We used public transportation and our own two feet to get around today.

Kualoa

Boarding TheBus that had its genesis back in the formation of HRT in 1898 which gradually evolved into the MTL under Mayor Fasi in 1970 and the current OTS in 1992.

Kamehameha Highway

Getting our road legs back after an almost hour long bus ride.

Waimea Beach

We going down there?

Waimea Beach

Group photo overlooking Waimea Bay, where the British ships Resolution and Discovery anchored in 1779 after Captain Cook was killed on the Big Island just two weeks prior. This was the first contact with Europeans on the island of Oahu.

Waimea Beach

Teamwork gets everybody safely down to the beach.

Waimea Beach

Whac-a-Chris.

Waimea Beach

Shoes on? Shoes off?

Waimea Beach

Walking the beach that is home to big wave surfing in winter, but now is home to swimmers and beach goers.

Waimea Beach

Jumping off “The Rock” is considered a rite of passage for local kids and kids at heart.

Waimea Beach

No jumping for Mari, getting her feet wet was good enough.

Waimea Beach

Dale and Chris decided to climb off the beach to stay high and dry.

Waimea Beach

Fording the “reddish waters” to get to the other sandy side.

Kamehameha Highway

Chris skateboarding on the bypass bridge.

Kamehameha Highway

Dale spotted an endangered Hawaiian waterbird known as ‘alae ke’oke’o floating in the Waimea River.

Waimea Beach

Wiping off the granular materials that come from decomposed rocks, organic by-products and parrotfish poop.

Kamehameha Highway

Dale and Chris with the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in the background that was built in 1953 on the remains of an old quarry.

Kamehameha Highway

Star Wars? Stop Wars? I thought Trump stopped all the wars?

Three Tables

Looking out at the flat sections of reef popular with divers and snorkelers.

Kamehameha Highway

We detoured to the supermarket chain founded by Maurice Sullivan and the Lau family in 1948 for snacks and refreshments.

Shark’s Cove

Looking out past the “bonsai trees” and Dale towards the popular snorkeling and diving spot.

Pupukea Beach

Dale took us on an exploratory detour.

Pupukea Beach

The Blue Cave or Blue Room, which leads into numerous sea caves that dot the coastline.

Pupukea Beach

Partial group photo looking out.

Pupukea Beach

Kikaida sighting in the tide pools.

Kamehameha Highway

A truer statement has never been made. Especially for the person pictured.

Kamehameha Highway

One of many swings we would encounter today.

Kamehameha Highway

Walking on the bike path which kept us safe from highway traffic.

Kamehameha Highway

Find a swing your own size!

Kamehameha Highway

Following the tree covered path that will safely take us all the way to Sunset Beach.

Kamehameha Highway

Just the guys checking out the treehouse.

Kamehameha Highway

Share the road.
Suitchi On! Wan! Tsu! Suri!
Saidomashin de Yattekuru
Jiro chenji Kikaida
If you grew up in Hawaii, you would know what I’m talking about.

Kamehameha Highway

Can’t out smile the sun. Need to use Crest 3d Whitestrips.

Kamehameha Highway

Akira and Kenny doing their part. Who’s that guy behind the sign?

Kamehameha Highway

In the flesh.

Kamehameha Highway

Trying to avoid a mid-air collision.

Kamehameha Highway

Does that apply to robots as well?

Kamehameha Highway

Mari and Dale petting a friendly dog. Domestication of dogs predates agriculture, between 20-40,000 years ago.

Kamehameha Highway

Need a bag?

Kamehameha Highway

Who is Chas? Where is Chas?

Kamehameha Highway

Everyone has their own path. We will all get to the same destination.

Sunset Beach

Brief stop at the two mile stretch of sandy beach that was called Paumalau by the Hawaiians.

Kamehameha Highway

Is this a private road?

Kamehameha Highway

One of the few times that a chair is around when you need one.

Kamehameha Highway

Ramp fails.

Kamehameha Highway

We are in the red zone. Flee to higher ground.

Kamehameha Highway

Just need chicken and green papaya now.

Ted’s Bakery

We had lunch at the local eatery that is a long time North Shore fixture. It was originally called Sunset Beach Store that opened in 1956 and later became what it is today when the son opened up a bakery and started selling pies and plate lunches in 1987.

Kamehameha Highway

End of the line. Back on the highway.

Kamehameha Highway

Mari sampling the carissa berries that populated this stretch of the road.

Kamehameha Highway

Which ones will make the cut for USDA Prime?

Kamehameha Highway

Exploring the abandoned buildings that used to be part of the Waialee Home for Wayward Boys.

Sheepside

Checking out the skatepark that skaters, Tippy and friends built in 2016.

Kamehameha Highway

What hotels? We must be walking in the wrong direction.

Kamehameha Highway

Stopping at Kuilima Farms to grab snacks and refreshment and shade from the sweltering sun.

Kamehameha Highway

Just missing the rubber papayas.

Kamehameha Highway

Passing one of two hotels on the coastline, Turtle Bay is probably the largest employer on this side of the island.

All pau

Enjoying the air conditioned ride back to our cars.

GPS Tracks

Our 10th perimeter walk covered 8.88 miles with fun company. No post hike meal as it was getting late and we ate enough on the walk to fill our tummies.

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Dale Yoshizu, 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.

We spent Kamehameha Day doing our perimeter walk #5 around the island.

Kualoa Park

Early hiker gets the sunrise view.

Kualoa Park

Aida, Mari, Tess and myself boarded the bus as the others failed to wake up or became ill.

Kahuku

We got off the bus, checked out some wood carvings and pushed off on our walk.

Kahuku

Passing by shrubs of naupaka with their distinctive lower half flowers. The other upper half flowers live in the mountains. Hawaiian folklore spins it as lovers separated by a jealous god.

Kahuku

The golf ball originally started out as a wooden ball, then leather balls filled with cows’ hair, then leather pouches filled with chicken or goose feathers, then balls made from dried sap from the Malaysian sapodilla tree, then rubber thread wound into a ball covered by sap from the balata tree, and finally the modern golf ball we know today which is made from polymer blends.

Turtle Bay Golf

Good morning from the Rank Amateurs. What a day this is going to be. The early start with the unknown, straight off the streets, the skies are a canvas of colors, the air is thick with anticipation. The putt for birdie.

Turtle Bay Golf

He made the shot with his hybrid shaft topped with a MAX 360 head. The crowd of two was nonplussed at the display of low level athletic ability. He flashed the shaka, which supposedly has its origins with a Kahuku Sugar Mill worker who lost his three middle fingers and would wave his disfigured hand at kids who soon imitated him.

Turtle Bay Golf

Got my first yellow shirt. I’m going to Disneyland!

Turtle Bay Resort

Standing in front of the sprawling resort that covers 858 acres and was built in 1972 with the intentions of becoming the state’s first legal casino. Needless to say, that didn’t happen as the illegal game rooms continue to flourish in its absence.

Kahuku

Stopped at a fruit and vegetable stand to gawk at the sky high prices and Aida settled on a bag of cut pineapple slices. Where’s the pizza?

Kahuku

Dry run. Flat elevation. Daytime. Easy peasy.

Kahuku

Do they have a walking hiker ranch as well?

Kawela Bay

Looking out towards the offshore islet, Kukaimanini. The place was certainly living up to its name, the heat.

Kahuku

No wonder business is not booming.

Pupukea

Standing in front of what used to be called the Sheepside Skatepark that was in use from 2016-2022. I believe these abandoned buildings were part of the other ruins …

Pupukea

… across the highway. The buildings were part of the Waialee Home for Wayward Boys that was operated by the Hawaii Board of Education from 1906-1947. The mauka buildings were later purchased in 1954 and became the Crawford Convalescent Home, which is supposedly still in operation. The makai buildings were left to rot and return back to Mother Nature.

Kahuku Motocross Track

I didn’t know they added a trail for mopeds.

Pupukea

Passing through a little red pocket in a deeply saturated blue state.

Ted’s Bakery

We had to make a quick stop at this iconic North Shore eatery that has been in business since 1987.

Sunset Beach

Group photo at the two mile beach known as Paumalu in Hawaiian.

Pupukea

Some swung better than others.

Pupukea

Share the path, or they’ll just run you over.

Banzai Pipeline

I’m glad I’m not the only illiterate person on the beach, home to big wave surfing in the winter.

Rock Piles

Passing through another famous surf break.

Pupukea

The girls got their swings, I got my banyan tree.

Pupukea

If the slippah doesn’t fit, you must acquit.

Pupukea

Swinging the day away.

Shark’s Cove

Looking out at the lava beach that is popular with snorkelers and scuba divers due to the myriad of caves and tunnels underneath the water.

Pupukea Beach Park

Taking a bathroom break along with the scuba divers.

Pupukea

Stopping at the oldest and largest supermarket chain in the islands for some cold refreshments.

Three Tables

Looking out at low tide with the exposed flat reef which gives the place its name, is another popular spot with snorkelers and swimmers due to the underwater lava tubes and marine life.

Waimea Bay

The birthplace of big wave surfing. The winter waves were first ridden here in 1957 and the rest is history. During summertime, the waters are calm and clear.

Pupukea

Watching Waimea River drain into Waimea Bay.

Waimea Valley

Across the street was once the valley of the priests that has has since been turned into a tourist attraction showcasing the botanical garden, waterfalls and pool.

Waimea Bay

Watching the swimmers jumping off table rock to make a splash. It’s hard to believe, but a 1928 photo showed the same rock surrounded by sand. Beach erosion is real.

Waimea Bay

Looking back into the bay that was the site of Oahu’s first recorded contact with Europeans back in 1779, after British ships stopped here to get fresh water after the Big Island battle that resulted in Captain Cook’s death.

All pau

Taking a group shoefie while we waited for our bus ride.

GPS Tracks

Our hot as heck hike covered 10.3 miles that was filled with interesting pit stops and with a fun group.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, 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.