Today over 30,000 people were lining up at Kapiolani Park to start The Honolulu Marathon. Marvin, Jose and myself got dropped off by Chris on Waikane Valley Road to start our own Hiking Marathon of sorts. We walked past the barking dogs and followed the explosive danger signs plastered fence into the dark valley, only to be stopped in our tracks as we came across a huge muddy landslide that had wiped out part of the trail. Jose checked it out and deemed it safe enough to walk over without sliding down into the gurgling stream below us.

Sunrise

After crossing the stream, we missed the sharp left turn to gain the Waikane trail in the dark until Jose called out and we backtracked our way. Breaking free of the valley cover, the sun was able to reach us unfiltered as we took in the sunrise from the lookout on the Waikane trail.

Contouring

Contouring our way on the Waikane trail.

Waikane terminus

Stopping at the Waikane terminus that is marked by a rusty metal stake with a pink ribbon on it.

Staring into the sun

Looking into Kahana Valley with squinty eyes. After a short break, we made another sharp left turn as we set foot on the KST in the general direction of Waiahole.

Trail clearing time!

The trail was heavily overgrown with all types of vegetation and there were many false steps on the trail for hikers not paying attention. Like me.

Waianae Mountains

It was clear enough to see the entire Waianae Mountain Range from Kaena to Mokuleia.

Kahana Valley

The prominent peak of Ohulehule rising out of the Kahana Valley floor.

Nice day on the KST

Taking a break and soaking in the views on the KST. Shortly after, the clouds rolled in and we resumed our hiking.

Big buggah

A rather large example of Lehua papa or Metrosideros rugosa, endemic to Oahu and particularly fond of making themselves home on the wet and windy ridges of the Koolaus.

Wind(less) meadow

We descended down into this meadow, expecting to battle the fierce winds that I’ve heard so much about. I guess Mother Nature was on hiatus today. Not even a puff.

Clouds rolling in

Climbing out of the meadow, we looked over the ridge to check out the cloudy views of the Windward side.

Sugi not sugoi!

We soon came to the notch and the grove of Sugi Pine Trees that signaled we were near the Waiahole Uka terminus.

The last hill

Going up the grassy hill to the Waiahole Uka terminus. The original hike was planned to end at Manana, but my stomach was having none of that and so we ended up using Waiahole as the bailout.

Waiahole Uka

Taking a break amongst all the clouds.

Climbing into the clouds

Going down Waiahole Uka is all descending. No rolling hills here. Other hikers have likened this ridge to Piliwale, with the main difference of heavy overgrowth and more taxing.

Ropes are our friends

There are a couple of steep and crumbly sections to go down, but for the most part, they are roped for assistance

.

Uluhe fern country

Marvin and Jose wading through the last half of the ridge which is covered in uluhe ferns. Not fun at all.

Until we meet again

I’m not looking forward to wading through those obnoxious ferns again. In hindsight, should have stuck it out to Manana. Oh well.

GPS Tracks

After popping out of that tangled mess of ferns, we made our way down onto the Kuolani-Waianu trail which passed through several gullies and the man-made waterfall. Jasmin was nice enough to pick us up at the trailhead which saved us a mile of walking and running into Scuba, the “guardian” of the valley. The entire hike was just shy of 11 miles, which still made it a grinder in my books.

Stuart Ball called Bowman the most difficult of the ungraded ridge hikes in the leeward Ko’olau Range. With that being said, Chris wanted to try out the Bowman shortcut, which would chop three miles off the trail length. I only agreed because knowing the route would come in handy when the time came to tackle the Bowman side of Kalihi Saddle. Jasmin also joined our hike for today.

The road to Kalihi Ice Ponds

Parking at the end of Kalihi Street deep in the valley is extremely scarce. Carpooling is highly recommended if coming with a large group. Instead of going over the bridge and straight into Kalihi Ice Ponds, which I have yet to visit, we went up the dirt road to our left.

What commercial does this remind you of?

Anybody know the answer? I’ve been scratching my head to no avail.

Burmeister Overpass

We soon crossed the Overpass that was built by the state for the Burmeister family when construction of Likelike Highway cut off access to their land deep in Kalihi Valley.

Knock Knock

George Burmeister shot and killed a trespasser back in the 1960’s. He got off with five years of probation. I don’t know if the family is still around, from the looks of these abandoned buildings. Not wanting to push our luck, we soon took the trail that winds to the right of the buildings.

Is this the shortcut?

We followed the ribbons and barbed wire fence as we made our way up the spur ridge.

Kokua Kalihi Valley

Our progress up the shortcut ridge was soon halted by a group of surveyors that claimed this land was now private property. What? Where are the signs? Not wanting to push the issue, we took their suggestion to try the adjacent spur ridge. #1 Big mistake of the day.

Trail snacks

We backtracked our way down and crossed over to the next ridge. As we started to make our way up, the smell of ripe lilikoi (passion fruit) hung in the air.

Where is the shortcut?

The ridge soon disappeared into a thick tangle of vegetation and heavily eroded sections. Bushwhacking is an understatement. I must have muttered “What frigging shortcut?” too many times to count.

Sky staring

Checking out the cloud formations at the top of the junction for the Bowman trail.

Hanging around

I was glad to see Chris and Jasmin after waiting almost two hours. It was getting pretty lonely at the top. Photo by Jasmin Nepomuceno.

Swallowed by uluhe ferns

As we continued our hike on the Bowman trail, coming up the “shortcut ridge” had taxed Chris to his limit. He called and said he was returning back down the trail. I asked Jasmin if she wanted to join him or continue the hike. She opted for the latter. #2 Big mistake of the day. An hour into the hike, rumbling thunder cracked open the sky and the proverbial cats and dogs poured on us for almost two hours. The trail became a raging waterfall. I was more worried about being struck by lightning. I could just hear Chris laughing at us.

Where’s the rainbow?

The thunderstorm eventually turned into a drizzle as we approached the climb up Pu’u Kahuauli (Bowman).

Chances of waterfalls…

The intense soaking produced tons of waterfalls all around us. There were over a dozen of them coming down from Lanihuli.

..and partly cloudy

Looking back towards town. The air always smells fresher after an intense downpour, especially if you were caught in the middle of it!

Marshy meadow

After reaching the top of Pu’u Kahuauli at an elevation of 2,740′, we turned left towards Tripler Ridge.

Is that the sun?

The sun would peak out every now and then, teasing us with scattered cloudy views.

HECO trail

Heading down the slippery and muddy trail. HECO maintains this section due to the power lines, so there are ropes to keep you from sliding off the ridge.

Makeshift weather station

Total whiteout conditions from the top of the relay station. Bummers.

Smoky mountains

Looking back, the clouds partially cleared to reveal themselves wrapping around Lanihuli and Pu’u Kahuauali. Postcard perfect.

CCL Building

We soon passed the middle junction and the top of Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe at 2,820′ high above the clouds and made our way to the CCL building which marks the top of Haiku Stairs.

Losing daylight

The sun’s rapid descent as it pierced the heavy clouds made the climb down the stairs more urgent.

Stairway to Heaven

Top of the stairs at 2,800′.

Coming down

Jasmin climbing down the stairs, all 3,922 of them.

Sunset over Moanalua Saddle

Looking to our left, the sun was setting. Where was my headlamp? Oops.

Haiku Stairs

I believe this was the last of the five landings that breaks up the continuity of the stairs.

H-3

Watching the cars pass overhead on the H-3 as I waited for Jasmin. The guard was long gone. I could’ve used the company.

GPS Tracks

The roughly five mile hike marked a very long day. Chris picked us up and we all had dinner at Zippys. Food is especially tasty after a long hike.

I had gotten wind from Hiram on our last hike that he was planning on doing Kaupo #1 in Waimanalo. Bob and I joined him on today’s hike.

Waiting our turn

We entered the Waimanalo forest through the Tom-Tom trailhead and followed the ribboned trail to Kaupo Cliffs #2.

We go up

After descending into the chute, we soon found ourselves at the beginning of Kaupo #2.

Looks pretty steep

Gaining elevation quickly, we could see why the base approach to Kaupo #1 is not climbable due to the steepness of the cliff. Somebody would have to top rope the cliff in order for others to start from the bottom.

Let’s cross here

We soon found a good spot with lots of trees to grab to cross over from #2 to #1. Sounds like scatalogical humor.

Spot the hikers

Crossing over. Photo by Bob Tyson.

Kaupo #2

Bob had tweaked his back and decided to stay on Kaupo #2 and snap a couple photos of us climbing Kaupo #1 before heading back down. Next time Bob!

Kaupo Cliffs #1

We have arrived! Not at the top, but on Kaupo 1. Photo by Bob Tyson.

Our goal

Climbing up Kaupo #1 was not as challenging as I had expected. Basic climbing up a cliff is the best way to express it.

Climbing up

Look, Bob is still taking our pictures. Wave. Photo by Bob Tyson.

One step at a time

That’s how you enjoy life and continue to enjoy it. Or something like that. Photo by Bob Tyson.

Hiram climbing up

There are really no close to the edge climbing parts that I remember. Or tricky rock faces.

Hiram checking out Waimanalo

I stand corrected.

Tom-Tom trail

Looking at our return route – the Tom-Tom trail that are marked by the powerline poles.

Last pic of the day from Bob

It’s always nice to see your photo from a different perspective. Photo by Bob Tyson.

Had to do it

Nice day to be hiking.

Top of Kaupo #1

Testing out my GoPro on a stick. My tripod was on its last legs, literally. Time to join the crowd and get those aerial shots.

Koko Crater and Koko Head

I always thought those two volcanic cones were Diamond Head and Punchbowl. Geographically challenged.

Open for business?

Hmmm, how many hikers are flaunting the newly reinforced gates that are supposed to keep them off Kamehame Ridge?

Nice day for paragliding

Popular spot for paragliders.

Back down into Waimanalo

Making our way to the Tom-Tom trail, we practiced rock climbing along the way. Still got to hit the VRG (Volcanic Rock Gym) one day.

GPS Tracks

Thanks to Hiram for letting me tag along this fun little 2.57 mile hike. Now I only got Kaupo Cliffs #7 left to do!

Marvin put together another fun hike today, this one was Pu’u Piei out in Kahana Valley. We all met at the first parking lot and please silence your cellphones for the hike, as phone reception is zero in this area. The group consisted of Marvin, Chrissy, Hiram, Julz, Matt, Nani, Ray, Rob and myself. Photo by Julz Pruett.

Kapa ‘Ele’Ele Trail

The trail is a 1.2 mile loop that passes a fishing shrine and a lookout, today it was just going to take us to the ridge. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Follow the leader

We followed the trail into an open clearing and turned left into the forest. The trail soon led us to another junction, where we took another left to gain the higher ground.

Photo break

About halfway up the ridge, was a wide washed out clearing that served as an impromptu break area. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Rain forecast – 100%

Matt and I soon separated from the group and made our way up to the top of the ridge, where we turned left to head to the summit. We soon saw a rain shower making its way around the coastline. Yes, we did get soaked.

Pu’u Piei Summit

The summit of Pu’u Piei is postage stamp sized and overgrown. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Panoramic view from the summit

 The outstanding views of Kahana Bay and Valley. Photo by Nani Dee.

Smoking mountain

 Making our way back down to the group on the now slippery and muddy trail.

Leaving the summit

Another rain shower gave us a second good soaking. No wonder Kahana is one of the wettest valleys on the island. We soon met up with the group at the top of the junction and hiked up ahead to join Hiram as we continued on the Makai part of the ridge. No other takers wanted to join us on some fun rock scrambling. Next time.

Strike the pose

Matt took off his shoes to get better purchase on the small square footage of this thumb of a rock. I had climbed up earlier but didn’t trust my wet soled shoes to stand on the rock without slipping and falling over.

Which way?

Hiram checking out webbing left by previous hikers. We elected to simply hike up and over. Straight to the point.

Nice views!

Typical rocky ridgeline. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Rock climbing

We noticed paragliders circling over our heads as we had our fun and they had their fun. 

Fun, fun, fun!

We got another sprinkle which made the rocks somewhat slick, so we took our time.

Bugs eye view

Going down the first notch. You can either free climb and go down the front or contour to the left and use these handy ropes. Due to the rainy weather, we decided that ropes were our friends.

Birds eye view

Try not to put all your weight on the ropes, as these particular ones went over a small rock wedged between bigger rocks. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

First notch

I heard a fellow hiker fell off the first notch while free climbing and plunged about 100′. While these rocks seemed more solid than on other trails, you just never know.

Second notch

We came down the second notch by contouring to the left and then working our way down towards the middle of the notch.

Downclimbing

We got our last sprinkle of the day as made our way down the last set of rocks. Once again, ropes were our friends due to the slick rocks. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Punaluu Valley

The Army in WW2 had Jungle Training Camps in Kahana and Punalu’u Valleys.

Checking out the views

The fun rock climbing is over! Time to relax and check out the scenic views of Kahana Bay and Valley.

Back to hiking

This part of the ridge was heavily overgrown with vegetation.

Leaving the rocky ridge behind

I can see why the valley and surrounding areas are so green and lush with vegetation what with all the constant watering that Mother Nature provides.

Last group photo

Our last group photo together. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Trail snacks

Snacking on the abundant, ripe and chilled guavas on the trail. Spit out the seeds.

The ridge going down

The trail ends at the last spur ridge going back down into the valley.

Paragliders

Watching the paragliders circle lazily above the ridges, made me want to try that one day. It looks like fun!

Back on the road again

Hiram popping out of the bushes as we followed Kamehameha Highway back to our cars. Lunch at Uncle Bobo’s!

GPS Tracks

The fun filled scramble was a short 3.75 mile hike, but well worth the climb!

Was I hallucinating? Was I actually standing in the company of  Tom, J, Sara, Marcus, Rito, Ted and Kilei on the side of Likelike Highway? I had to rub my eyes and pinch myself to realize that after five false starts that was cancelled due to weather, we were finally going to hike Kalihi Saddle! Pat Murphy was nice enough to play shuttle driver and pick all of us at the top of Alewa Drive and drop us off in front of the Wilson Tunnels on the town side. Photo by Kilei Nelson.

No hard hats, only hard heads

The somewhat paved road led us to this fenced off area. We picked up the trail to the left of the power station. I believe at this point, that Rito started the running gag about something “blue and sharp” that started to make its rounds within the group. Inside joke.

Mountain apples

Not yet ripe for the picking. Too bad, would have been a nice snack to take with us.

Powerline trail

After making our way up the mosquito infested trail for about half an hour, we came up to the powerlines that marked the center of Kalihi Saddle. Going to the left involves climbing up towards Kahuauli (Bowman), another hike for another day. We were going right towards Lanihuli.

Kalihi Valley

Sometimes it’s hard to spot signs of civilization.

“Easy” extreme?

Walking along the somewhat narrow ridgeline. So far, so “easy.” Nothing we haven’t done before, as Marcus had explained to us. Photo by Marcus Griego.

On the way to Shark Fin

Making our way down to the first obstacle – Shark Fin. Legendary hiker, Pete Clines, gave the colorful names to these obstacles on the saddle.

Shark Fin sighting

Going up, the trees were more of an obstacle than the obstacle itself on this climb.

Watch the Windward drop

The entire saddle is basically a narrow undulating ridgeline punctuated by obstacles of varying difficulty. In other words, enough to keep you interested and on the edge. Literally.

Going up the first Bunny Ear

The first bunny ear was as she sounded, nice and fluffy with trees. No real difficulty to be found here.

Winds are blowing!

Strong winds blowing from the Windward side pushed us away from the steep Windward cliff drops.

Tickling the second Bunny Ear

The second bunny ear was a tad taller and somewhat crumbly. Nothing to sneeze at. Marcus pointing at a loose rock that was best to be avoided. Photo by Tom Engle.

Hang on to those bushes!

The trees and bushes on the Leeward side combined with the pushy Windward winds kept us somewhat vertical on the narrow ridgeline.

Butt slide or belly flop – take your pick

Sometimes you just have to pause and check out the views. Photo by Marcus Griego.

Koolau Range

Like these views for example.

Knock Knock

Going up the Doorstop was a little more tricky, as it involved some rock climbing. A taste of what was to come. Photo by Tom Engle.

Bird’s eye view

Coming down the backside of the Doorstop, we discovered that there was rope leftover from previous hikers. Mahalo! Photo by Tom Engle.

Coming down the backside of Doorstop

Coming down these obstacles is challenging as you are fighting gravity and oftentimes it’s hard to see where your next foothold will be. Photo by Marcus Griego.

Caveman yawn or yell?

“Move it you maggots, I have mountain apples to pick!”

Squeeze, not pop it

Ropes are our friend on this hike. Coming down, my left foot made contact with some rocks which then promptly gave way, the rope helped me to recover.

Coming down the Pimple

This would be the last major rock obstacle we would have to climb. But the fun was not over yet. Not by a long shot. Photo by Marcus Griego.

Looking back at our challenges

Yup, we had to climb all over those bad puppies, that’s what makes ridge hiking fun and challenging. Photo by Ted Calvero.

Scrambling towards the Can Opener

There were a couple crumbly dirt sections to be climbed as we made our way up from the Pimple.

Snack break

Taking a well deserved snack break below the Can Opener. Photo by Marcus Griego.

Kalihi Saddle

Looking back at Kalihi Saddle, one of three saddles on the Koolau mountain range. The other two being the Moanalua and Nuuanu Saddles.

Love that uki grass

After our break, we contoured on the Windward side of the Can Opener hanging onto the uki grass for dear life.

Steep contour around the Can Opener

Another perspective on the steep contour around the Can Opener. Photo by Ted Calvero.

Steep?

It was pretty steep going up. If you slipped, it would be a long tumble down.

Rock!

A word most hiker’s don’t want to hear. Especially when you’re on the receiving end! I don’t think my GoPro would have protected my big head. Luckily I ducked in time.

The “hook”

Looking back at the “hook” of the Can Opener. Photo by Tom Engle.

End of the rope

After 30 minutes of pulling ourselves up this near vertical cliff to regain the ridge using only plants and webbing, my arms were jello.

Above the Can Opener

Taking a short break on this small plot of real estate perched precariously on a thin ridge. Photo by Rito.

Skinny, steep ridge ahead

We started our long climb up a very steep and skinny ridge towards Lanihuli.

Looking back down

Rito taking pictures of the group coming up the ridge. Photo by Ted Calvero.

Can you say erosion?

Several sections of the ridge were more exposed and eroded than other parts. Photo by Tom Engle.

What’s all the commotion?

This section of the ridge was severely eroded, it seems like only a matter of time before this section gives way.

Rodeo Ridge!

The ridge was narrow to the point where you had to straddle and scoot to get across. Photos by Marcus Griego.

Back to climbing

The ridge widened, that’s being generous, enough for us to resume our climbing. Photo by Ted Calvero.

Nice day on the Koolau’s

Mother Nature was nice to us in the form of breezy trade winds and overcast clouds that helped keep us cool on the hike.

Almost there

The narrow ridge gradually became a tad wider as we approached the summit. Photo by Marcus Griego.

Lobelia gaudichaudii

We ran across this rare and endemic plant found only on Oahu, also known as the Koolau Range lobelia.

Final push to the summit

Marcus and Kilei making their way over the last couple hills before the summit.

koelle damselfly

The bug whisperer, J, found this damselfly, that played possum when he caught it. NatGeo is calling!

Lanihuli summit

Group photo at the cloudy summit standing left to right: myself, Rito, Kilei, Tom and Marcus. Kneeling left to right: Ted, J and Sara.

Summit view

The clouds cleared to give us a postcard view of the Windward side.

Going down Alewa ridge

A group of teenagers popped up at the summit, they had hiked up from Kamehameha School and were planning on going towards the Pali. They had no water and no idea what they were getting themselves into. That’s what leads to rescues. J was nice enough to give them some water and they wisely decided to go back down Alewa ridge.

Civilization!

The walk down Alewa ridge was the longest part of the hike, of course less fraught with challenges.

Graceful landing – 3 points!

Kilei and Marcus making their way over the fence at the top of Alewa Drive. After this, it was a late lunch at Bangkok Chef.

GPS Tracks

The 4.9 mile hike was the hardest I’ve done to date. It was filled with mental and physical challenges and an extra serving of fun along with good company.

Apparently I had not got my fill of hiking up steep Windward ridges, that is why I found myself with Chris going up Mariner’s Windward on Easter. Photo by Chris Hiona.

Finding the breadcrumbs in Waimanalo

We started off at the Tom-Tom trailhead and made our way through the Waimanalo forest as we crossed dry riverbeds and pushed our way through these green things called trees. By following the scattered pink ribbons and the GPS tracks that J let me have, we eventually made our way to the ridge.

I feel the need for micro-spikes

As the grade got steeper and the dirt become more abundant than those green things, Chris decided to slap on his micro-spikes for better traction. Once again, I found myself the lone man out.

Let’s go find some rocks

As we rapidly gained elevation on the ridge, those green things returned with a vengeance. I was so happy to break off from all that undergrowth when the opportunity presented itself and scrambled straight to the rocky ridgeline. Photo by Chris Hiona.

Nice day on the Koolau’s

Picture perfect conditions on the Koolau’s. Nothing is more rewarding than being able to see both sides of the Koolau’s as far as the eye can see. Photo by Chris Hiona.

The fun begins

After a bunch of picture taking, we resumed our hike up the rocky ridge. It did get steep in certain sections but there were ample footholds and handholds. Those pesky trees also provided convenient handholds as well. Photo by Chris Hiona.

Nice view of Waimanalo

Chris taking a break to soak in the views of Waimanalo.

The fun continues

We soon resumed our scrambling up the ridge. Photo by Chris Hiona.

Crumbly rocks

Crumbly rocks or choss seem to make up most of the rocks found on the mountain ranges in the islands. I was just about to warn Chris that this section was super crumbly, when all the rocks underneath me gave way and sent me sliding 30 feet down the mountain. Luckily those pesky trees arrested my fall.

Better view of Waimanalo

Chris taking in the higher elevation views of Waimanalo. These views never get old for me.

This is where the real fun begins

As we sized up our next major rockface that we had to climb, we spotted the only rope we saw during our entire hike up the ridge. That must mean something, right?

Panoramic view of Waimanalo

Click here for the larger image.

Made it!

Sometimes the direct way up doesn’t click for me. Figuring that was too hard, I decided to scoot my way around the crumbly and narrow ledge to contour my way around the rockface and climb up. Chris decided that was not the path he was going to follow and after some effort, finally made it the direct way up. He made the right choice.

Is this rope safe?

After Chris climbed up the ledge, I swung the rope over to him to give him some assistance climbing up. I don’t know how long that rope has been there, but the outer layer was frayed and coming off in copious pieces. Most of which flew into my nose and mouth, not very appetizing.

Last hump to the top

We crashed our way through some more thick undergrowth, which led Chris to lose his camera boom. After that, it was a quick scramble to the top.

Mariner’s Windward Ridge

Top of Mariner’s Windward Ridge. Photo by Chris Hiona.

Mariner’s Ridge Summit

Top of Mariner’s Ridge with great views of the Koolau’s and Olomana in the background.

Hawaii Kai in the background

The original plan was to continue the hike to Makapu’u, but Chris started cramping up as we made our way up the ridge, so we decided to end it by going down the Mariner’s Ridge Trail.

GPS Tracks Mariner’s Windward to Mariner’s Ridge

The entire hike was a little over 4 miles and Chris decided not to go back down and get his camera boom. I don’t blame him.

I found myself walking on the Waianae Valley Road with Marcus, Jay, Tom, Scott, Brian and Aaron to hike up Bolohead Ridge. Did I ever mention I hate this mile plus road of unyielding concrete with a passion? This was our second attempt, as two weeks ago we got rained out and had to turn back.

Weather looks good!

It wasn’t raining and Mount Ka’ala looked clear and cloud free. Looking good!

Waianae Kai Forest

Passing the first water tank, we took a right onto a trail that took us deep into the Waianae Kai Forest as we followed the pink and yellow markers.

Start of Bolohead Ridge

About half an hour later, we found ourselves at the beginning of Bolohead Ridge.

Point of No Return

This was the same area where we had to turn back two weeks ago due to wet conditions. The rocks in this area start to get steeper and are covered with moss. Not a good idea to be climbing in these conditions when rainy and wet.

Group photo at the first obstacle

Back to front: Jay, Scott, Brian, Tom, myself, Aaron and Marcus. I would say this section of the ridge was the narrowest part on the whole ridge, and we were taking a group photo on it! Photo by Marcus Griego.

Looks harder than it actually is

As we prepared to tackle the first obtacle, we noticed moisture in the air and rain spilling over the top of Mount Ka’ala. We agreed that the best plan of action was to make it past the second obstacle and hope the rain would hit us after that, which the terrain would allow us to safely handle. Click here for the larger image.

First obstacle

Looks can be deceiving. From a distance, this obstacle looks imposing and somewhat intimidating. But up close, the climb was made easy by ample handholds and footholds. Photo by Scott Bowling.

Looking back at the thin ridge

Aaron making it to the top of the first obstacle with a neat view of the valley and the ridge we had just left behind.

Second obstacle – Bolohead itself

We soon approached the second and hardest obstacle, the feature named for the ridge itself – Bolohead. So named by Waianae Steve because it resembles a bald man. Sorry, I don’t get the resemblance. Maybe if I squint and look real hard from a certain angle. Then again, I’ve never been good at abstract thinking.

Watch out for falling rocks

While we were waiting our turn to go up Bolohead, we were being showered by dirt and small pebbles from the guys above us. If you got micro-spikes, now would be a good time to put them on. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any. Lucky me.

Climbing up Bolohead

A good chunk of Bolohead is all loose dirt and rocks, making it somewhat of a chore. A weathered rope that was installed who knows how long ago, greatly helped out.

Top of Bolohead

As we all made it to the top of Bolohead one by one, it was hard not to be impressed by the spectacular views below us.

Panoramic view of Waianae Valley

Click here for the larger image.

Climbing down the backside of Bolohead

The fun was not over yet. We stil had to climb down the backside of Bolohead, which involves a somewhat narrow rockface. Once again, there was webbing, but it was frayed so we didn’t depend on it much as we made our way down. Photo by Francis Joy.

Looking down the backside of Bolohead

Tom climbing down as he makes “love” to the rocks. Caveman jargon for hugging the rocks as you down climb.

Almost to the top of Ka’ala

Gone were the narrow ridge and the fun. Replaced by relatively wide open areas on the way to the top of Ka’ala. Luckily, the rain showers never did show up.

Getting bogged down

As we got nearer to the top, the open ridge was replaced by the bog forest and thick uluhe ferns. Photo by Scott Bowling.

Top of Mount Ka’ala

No sightseeing today. It was decided not to pay the Ka’ala bog a visit today and instead go straight down the mountain.

Coming down from the mountain

Tom passing one of the boulder sections as he makes his way down.

Tiki Ridge

Instead of going down the Waianae-Ka’ala Trail, we decided to go down the next ridge, which was Tiki Ridge. 

Tiki #1

Passing the first tiki marker on the way down the ridge. There are two small rockfaces that must be down climbed and the rest of the ridge is downhill.

Tiki #2

We made our way down the ridge, traversed the Waianae Kai Forest, waded through head high grass and popped back onto the much hated road and made our way back down to our cars.

GPS Tracks for Bolohead Ridge to Kaala to Tiki Ridge

The entire 6.3 mile hike took us 7.5 hours. Glad we made it the second time around. I heard there are seven trails to get to Ka’ala, two down and five more to go!

Ever since I met Ted and his crew coming up from Piliwale ridge to Lulumahu Falls when we were coming down that same ridge, I have always wanted to follow in his footsteps so to speak. But having no knowledge of the route down to the falls, that hike was shelved for awhile. Today Ted was nice enough to lead ten of us up the ridge and to the falls.

Ted briefing us on the hike

We all met at the Pali Hunter’s check-in, left a couple cars there and carpooled to Maunawili where we parked on Lopaka Place. Going this way is a more direct route than starting from the Pali Lookout.

Sunrise breaking over Olomana

Walking up the slightly graded trail and catching the sun break over Olomana and Maunawili was a nice way to start the morning.

Piliwale Ridge trailhead

Half an hour later, we found ourselves at the start of the trailhead going up Piliwale Ridge. Now the real cardio workout began, well at least for me it did.

Waiting our turn to go up past the notch

When we got to the notch in the ridge, Ted decided to break us into two groups of five each. This was for safety reasons as this is the part where the ridge got steeper, crumbly and prone to loose rocks being dislodged by people climbing on them. Luckily, this section is heavily roped which comes in mighty handy when you’re searching for some kind of handhold to pull yourself up.

Watching and waiting

Glenn, Jay, Matt, LyZel and myself waiting on the notch. Photo by Jim McKown.

Admiring the intermittent view

Having been down this ridge before, I can say it was much easier going up. I’d rather climb up a steep ridge, than come down it and fight gravity.

Looking back towards Maunawili

This was one of our last clear views we got before the clouds swallowed us up, as we climbed higher towards the summit of Konahuanui or K1.

I’ve got you!

Jason illustrated how the vegetation can sometimes mask the narrowness of the ridge, as he slipped and was hanging on the edge when LyZel came from behind and pulled him up to safety. Another good reason not to hike solo and not to be spaced too far apart, in case assistance is needed. Photo by Jim McKown.

Socked in at the top of K1

The highest point on the Koolau mountains was totally socked in, affording us zero views. Top row left to right: myself, Ted, Matt, Glenn, Jim, Will and Jason. Bottom row left to right: LyZel, Tom and Jay.

Slippery slope down

Going down from K1 was literally by the seat of my pants, due to to the steepness, wetness and mud lubricated trail.

Breaking views

As the steepness gradually leveled to a walkable grade, we started making our way down below the clouds.

Panoramic town view

Click here for the larger image.

Nuuanu Reservoir

Eventually we went down the side of the ridge towards the reservoir. As we got lower, it became a jumbled maze of pig and eroded trails. It seemed that somebody had removed the prior ribbons that clearly marked the trail. Without the ribbons and an experienced guide, one could find themselves bushwhacking for quite a spell. Jay put up a bunch of pink ribbons to mark the key junctions on the trail, hopefully nobody will remove them for future hikers.

Lulumahu Falls

Once we got down to the bottom, we followed the rock strewn stream up to Lulumahu Falls. These falls are fed from the top of K1 and cascade all the way down into Nuuanu Valley.

K1 still capped in clouds

After taking a short break at the falls, we followed the stream out into a clearing that surrounds the Nuuanu reservoir. There is a cleared trail through the bamboo forest that leads back to the hunter check-in station on the Pali.  

GPS Tracks

The 4.5 mile hike took us about 6.5 hours to complete. But the day was not yet done! I had always wanted to check out the summer palace ruins of King Kamehameha III.

Tree tunnel

We drove to Nuuanu Pali Road and parked on the side along with a bunch of other cars that were already there. Walking down the road, we found the trail that lead us into a bamboo forest.

Summer Palace Ruins

A short 5 minutes later, we were standing among the ruins of Kaniakapupu, which was King Kamehameha III’s Summer Palace.

Kaniakapupu

According to the informational plaque, it was built in 1845 and was host to a number of celebrations involving locals and foreign guests.

King Kamehameha III’s Summer Palace

Walking around the ruins, one can feel the “history” of the place.

Singing of the Land Shell

Kaniakapupu means “Singing of the Land Shell” and was a place of rest and refuge for King Kamehameha III. Apparently it soon fell into neglect, as an 1874 map pegged the summer palace as an “old ruin.” We didn’t have time as we were hungry for lunch, but Luakaha Falls is a short hike away from the ruins. Another hike for another day.

Ever since Marcus mentioned the seven cliffs of Kaupo in Waimanalo, I’ve wanted to hike all five of them, as the other two are supposedly not doable. Tom was nice enough to be our guide today to Cliff #4.

There’s a trail here somewhere…

We met at Waimanalo Beach Park and carpooled in Glenn’s truck, and then drove into the neighborhood and parked at the intersection of Waiokeola and Manawaiola Streets. It is highly recommended that if you hike to this trailhead, that you minimize your footprint by carpooling as you don’t want to piss off the people that live here. Much like how some hikers pissed off the residents at the Haiku Stairs trailhead neighborhood, same smell but different attitudes. Pushing off around 8:15am, we made our way through the thick grass to pick up the trail that was marked by those always helpful pink ribbons and Tom’s direction.

Kaupo Cliffs Chute

Tom took us on a slight detour to show us the massive deep chute that separated Cliff#3 from Cliff #4. Impressive.

The fun begins

So is this why it’s called Kaupo Cliffs?

Tired of climbing cliffs? Try root climbing!

This was the best part of the hike for me. Climbing straight up these tree roots for about 40-50′. You need some level of upper body strength to make it up this section. Felt like a kid again.

Hitchhiker

This guy took the easy way up, on my pants.

Which way do I go?

After we made our way up the tree roots, a rock section with a narrow ledge stymied us for a bit as we tried out several routes to get past it. We finally edged our way up to the right, past an abandoned bee hive.  

Going up

More scrambling. More fun.

Tom-Tom Trail

Looking to our right, we could see the Tom-Tom trail and the Koolau Mountains.

Still going up

Going up the loose and crumbly rocks, often covered by pine needles, made for a slippery slope at times.

Falling rock!

Always keep a safe distance. As I was preparing to climb up a section, Glenn dislodged a small rock from above and luckily my left hand and right biceps took the brunt of the impact which sent me back a couple of feet. At least I didn’t go over the edge. In the photo, I am resting my bruised hand on the rock that hit me.

Past the Kamiloiki Junction

After making our way to the top of Kamiloiki Ridge and following the trail for a bit, we missed the junction that goes to the Tom-Tom trail and had to double back. While the junction is ribboned, you have to keep an eye out for it, otherwise you may just miss it like we did.

Caveman proving grounds

There’s this particular part of the trail where one can practice down climbing some challenging rock sections. Since I just fumbled a rock football, I passed and watched Tom have his fun.

Panoramic view from the top of Tom-Tom trail

Click here for the larger image.

Going down the Tom-Tom trail

Tom and I on the Tom-Tom trail with the town of Waimanalo in the background.

Headed back down into Waimanalo

Going down the trail was uneventful and within 30 minutes we were back in Glenn’s truck.

GPS Tracks

It took us a little over four hours to complete this short, challenging and fun 1.9 mile hike.

It has been over two years since we last hiked up to the flat topped mountain known as Mount Ka’ala. This called for a reunion hike and another reunion of sorts, as Jason joined Glenn and myself after taking a long break from the hiking trails.

Left for Tiki Ridge

We pushed off a little past 7am and made our way up a mile of alternating asphalt and concrete road. Boy, do I hate this road! Once the paved road ended at the water tank, we turned left into the bushes and started following the red and white bottle caps nailed to the trees.

Follow the red/white bottle caps

The trail lead us through dry riverbeds and kukui nut trees with their droppings crunching and rolling underneath our footsteps. There are an abundance of markers in the form of red/white and white bottle caps, along with red/white and white ribbons. It can be confusing as one is supposed to follow the red/white bottle caps and now you have white bottle caps as well. One should stay to the left and gain the ridgeline when the markers and the opportunity presents themselves. If you start heading to the right and only see solid white markers, then you are heading into the valley and going a different way.

Slight grade going up

Going up the ridgeline was a nice treat for our cardio workout, not too steep and at just the right grade to get the heart pumping.

Looking back into the valley

The ridge finally broke out of the treeline and afforded us views of the valley we had just left behind.

Tiki #1

There are three small rock sections that must be climbed, all relatively easy. All of them have webbing and a bright yellow garden hose, if so needed. Past the first rock section, is a small tiki statue. Which I totally missed. Jason and Glenn had to point it out to me, so I had to climb back down to get my picture!

Hey, give me a hand!

Jason coming up the second rock section. He didn’t really need a hand. Clap. Clap. Clap.

Tiki #2

Looking down at the second tiki statue. Are there any more that we missed?

Top of Tiki Ridge

Glenn holding the black webbing that marks Tiki Ridge, something that we totally missed on our hike last time. After making our way down the goat fenceline, it was a pleasant and flat stroll to 3 poles.

3 Poles

Taking a short lunch break at 3 poles. Jason started cramping up and despite my meager motivations, decided to stay put until we came back down from the mountain top.

Climb to Mount Ka’ala

The winds started to chill us down as we made our way up to the top. At least it wasn’t as blustery as it was on our last hike.

Boulder section

About halfway to the top, are two boulder sections that must be climbed. Both offer ample footholds and handholds to get over them. Ropes are present, if needed.

Panoramic view from top of Ka’ala trail

Click here for the larger image. Pictures, well at least my pictures, don’t do the views justice. You have to see them in person.

Entering Mount Ka’ala Reserve

Nice windbreaker Glenn. Inside joke.

Any happy face spiders in the bog?

As we made our way on the planks through part of the 1,100 acre Mount Ka’ala Reserve, I didn’t realize how big the bog really is. It seemed to go on and on. Endless.

Top of Mount Ka’ala

We finally popped out of the bog to be greeted by the huge dome of the FAA radar station, it was a beautiful day at the 4,025′ summit of Mount Ka’ala.

Panoramic view of North and Central Oahu

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Going back down

Going back down to 3 poles was eye candy almost the whole way. The views of the Waianae Mountain Range and surrounding valleys were just spectacular. When we got to 3 poles, Jason was nowhere to be found. He had decided to go down the trail with another hiker that was waiting for her group.

The long road home

Once we made our way down the Waianae Kaala Trail, we had to subject our toes to that paved road again. Going down. Did I mention I hated this road?

Moon over the mountains

Glenn took his shoes off and jogged down the road in his socks. Hardcore hiker!

GPS Tracks

It took us a little under 8 hours to complete this 8.18 mile hike.