view.

Schofield-Waikane Junction

The long ridge down to Wahiawa. Another hike for another day.

Waikane Junction

We came to the Waikane junction where we took the higher trail to continue our hike.

KST

The trail contoured on the Windward side below the ridgeline.

Meadow

Cloudy and socked in conditions makes it easy for hikers to get confused and lost navigating the trails.

Tricky Junction

This section was counter-intuitive as one does not continue straight but heads up and turns left to maintain track on the KST.

Trail

Contour for days.

Lehua Papa

Perched above us was the largest known tree of the myrtle family on the Ko’olaus according to Dave Fahrenwald.

Fence

Fenced ridgeline.

Ko’olau Potraits

The mountain meadow photo booth. Where do all those memos go?

Jungle

Uluhe was growing rampant in some sections. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Notch

Gen going through the notch.

Uphill

Pushing up the last hill to the summit of Waiahole Uka.

Looking down

One of the few groves of Japanese Sugi Pine Trees to be found on the island. Other than at your friendly neighborhood nursery.

Waiahole Uka Summit

Socked in and raining. Typical Windward ridge.

Going down

Making our way down the cloud covered ridge.

Grasshopper

Can you hear me now?

Going down

One at a time.

Mossy

Abundant moss covered most of the trees at the higher elevation.

Uluhe

Waiahole is known for its dense and interlocking uluhe ferns. Loads of fun. Not really.

Ocean view

Taking a respite from the uluhe, enjoying limited views of Mokolii.

Never ending

Coming to the last major hump before the final descent off the ridge.

Water

Once we dragged ourselves off the uluhe infested mountain, we turned right onto the Kuolani-Waianu trail and crossed over several large landslides with huge trees blocking the trail.

All pau

Big mahalos to Chris Bautista for picking us up in the dark and pouring rain. No sign of Scuba, the self proclaimed guardian of the valley.

GPS Tracks

The laborious three day hike covered 27.92 miles through the Northern Ko’olaus with stunning scenery, convoluted terrain and not another soul in sight. Good times with great friends. Post hike meal at Haleiwa Joe’s. Gen ran into the restaurant to secure our table before the last seating. I got the most eye popping, belt busting piece of prime rib that my stomach has seen. All that was missing were the horns and the tail.

Back on the mountains again. The Ko’olau Mountains. The weather seemed to be cooperating this time around; so I met Chris, Jose and Ryan at the Manana trailhead tucked deep in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

On the trail again

We had company at the gate. Hunters with dogs. We passed after exchanging pleasantries and assurances that the dogs were friendly.

Stairs to the Ko’olaus

Slats doubling as steps which help to retard erosion.

Follow the sign

We followed the trail to the left which leads to the Ko’olau Summit. Keeping to the right will descend down into “Cardiac Hill” and Waimano Falls.

Wide open trail

Wide open dirt trail, enjoy it while it lasts.

Bench with a view

Hmmm, it would be a tight fit for four.

Too early for a picnic

Leaving the last signs of civilization behind us.

Sunrise

Sunrise breaking over the Ko’olau mountains.

The rollercoaster ride begins

Manana trail is known for its seemingly endless assorted sizes of hills that goes up and down.

Not too bad

The trail starts off through thickets of invasive Eucalyptus and guava trees.

Hmm, I show 2.9

Ryan’s GPS Garmin and the sign marker had to agree to disagree. We figured the extra .4 miles was because he started tracking from the road and the mileage actually started further into the trail.

Getting steeper

Chris and Ryan climbing up a somewhat steep section. Those uluhe ferns are everywhere!

Where’s the helicopter?

Taking a quick break at one of the few flat clearings on the trail.

Halfway there

Manana trail is roughly six miles long to the summit.

Rollercoasting

Pushing deeper into the native forest as we left most of the invasive flora behind. For the life of me, I still can’t identify most of them. Need to work on that.

Waianae Mountain Range

Looking towards the Waianae Mountain Range, which includes the highest mountain on the island – Mount Ka’ala – normally capped or swathed in clouds. Today was no exception.

Almost there

Enjoying another break on the last flat clearing before the summit. These guys were setting a good pace. Left to my own devices, I would still be down at the picnic shed chugging down my Gatorade.

The final stretch

Time to finish off this trail.

Need water?

Looking down to our left, we spotted Waiawa stream barely trickling down from the mountains.

Manana summit

Beautiful blue skies frosted with clouds greeted us at the summit.

Elevation 2,750′

Group photo at the summit overlooking Kaalaea Valley left to right: Jose, Ryan, myself and Chris. Panoramic views from Kualoa to Makapuu were laid out before us.

Hiking on the KST

After digesting the views and snacks, we turned left on the Ko’olau Summit Trail.

Panoramic view

Click here for the larger image.

Passing the meadows

The Ko’olau spine soon veered to the left, passing a grassy meadow with great views of Waiahole Valley, and then resumed a northerly direction with Leeward views of the island.

Rollercoaster ride resumes

The up and down Manana trail was a primer for this section of the Ko’olaus.

Headed towards the Waiawa Gap

We lost hundreds of feet in elevation as we made our way towards the lowest point in this section of the Ko’olaus.

Come down this way

We slid and scooted our way down from a higher ridge to a lower ridge to stay on trail.

Waiawa Gap

Lunchtime at the 2,150′ dip in the Ko’olaus.

One leg at a time

Chris stepping over a tree on the trail. Watch the drop on your right!

Time to go back up

What goes down the Ko’olaus, must come back up the Ko’oalus.

Getting that elevation back

Shaking off the “Hawaiian Paralysis” by climbing up some steep hills. Also gets the heart racing, lungs busting and calories burning.

Clouds rolling in

The sunshine couldn’t last all day, especially on top of the Ko’olaus.

Waiahole Uka sighted

We spotted the flat hill and ridge descending down into Waiahole Valley. The end was in sight!

Not too steep

Typical KST trail – narrow, overgrown and with steep drop offs plunging thousands of feet down. Just another day at the office.

Kipapa summit

The sign that we missed on one of our last hikes that took us on an unexpected detour down the Kipapa trail.

That’s the ridge we need to be on

Clouds blanketed the mountains, making navigation somewhat of a chore. Hiking tip: When traveling north, stay to the right or the windward side. That usually works.

Sugi pine tree grove

Ryan and Chris checking out the Sugi Pine Trees, native to Japan, while standing on the remnants of the old Kipapa Army Cabin.

Waiahole Uka summit

What would a windward ridge be without rain? Exactly.

All downhill

Going down Waiahole ridge is going with gravity. There is no up and down. Just down. Straight down in some places. Ropes and rain made it manageable.

Uluhe country

What’s even better than wading through thick patches of Uluhe ferns? Doing it in the rain!

Waterfalls!

Looking to our right, waterfalls were flowing. Waterfalls are like rainbows after a heavy rain.

Kuolani-Waianu Trail

Leaving behind the tangled mess of uluhe ferns. And then the rain stopped.

Waiahole Ditch Tunnel

Ryan discovered a shaft that ran perpendicular to the tunnel. One word – tubing.

Timber!

We came across a huge landslide that had dumped massive trees and rocks onto the trail. And it started to rain again. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Fresh water

Ryan sampling for lepto.

Stream crossing

The last stream crossing. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Road out

Jose and Chris found their second wind and jogged down this jeep road. Ryan and I just walked it back.

All pau!

We finished the hike with enough daylight to spare. Thanks to Jasmin for picking up four muddy, smelly and soaking wet hikers.

GPS Tracks

The 10.25 mile hike, 13 miles if you go with Ryan’s Garmin, started off sunny and ended up raining on our parade. Still a great grinder with a great crew. We ended the day with dinner at Koolau Drive Inn.