We hiked to one of the few waterfalls that was never Westernized in the sense of being renamed to better roll off Western tongues.

Laie

Hiking into the farmlands where only one person had the right idea of transportation.

Malaekahana Trail

The gate filtered us onto the trail.

Malaekahana Trail

Passing what looked like recently constructed wooden guard rails. Expecting motorized traffic?

Malaekahana Trail

Going up, up and away. The only consolation was that on our return trip, it would be mostly all downhill.

Malaekahana Trail

A wooden structure soon appeared in the distance. What could it be?

Malaekahana Trail

We’re almost there!

Malaekahana Trail

Looking out at the largely unspoiled view that we enjoyed from this well made observation platform. What could make it even better?

Malaekahana Trail

A ghetto zipline! Thanks to whomever put it there for the rest of us folks to pass the time.

Malaekahana Trail

Let the bubbly flow! Somebody forgot the cornstarch. No fireball. Happy Birthday Kenny!

Malaekahana Trail

There was a lot of combined hot air to unroll the birthday blowers. Just missing the noise.

Malaekahana Trail

Sandra descending down the stone stairs that would connect us back to the trail.

Malaekahana Trail

Plunging into the trail that seemed initially well maintained. Keep the bar low on expectations.

Malaekahana Trail

The faces of determination as we hiked our way up the seemingly unrelenting hill.

Malaekahana Trail

Can you see the hikers for the uluhe ferns?

Malaekahana Trail

View of Sandra through the tree crack.

Malaekahana Trail

Descending down the gorge as our numbers dwindled to six, as two of our friends decided to stay topside as the views were much better and they could enjoy a resting heart rate.

Malaekahana Trail

Rock hopping our way across Malaekahana Stream.

Malaekahana Trail

Contouring and climbing our way down the first tier of the waterfall.

Malaekahana Trail

Making our way down to the top of the second waterfall.

Malaekahana Trail

Kenny climbing his way down to the base.

Malaekahana Trail

Aileen was the last to join us at the pool as the two blondes decided to stay topside.

Malaekahana Trail

I guess photoaging is a thing for some people.

Malaekahana Trail

Dale getting drenched in the waterfall. Upon further reflection, we did not even arrive at the main lower or upper falls. We had stumbled onto one of the minor falls that follows the stream. There were talks of further exploration to find the main attraction.

Malaekahana Trail

However, some in the group had places to go and people to see, so we decided to head back.

Malaekahana Trail

Climbing back up the waterfall.

Malaekahana Trail

The group crossing the stream to begin the brutal climb back up the hill.

Malaekahana Trail

Taking a well deserved break after scrambling up the steady incline, to find out that our two friends had hightailed it back to their cars. Kenny enjoying his champagne brunch on the trail.

Malaekahana Trail

Making our way back to the platform that later turned out to be a planned zip line with nine towers that are being built by CLIMB Works Laie and customers will check in at a kiosk at the nearby Polynesian Cultural Center. They anticipate upwards of up to 1,000 paying customers that will be staggered throughout the day. No public hearings were held to discuss this matter nor were permits obtained before the construction began, as money talks. It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission was probably in the minds of the builders and landowners. They may have to pay financial penalties and wring their hands and shed crocodile tears in public, but in the end, they will have their zip line and they will be laughing their way to the bank.

Malaekahana Trail

Allison taking the bypass trail around the platform, concerns have been raised that hikers and hunters will no longer be allowed in the area, a claim that the project owners deny. We can put that to the test. Who pays into the coffers? Hikers/Hunters or Tourists. Exactly. Coexistence will only be tolerated until it gets in the way of financial gain.

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The group sitting on the fence, as I’m sure most are in the neighboring community as well. They must be weighing the environmental impacts and disruption of thousands of people visiting the area, whereas before that has probably only seen dozens versus the economic impact of jobs. In the end, money talks and they have no real say when it comes to charting the economic future of the area. Politicians and landowners have the final say, as regular folks are just window dressing.

Malaekahana Trail

Unexpected diversion from the trail.

Malaekahana Trail

More fun than a bouncy house.

Malaekahana Trail

All downhill from here.

Malaekahana Trail

Somebody didn’t have her end point.

Malaekahana Trail

Crawling our way underneath a blowdown as we thought it would be a shortcut to Laie Trail. Nope.

All pau

Balancing and hiking out the trail and back to our cars.

GPS Tracks

Our birthday hike covered 7.35 miles where the waterfalls was not the main attraction, good fun all around with friends. Post hike meal at North Shore Tacos, where they don’t serve birthday tacos. Happy Birthday Kenny!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltl9eoJhOKY

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our birthday hike.

Photos/Crew taken by Aileen Agustin, Allison Banks, Dale Yoshizu, Edgar Gamiao, Kenny Lui, Sandra Walter, Scott Dea, 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.

Rainy weather had scuttled our West side hiking plans, so we found ourselves searching for a waterfall. In Laie. Met up with Dale and Justin by the baseball field. Not a raindrop in the sky. The rest of the island was being saturated and here we were, bone dry. Go figure. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Trailhead

Dale and Justin walking over the bridge to the trail. Hey, we were just here last weekend!

Follow the sign

We passed the Laie trail junction and continued down the jeep road until we saw the sign to Malaekahana Falls. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Muddy road

Time to get our feet wet and muddy. Prepping for that waterfall. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Dry road

The rolling foothills of Laie. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Weeping flower

Morning dew on a red lehua flower. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Uluhell

What would a hike in the mountains be without those pesky and scratchy uluhe ferns? Exactly. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Muddy waters

We soon dropped off the ridge and made our way down to Malaekahana Stream. Photos by Justin Hirako.

Lower Malaekahana Falls

Group photo by Justin Hirako, left to right: Justin, myself and Dale.

Lower Malaekahana Falls

Why did the hikers climb the slippery tree?

Upper Malaekahana Falls

To get to the bigger waterfall. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Upper Malaekahana Falls

Up close and personal with the 80’+ waterfall. Maybe too close. The water was ice cold. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Search & Rescue

As I made my way down to the lower falls, my waterproof camera slipped out of my pocket and bounced down to the pool below. Not clumsy proof. Justin searched. No rescue. Photo by Dale Yoshizu.

Strawberry guava trees

Making our way back up to Malaekahana Ridge.

Laie

Looking out towards the ancient sanctuary for fugitives. We had our hiking permits from Hawaii Reserves, so we were good.

Fence trail

No sightings of Lani Moo.

Shoe wash

We washed the mud off our shoes and the mob of mosquitoes had a feeding frenzy.

Farm

What kind of plants are those? Justin!

All pau

Where was the rain? Every place but here.

GPS Tracks

Our short and sweet waterfall hike covered 6.98 miles. Post hike meal at Waiahole Poi Factory. No laulau? Wow laulau!