We decided to stay off the mountains and stick to the foothills today.

Trailhead

Met up with Akira, Allison, Deborah, Mari, Mona, Tessa in the backwoods of Waimanalo, a stones throw from The Village.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Stepping foot on the trail that was originally scouted and marked out by HTMC hiker, Richard Dick Davis.

Maunawili Demo Trail

We soon passed the junction that would have took us to the back of Olomana and countless other side trails that exist in this area.

Maunawili Demo Trail

The temptation was too great.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Just like monkeys, even horses fall from trees.

Maunawili Demo Trail

That trail was originally called Ko’olaupoko and work was started in 1991 by the Sierra Club.

Maunawili Demo Trail

The group weaving their way through the downed trees.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Climbing was not on today’s agenda.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Prisoners from OCC were recruited to help finish part of the trail in the summer of 1991. Voluntarily?

Maunawili Demo Trail

Meandering our way around the base of the the Ko’olau Mountains.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Standing in the verdant forest with a dead and twisted tree.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Winding our way in and out of multiple gullies.

Maunawili Demo Trail

No steak today. Chocolate dipped banana bread is what is on the menu.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Group photo with the three peaks of Olomana, Paku’i and Ahiki in the background.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Foraging for trail snacks on the path.

Maunawili Demo Trail

We passed the junction for the connector to Maunawili Falls and approached Maunawili Bigs, the waterfall chutes that are quite the spectacle when Mother Nature turns on the spigot.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Passing a fruitful branch of fiddlehead ferns.

Maunawili Demo Trail

Unfiltered. Straight from the tap. Lepto straight to the belly.

Maunawili Demo Trail

The trail was finished at the end of 1993 and it was renamed Maunawili Trail. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Sierra Club, OCC prisoners, Boy Scouts, Marines and volunteers that contributed to make this trail a reality.

All pau

Illustrating what next week’s hike will look like. A picture is worth a thousand words.

GPS Tracks

Our hike in the shadow of the mountains covered just shy of nine miles with a great group. Thanks to Mona’s son who picked us up and took us to Tokyo Central for our post hike meal before returning us back to our cars.

Photos taken by Allison Banks, Akira Suzuki, Deborah Tom, Mari Saito, Monaliza Guillermo, 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.