It seems to have fallen out of favor to celebrate Christmas on the hardest hike on the island, so we decided to do our interpretation of the island classic of the song written by Eaton “Bob” Magoon, Ed Kenney and Gordon Phelps in 1959.

Waiahole

Numbah one day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
One Woodstock in one papaya tree

The papaya was introduced to Hawaii in the 1820s by the Spanish explorer turned horticulturist, Don Francisco de Paula Marin.

Punalu’u

Swing and smoke break. This was hard work.

Kaneohe

Numbah two day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
Two coconuts

Early coconuts were brought to the islands by Polynesian voyagers arriving from Tahiti, they are not native to Hawaii. The only native palm trees are the Loulu, found mostly in the Ko’olau Mountain Range.

Hau’ula

Numbah three day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
Three dried squid

This chewy snack was likely introduced by Korean immigrants in the early 1900s.

Aliamanu

Will the real Santa please shaka? Santa Claus first appeared in Hawaii in 1858 along with the first Christmas tree at Washington Place.

Aliamanu

Numbah four day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
Four flower leis

The early Hawaiian settlers brought the craft and tradition of lei making to the islands with them. Today the lei comes in many forms besides flowers, shells, nuts, feathers, money, candy and polyester.

Aliamanu

Numbah five day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
five stuffed pigs

The hogs were imported to the islands by the early Polynesians, most likely over 800 years ago. One manifestation of the pig is the Hawaiian god, Kamapua’a who could change his forms to suit his wishes.

Haleiwa

Numbah six day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
six uncoordinated hula dancers

In the absence of a written language, hula developed to pass the cultural knowledge embodied in stories and dances from generation to generation. Protestant missionaries tried to ban hula as they considered them a form of paganism. Then it survived as a tourist attraction until The Merrie Monarch started in 1964, where it started to get back to its roots.

Haleiwa

Somebody got their birthday cupcake early. Early Christmas.

Kahuku

Numbah seven day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
seven shrimps a swimming
into our mouths

Having our “not have to wait 90 minutes” shrimp lunch at the famous graffiti-covered white truck that supposedly started the garlic shrimp plate lunch back in 1993. The first signature on the truck was by a Ed Hernandez from El Paso, TX in 1994. In 2001, the truck was involved in an armed extortion attempt where the co-owner tried to force the other partner to sell and sign over his interest in the truck. It did not succeed and she was sent to jail.

Aliamanu

Numbah eight day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
eight out of tune ukulele players
calling Jake Shimabukuro

The history of the ukulele originated in 1879 when three Portuguese immigrants, Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias, and Jose do Espirito Santo brought with them a small guitar called the braguinha to the islands. The instrument was soon modified to suit local tastes.

Hau’ula

Numbah nine day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
nine bags of sour poi

Made from the root of the taro plant that came from the Marquesas Islands and eventually became a sacred and staple dish for the Hawaiians. In 1911, the BOH temporarily banned poi as they believed it started a cholera outbreak.

Hau’ula

Numbah ten day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
ten bottles of beer

The first recorded brewing of beer in Hawaii occurred in 1812 by Don Francisco de Paula Marin, the same individual that brought papaya to the islands among other things. The most famous beer to come out of Hawaii was Primo Lager in 1901, production was moved to the mainland in 1963 but the beer now produced by Pabst can still be found in stores.

Laie

Numbah eleven day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
eleven missionaries

The first boatload of missionaries arrived in 1820 to spread Christianity and “civilize” the Hawaiian population. Hiram Bingham was the leader of the first wave of missionaries that would forever change the landscape of the islands, for good and bad. His grandson, Hiram Bigham III, became an explorer who “discovered” Machu Picchu and brought it to the attention of the known world at the time.

Aliamanu

Numbah twelve day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
twelve televisions
on layaway

“Hello Everybody. Welcome to the first official broadcast of KGMB-TV.” Those words ushered in the age of the television to the islands on December 1, 1952. 5:04PM. Four minutes late. Hawaiian time.

Mahalos to Chico and Ferlino for dragging us around the island in their sleds. Easy and fun day.

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Ferlino Carinio, Jasmin Nepomuceno, Roseann Fai, Tessa Bugay, Val Wang 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 a blustery weekend in the mountains to help each other cross the KST finish line. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Thanks to Darryl and Edgar for shuttling and driving Art, Barry and myself from Manana to Poamoho. Much appreciated guys.

Poamoho Trail

Somebody has been hard at work on fixing the trail.

Poamoho Trail

Rope? We don’t need no stinking rope! Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Contouring our way around one of the more massive landslides that changed the character of the trail.

Poamoho Trail

Barry surveying the mass wasting around him. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Lending scale to the gravity induced river of debris that cleared a path straight down to the stream. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Trail

Passing through a spot where the trail was cleared of fallen trees.

Poamoho Trail

Crossing the stream which meant we were less than ten minutes from the summit. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Summit

The summit views were fleeting so we struck out for the cabin.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Drifting over the boardwalk. Photo by Art Young.

Poamoho Cabin

Brief stop at the oldest cabin on the KST where we filled our water bottles and signed the logbook for posterity’s sake.

KST

Approaching the man-made notch in the mountains that was made to allow beasts of burden to pass through. Photo by Barry Lau.

Pauao Junction

Looking down into the lush valleys and verdant landscape.

KST

Following the fence line. Photo by Art Young.

KST

Barry making friends on the trail. Just don’t feed the wildlife. Photo by Art Young.

KST

Are we there yet? Photo by Art Young.

Schofield-Waikane Junction

Group photo left to right: Art, myself and Barry.

KST

Approaching the split in the trail.

KST

Crossing over the well-trodden landslide.

KST

Pushing our way through the endemic and ubiquitous uluhe ferns.

KST

Appreciating the wide open trail while it lasted. Photo by Barry Lau.

KST

Descending down the fence line with nothing but the wind and clouds for company.

Tree of Life

The horizontal leaning sugi pine tree was doing quite well. In fact, I think it sprouted a couple feet since our last visit. It could have been the clouds playing with my imagination. Photo by Barry Lau.

KST

Making our way over one of the numerous landslides that constantly change the character of the trail.

KST

Art passing through the notch which meant we were home for the night.

Camp Rusty

Making camp amidst the grove of Japanese Sugi Pine Trees and swapping fuel and not stories for the night.

Camp Rusty

Waking up to a typical cloud soaked day on the KST.

KST

Climbing out of our campsite.

Kipapa Junction

Where the trail becomes a ridge. Photo by Art Young.

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

The cardio climbing commences. Photo by Art Young.

KSRT

Enjoying the relatively flat sections while we can.

KSRT

Descending down into the gap.

Waiawa Gap

It was just a matter of time before the fence line made its way into the gap. Photo by Art Young.

Waiawa Gap

Taking the scenic way. Translation: The harder way.

Waiawa Gap

Making our way to the middle of the gap.

Waiawa Gap

Preparing for the onslaught of the killer bees. Thankfully they never materialized.

Waiawa Gap

Climbing out of the gap. Photo by Art Young.

KSRT

Cardio continuation.

KSRT

Sometimes it’s the little hills that give you pause and not the big ones.

KSRT

Crossing another trickling stream. Anybody need water? Photo by Art Young.

KSRT

Pushing up one of the last big hills. Photo by Barry Lau.

KSRT

The wind, clouds and rain combined to make it a very surreal moment in the mountains.

KSRT

Barry tunneling through the trees. Photo by Art Young.

Corner

Brief stop at the cold and windy filling station. Photo by Art Young.

KSRT

All smiles as the major rolling hills were behind us.

KSRT

Art heading towards our last summit of the weekend. Photo by Barry Lau.

Manana Summit

#16. Champagne congratulations to Barry for completing his last section needed to connect the dots on the Ko’olau Summit Trail. Photo by Art Young.

Manana Summit

Art also celebrated his second completion along with my 13th time traversing the Ko’olau Mountains. No champagne for us. Not even a pat on the back. Just three fingers behind my head.

Manana Trail

Barry hightailed it down the trail while we took our time going down.

Manana Trail

Are we there yet? Are we done yet? Another trail I am scratching off my list. Photo by Art Young.

All pau

Exiting the 16.8 mile trail and putting another camping weekend behind us. Photo by Art Young.

Post hike meal

Many thanks to Aida, Chris, Lilyn, Quan and Tessa for joining us at the nearby park and bringing chicken papaya, Popeye’s chicken and other sides for our post hike meal along with ice cold cokes to wash it down. Barry was there in spirit as well. Phone spirit. Congratulations again to Barry and Art for their KST completions.

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.

The current global pandemic had scuttled my plans to hike the Mount Blanc Trail in Europe, so that’s how I found myself with Anne and Tessa on the fragmented remnants of the Ko’olau Shield Volcano in Hawaii.

Makapu’u Lighthouse

Day 1 Saturday – Thanks to Aida for dropping us off as we hiked up the dark and deserted road.

Makapu’u Lighthouse

All hands on the tower that has the largest lens of any lighthouse in the United States. Walking back down the paved road, we met another hiker who surprised us coming up the trail and I fell in the ditch while texting. An auspicious start to our hike.

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

Going up the rocky trail that was kept in navigational perspective by the shimmering coastal lights and our headlamps.

Makapu’u Puka

Pit stop at the prominent hole in the ridge line. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Shaka sunrise

Anne greeting our first sunrise of the hike. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Hang gliding platform

I believe I can fly. I mean, hike. No drugs allowed on this hike.

KSRT

Going through the fenced enclosures.

KSRT

Leaving the communication towers and former Nike air missile defence site behind us.

KSRT

The girls dipping into the saddle under the withering sun.

KSRT

The ironwood forest granted us temporary shade as we made our way out of the saddle. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Breaking out onto the exposed trail.

Kamiloiki Summit

Sweeping views of the Waimanalo coastline and inviting blue-green waters greeted us at the top. No stop at Camp Awesome today.

KSRT

Making our way through the hardscrabble terrain of this section that is usually scorching hot and the least favorite section of the KST for me, but thankfully it was overcast and relatively cool today.

KSRT

Walking through the feathery ferned forest that always makes me forget that I’m hiking on the KST for some reason. We barely crossed paths with two other female hikers going the opposite way as well. I think they were avoiding us.

Mariner’s Summit

Did my cap shrink or my head get bigger? My money is on the latter.

Kaluanui Summit

Group photo at the abandoned summit with views of the Southern spine of the Ko’olau’s, Olomana and other points of interest.

Mariner’s Summit

Climbing down from the 1,361′ top.

Hahaione Pyramid

We saw three hikers milling around the 1,594′ triangular peak. We declined to join them for the sake of social distancing.

Hahaione Powerlines

Mahalo to Janell for stashing water on the trail.

Between a rock and a hard place

Tessa trying to squeeze her way through on the trail. Photo by Anne Fai.

Pictures Plus

A picture is worth a thousand words. In her case, make it 10,000 words. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kuli’ou’ou Summit

Are we there yet?

Kuli’ou’ou Summit

Group photo at the usually bustling 2,028′ summit. Where is everybody? Has the zombie apocalypse finally happened? Something close to it. COVID-19, the apologetic apocalypse.

KSRT

Climbing our way up the severely eroded hill. Ropes included.

KSRT

Approaching the oft photographed spot that was lacking a tent and a hiker. Any volunteers? Where is yawyaw#2 when you need her? Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

We passed Pu’u O Kona with a slight pause to take in the cloud covered views before resuming our traverse on the numerous small hills that populated the ridge line.

Hawaii Loa Summit

Taking in another cloud obfuscated view at the barren 2,520′ knob.

KSRT

Approaching the communications tower that signaled the end of our day. We passed the 1,597′ summit and dropped down a bit to reach our camp site.

Camp Wiliwilinui

We reached the heli-pad around 1530. Kudos to Aida, Ed, Sally and Somphet for hiking to our campsite to bring food and drinks that was much appreciated.

Camp Wiliwilinui

Our door dash drivers departing down the mountain.

Camp Wiliwilinui

Good night from our temporary home in the mountains. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Day 2 – Sunday. We woke up to a slightly chilly and cloud soaked morning. Cooked up breakfast, broke down camp and pushed off around 0715 on the trail.

Kainawa’aunui Summit

Brief stop at the 2,520′ terminus of the roller coasting ridge. Glad we were not going on that ride today. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Anne scooting her way down the big hill. Sometimes it’s better to go with the flow of gravity rather than resist relativity. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Preparing to transition from standing to scooting. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Catching fleeting valley views before the clouds snatched them away. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

The day was turning out to be rather nice as the clouds were melting back into the sky.

KSRT

Tessa pushing her way through chest high overgrowth on the trail. It’s all a matter of perspective. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

Looking ahead to the powerline towers that ring one of three tuff cones on this island.

KSRT

After bringing somebody back on the trail as she either wanted to fetch water or go home, we all made our way down the rutted trail.

Ka’au Crater

Peering into the marshy crater that is sandwiched in between civilization and the base of the Ko’olau Mountains. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Ka’au Crater

Snack break at the top of the rim. In fact, this is the hike where I first met yawyaw #1. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

The mountains are calling and we answered. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

The girls climbing towards the notch of Olympus.

KSRT

Anne climbing her way up the steep hill to have an audience with Zeus. Sorry, wrong mythology. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Awaawaloa Summit

Group photo by Tessa Bugay at the 2,486′ top.

Wa’ahila Ridge Trail

Walking down the severely rutted trail that would give Moanalua Middle Ridge and Ka’au Crater a run for their money.

KSRT

Making our way on the uluhe smothered trail that afforded grand views of Manoa Valley and points beyond.

KSRT

Threading our way around the stand of pine trees blockading the ridge line.

Manoa Middle Summit

Tessa on the terminus of the ridge that drops down into Manoa Valley. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

The girls passing a small meadow on their way up.

KSRT

Mesmerized by the fluted flanks of the Ko’olau Mountains that was colored in different shades of green. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

Climbing false peak after false peak. The suspense just drags in the mountains.

K2 Summit

We bumped into Bill, Chris and Shirley who had just come up from the Pali and were on their way down to Manoa Middle. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Butt grab

Some mountain traditions must be maintained.

KSRT

Traversing between the two large, hairy testicles.

Konahuanui Summit

Uncommonly clear day on the highest peak that soars to 3,150′ on the Ko’olau Mountain Range.

Piliwale Junction

Passing the spot where the Windward ridge drops down into Maunawili Valley.

Mud Wall

Going down the slippery slope. Right after this, the mountains grabbed a souvenir from my head and sent it down the side of the ridge. Not wanting to give up my sun protection, I scrambled down and recovered my cap.

Nu’uanu Saddle

No rock climbing today.

Nu’uanu Saddle

The girls climbing down the ridge that looks steeper than it actually is. Rear view hiking.

Nu’uanu Saddle

We contoured the rock face that had sent a friend falling 300′ down into the trees and survived over eight years ago.

Chimney

Tessa oscillated on her way down as the bigger pack threw her balance off.

Nu’uanu Saddle

The girls decided to contour the nipple instead of going up and over. Taking the scenic route.

Nu’uanu Saddle

We delayed our arrival at the lookout due to unwanted visitors at the bottom.

Camp Pali

Thanks to Aida, Art, Lilyn and Quan for bringing us vittles and all the fixings. It was much appreciated. Lilyn also brought a portable shower which Tessa promptly drained all the water while still lathered in shampoo, so Quan had to finish her off with a jug of water. Teamwork. Team KAT + Q.

Camp Pali

Goodnight and don’t let the night marchers bite. Photo by Anne Fai.

Trash Day

Day 3 – Monday. Mahalo to Quan for bringing us breakfast fresh out of a fast food eatery. We greeted a city and county employee on our way to the trail. Lost in translation. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Tessa coming up the pine needle carpeted trail.

Depend

Somebody was having a bad case of incontinence due to her internal or external bladder leaking. Photo by Anne Fai.

Pali Puka

Trying to capture the whole hole. Framing and perspective somehow got lost in the process. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games. All day.

Nu’uanu Saddle

Looking ahead to our destination in the heavens. Photo by Anne Fai.

Nu’uanu Saddle

My right hand had swelled up to fatty proportions, due to a bee sting the day before, as I must have brushed against a flower in pollination. This allowed me to grab more of the rocks, albeit a little lopsided. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Nu’uanu Saddle

Anne scrambling her way up.

W

Making our way to the 23rd letter in the alphabet. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Deviled egg

Tessa literally sucked in her smashed boiled egg. Killing two birds with one inhaler. Photo by Anne Fai.

Donkey Kong

The girls dropping and contouring their way down the side of the letter shaped obstacle.

W

Anne and Tessa finally climbing down after looking for a non-existent contour.

Anvil

Preparing to drop down on the moveable rock. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Anvil

Anne hugging the side of the cliff as the trail was barely wide enough to hold our feet.

Nu’uanu Saddle

Huffing and puffing our way up the last steep section on this side of the saddle.

KSRT

The girls making their way to the heavenly summit that was surprisingly clear of any swirling.

Lanihuli Summit

Group photo at the 2,700′ hill with sweeping mountain and coastal views.

KSRT

Leaving the summit after our lunch break. Somebody almost took the trail down to Alewa Heights. Thoughts of bailing must have been still swirling in her head.

Kalihi Saddle

Following the ridge line as it curved down. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kalihi Saddle

The girls carefully climbing their way down.

Dirt Dragon

Petting what’s left of the dragon. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kalihi Saddle

The girls scooting their way down the crumbly mess.

Kalihi Saddle

The saddle’s so windy, I got to wear shades. Borrowed shades. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kalihi Saddle

The girls coming down through the thicket of woody climbers.

Lanihuli Wall

Descending down the near vertical flank of the ridge line. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Lanihuli Wall

The other descent option, the suicidal climb down the can opener. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Lanihuli Wall

Following the white rope on our way down the ridge’s flank as we contoured our way back to the ridge line under the ominous rock jutting out from the can opener. One day it’s going to pop and I hope nobody is around.

Kalihi Saddle

Less texting, more hiking. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kalihi Saddle

Anne scooting down the unstable pile of rocks, as it literally shed rocks each time one of us crossed over.

Kalihi Saddle

Popping the pimple on my way up. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kalihi Saddle

Anne contouring around the sliver of a rock pile.

Doorstop

Working for Allstate. You’re in good hands. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Bunny Ears

Standing on one ear.

Bunny Ears

Sitting on the other one. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kalihi Saddle

Leaving the bunny ears behind us as we didn’t find any rabbit’s foot either on the trail.

Kalihi Saddle

Anne heading out to Shark Fin. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Powerlines

We were not going to make heaven today after all.

Camp Centipede

Many thanks to Art and Ben who delivered Filipino sardines, haole cooked rice and drinks. No centipedes crawling around today. My hand had puffed out to maximum tightness, Anne gave me some Benadryl to reduce the swelling. Tessa said if my swelling didn’t go down soon, I should go see a doctor. Do doctors still make house calls? In the mountains?

Camp Centipede

Our camp site overlooking the home of the wallabies. We went to sleep as strong winds and rain tested our tents. One would fail. Somebody was praying that rain storms would lash the mountains so hard that she could go home. Thankfully her request was not answered. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Centipede

Day 4 – Tuesday. We not only woke up to the sun breaking through the clouds but daylight breaking through my tent. At least my swelling had gone down. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Centipede

The clouds didn’t look too inviting as they rolled through the saddle, so we stayed put until more favorable weather conditions manifested itself. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Centipede

Shout out to Lilyn and Quan who swung by our camp site to loan me her tent. Back in business.

Kalihi Saddle

And just like that; the sun came out to play, so we pushed off around 0900.

Witch’s Hat

Anne climbing down the conical shaped rock that is perhaps closely related to the witch’s toes.

Kalihi Saddle

Slowly making our way across the crumbly ridge line.

Rock Triangle

Anne climbing her way up the Leeward side before working her way up the rock face. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Broken Wave

Looking back at the narrow and eroded ridge line. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kalihi Saddle

Anne was either practicing her ninja skills or spider skills. Either way, she needs more work. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Dirty Slide

Pulling myself up the slippery slope. Some would argue this is the hardest obstacle on this side of the saddle. The jury is still out on that as well. Photo by Anne Fai.

Dirty Slide

All the hard parts were behind us now as we just had to climb up to the 2,740′ summit of Kahuauli.

KSRT

No stops at the overgrown summit of Bowman or the flat and open 2,760′ summit of Tripler before running across the defunct radar tower.

Stairway to Heaven

We topped out at Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe before traversing the short muddy trail to heaven, which was lacking the usual live souls. Photo by Anne Fai.

Stairway to Heaven

The skies soon cleared and we were treated to heavenly views at the 2,480′ summit. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Stairway to Heaven

Thanks to Allison and Laredo for stashing water and snacks for us. The rats had helped themselves to some of the tasty vittles. More for them, less for us.

Moanalua Saddle

Coming down the dilapidated stairs that time forgot.

Moanalua Saddle

Making our way down what some would argue is the more eroded of the three main saddles. The jury’s still out on that one too. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Moanalua Saddle

Anne spotting Tessa as she climbed down the crumbly and steep section.

Moanalua Saddle

Hugging the rocks as we climbed down, some more tightly than the others.

Dirt Triangle

Anne contouring her way down the ridge line.

Moanalua Saddle

Leaving all the main obstacles behind us. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Moanalua Saddle

Tessa coming down one crumbly rock at a time.

Moanalua Saddle

Going up and over the last hump for the day. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Kulana’ahane

We reached the summit around 1630, set up camp and watched the setting sun torch the tips of the mountains. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Kulana’ahane

Catching the fiery sunset and making noodles for dinner. Just another day in the mountains.

Camp Kulana’ahane

Going to bed as the city lights in the background provided our night lights. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Kulana’ahane

Day 5 – Wednesday. We cooked our breakfast, broke down camp and pushed off around 0800 on the trail.

Moanalua Saddle

Making our way up the relatively easier side of the saddle.

Moanalua Saddle

Tessa climbing out of the saddle. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

We passed Red Hill Summit and crossed over the H3 as it sliced through Halawa Valley below us. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

Going down the rusted stairs that took us to hell. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Following the broken stairs to hell as we got a slice of heavenly views on our way. It was a good contrast. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Stairway to Hell

Group view at the more scenic stairway. No arguments. Hands down.

KSRT

Climbing our way out of hell.

KSRT

Dropping down and contouring our way around the fenced plant enclosure. I still have yet to see the protected plants.

KSRT

Looking into the wind blasted and cloud tinted valley views. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Getting back on the ridge line. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Anne reaching the 2,805′ summit at high noon with surprisingly clear views. Despite having more than enough time on our hands, we called it a day. It would turn out to be good timing in the end.

Camp Aiea

Set up camp and picked up our supplies that Aida, Ed, Sally and Somphet had brought up earlier in the week. Much appreciation for the assistance guys.

Camp Aiea

We had a lot of time on our hands and feet due to our early arrival. Who brought the playing cards? Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Day 6 – Thursday. We broke down camp and with our packs a little heavier, hit the trail at a little past 0700.

KSRT

Putting our heads down as we started the major cardio section of the Ko’olau Mountains. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

Hills after hills. Our mountain workout.

Waimalu Summit

We paused to take our group photo on the flat grassy plateau that was largely devoid of trees, just a lot of wind.

Waimalu Meadows

Going down the spongy spur ridge as we dropped below the cloud cover.

Waimalu Meadows

The largest grassy meadows on the Ko’olau Range. Often called mythical and magical. Both doesn’t do it justice.

Waimalu Meadows

Looking at the windswept meadows with the palm trees tucked into its nooks and crannies.

Waimalu Meadows

Anne getting back on the ridge line.

Waimalu Meadows

One last look before the clouds swallowed her back up.

KSRT

The clouds came back to keep us cool and under cover.

KSRT

Descending down into the saddle to meet a familiar face and a frozen coke.

Waimano Summit

Group photo at the 2,160′ summit that looks into Waihe’e Valley. Art had hiked up to meet us and join our hike to the end. Unfortunately, he sprained his ankle on his way up and had to turn around. We made the best of the situation and cannabalized his supplies. Including a can of spam. Something that yawyaw #1 would regret.

KSRT

Slow scramble out of the saddle. It’s hard to get back in the groove when you’ve been sitting in one spot too long.

KSRT

We passed the landmark landslide as we continued our traverse on the ridge line.

KSRT

Looking back at the clouds streaming over the mountains from Windward to Leeward.

KSRT

Tessa walking on the fence for a change.

KSRT

Following the sometimes confusing spur ridge to the meadows. Photo by Anne Fai.

Eleao Meadows

Anne passing the red haired stepchild of Waimalu Meadows at the 2,654′ top.

Camp Manana

Having dinner at the typical socked in summit. We just had to look at each other for the views.

Camp Manana

It was a tight fit, but we shoehorned our three tents onto the 2,660′ knob. One was more sheltered than the others. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Day 7 – Friday. We woke up with no centipede surprises, ate breakfast, broke down camp and hit the now clear trail around 0745.

KSRT

Passing by the distinctive moss encrused ohia tree. Photo by Anne Fai.

KSRT

Coming down the tricky turn. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

The Corner

Descending down into the land of creek and clouds. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

The Corner

Brushing our teeth and filtering water for our hydration needs. Water was for the most part clear and while not running, was not exactly stagnant. Good enough for our purposes.

KSRT

Anne ducking under the moss encrusted tree tunnel. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KSRT

Walking into a postcard. The views on this side are just too pretty for words and not enough justice for pictures.

KSRT

Approaching the gap.

Waiawa Gap

Losing elevation, that we will soon have to gain back. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Waiawa Gap

Anne found a hat to keep the glove company. Photo by Anne Fai.

Waiawa Gap

Dropping down the grassy and spongy flank of the ridge that was dotted with native palm trees.

Waiawa Gap

What? We not stopping here! Get bees flying all over the place!

Waiawa Gap

Let’s make like a bee and buzz off!

Waiawa Gap

Climbing our way out of the gap.

KSRT

Choosy moms choose Jif. Nom nom, mama make me mama saimin. Dumpster diving for “rubbish rice.”

KSRT

Sweeping panoramic valley and ridge views.

KSRT

Passing a distant cousin of Waimalu Meadows.

KSRT

We soon caught the only rain showers on our entire hike through the mountains. Thankfully Mother Nature kept it a short visit at 30 minutes.

Kipapa Summit

No flying geese were spotted at the 2,786′ socked in summit. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Anne coming down the hill.

KST

Walking across the ridgeline against the backdrop of Waiahole, Waikane and Kahana valleys. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Rusty

Dropping down into the former site of the Kipapa Cabin, now our campsite for the night.

Camp Rusty

Good night and don’t let the rusty metal bite. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Camp Rusty

Day 8 – Saturday. Leaving our last camp site that we would need to use a tent. Looking forward to communal living in the cabins. I also woke up to a swollen left hand, guess the bees wanted to make it a complete pair.

Waiahole

Walking through a mixture of ferns and clidemia undergrowth that was shaded by the stand of sugi pine trees.

KST

Standing on the notch with the Waianae Mountain Range in the background. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Selfie Stick Junction

It works better with a phone. Just saying.

Tree of Life

Approaching the back of the meadows that are home to horizontal and vertical sugi pine trees.

Tree of Life

Taking photographic advantage of the uncommonly clear meadows.

KST

Pulling our way up the ridge line. And then there was the disagreement on where to get off to get back on the trail. Let’s take the hard way.

KST

Holding hands and singing kumbaya on the trail. Just don’t let go.

KST

Views of Kahana Valley.

KST

Views of a dirty hiker. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Crossing the well-trodden landslide.

KST

Traversing what is arguably the most scenic stretch of the KST. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Waikane-Waiahole Junction

The easily missed metal stake that marks the junction.

KST

Making our way on the ridge line.

Schofield-Waikane Junction

Lunch break at the original terminus of the KST.

Do not feed the animals

Rare sighting of the Ko’olau goose and common sighting of the fence line.

KST

Enjoying a relatively wide section of the trail.

Pauao Junction

No views of Kahana and Punaluu valleys for us today.

Happy dance

The gate. The gate. We’re home!

KST

No dancing. Just take our picture. Photo by Anne Fai.

KST

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) used dynamite to carve these trails from the steep cliffs back in the 1930s. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Poamoho Cabin

We got to the cabin around 1415 and the party of Analyn, Bill and Shirley arrived shortly after using two legged drive to come up the five mile road.

Log entry

Leaving our comments in the storied cabin books.

Poamoho Cabin

Girls just want to have fun.

Poamoho Cabin

Somebody was smacking their lips over Foodland’s salt’n’vinegar chicken wings. Served up with surprisingly tasty instant mashed potatoes with gravy. Somebody needs to learn to drink in moderation.

Camp Poamoho

Hear that? Count your lucky stars that you can’t. Somebody was snoring so loud they would have put a drunken sailor to shame. Even hearing the rats fight outside was infinitely more preferable.

Poamoho Cabin

Day 9 – Sunday. We cleaned up the cabin, harvested some taro and headed out at a little past 0800.

Poamoho Cabin

The vegetable farmer showing how she carries her heavy load. That’s using your head. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Anne following the fence to the summit.

Poamoho Summit

It’s hard to believe, but back in 1941, the US Army proposed paving the entire trail to the summit. Luckily it never materialized as the summit would have been overrun with people crowding one of the best scenic spots on the island. Too late. You should be here!

KST

We said goodbye to our friends as they went back down the Poamoho trail, as we continued on the Ko’olau Summit Trail.

KST

Coming up the trail to the fence. Go right to stay on trail. Go left to explore. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Meandering through the mountains with majestic views all around us. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

No, I don’t want to shake your hand. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Sometimes it feels like we are cattle being fenced in the pastures.

Boot Junction

Kicking it up.

KST

We crossed the spongy meadow to reconnect to the fence on the other side.

KST

Climbing down the ravine that spills out into a waterfall.

KST

Mud. Our constant cloying companion on the Northern KST.

KST Junction

Going down the rabbit hole. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

If I push this one, my f*cking feet go inside too! My knee. My ankle. Kenji, I’m really stuck! I no more energy. Wait, my shoe is right there! I need to take off my bag. The running commentary was hilarious.

Papali Junction

Taking a well deserved break after almost a half hour of sole sucking mud.

KST

Back on the trail.

KST

When the overgrowth almost swallows you on the trail.

KST

Showing off our mud dipped shoes. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Sitting on the scenic rock. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Life Alert

My back sore. My knees sore. How am I going to answer nature’s calls?

KST

Tessa climbing out of the hole that signaled we were close to the cabin.

KST

The fence. The fence. We’re home!

Koloa Cabin

We arrived at the open cabin around 1530 and cooked up chicken gumbo and mashed potatoes for our dinner. Somebody spilled the gravy.

Log entry

Same message, different cabin. We went too sleep early again or tried too as some of us didn’t have earplugs.

Koloa Cabin

Day 10 – Monday. Waking up to our last day in the mountains. We made a big bowl of combined saimin, cleaned the cabin and left around 0800.

KST

Tessa swinging over the fence line go get back on the muddy trail.

Koloa Cabin Mud Run

I think I was the only participant in the mud race. I guess I won. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Walking on the uluhe carpeted trail.

KST

Leaving the fence behind and something else. What could it be? Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Lost & Found

Anne realized she had left her phone somewhere back on the trail, so she backtracked a bit and luckily found it.

KST

Crossing the bowl shaped depression to regain the ridge line.

KST

Following the trail as it wound its way through the mountains. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Laie Summit

Looking for views from the 2,240′ foxhole.

KST

We resumed our hike on the most overgrown section of the KST.

KST

The overgrowth was only up to our knees at the start. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

Traversing the countless switchbacks through the mountains.

Malaekahana Junction

Somebody almost missed the junction. Need to slow down and smell the glove. Photo by Tessa Bugay

KST

Looking at the windmills pinwheeling in the distance.

KST

Halfway there! Time for lunch. Photo by Tessa Bugay

KST

You want some of mama’s saimin?

KST

Plunging back into the overgrowth that was a mixture of uluhe ferns, strawberry guava trees and other plants that constantly tried to keep us at bay.

KST

Breaking out into the much needed fresh air.

KST

Are we there yet?

NSFW

I needed to go potty, but since the girls surged ahead with the wipes, I had to use my potty mouth instead. Diarrhea of the mouth.

Pu’u Hina

Finally empty and relieved, it was all smiles at the 1,896′ summit. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

KST

The girls coming down the summit. Almost home.

Black Junction

A big thanks to Janell and Quan for meeting us with celebratory drinks that came in different flavors.

Black Junction

Our journey across the Ko’olau Mountain Range had come to its conclusion. Thanks again to Team KAT and our friends that supported us on our hike, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Black Junction

Trying to douse ourselves and each other with champagne was harder than it looked.

Black Junction

We collected our liquid leftovers and took a final group photo before heading down. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Pupukea

Taking the trail back to civilization.

Pupukea

Making our way down the graded footpath that was strewn with fallen tree branches of assorted sizes.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Somebody just couldn’t wait to get out of their hiking shoes as we also crossed paths with a lot of mountain bikers.

All pau

Thanks to Katie and Richard for picking up three ripe hikers and two hitchhikers up, if somebody could just figure out how to open the doors and also to Dale that looked out for any furry rodents so that we wouldn’t get bitten.

GPS Tracks

Our hike across the entire Ko’olau Mountain Range covered the distance of two marathons, a little over 52 miles. It was quite the mountain marathon. Priceless memories with good friends.

Post hike meal

Agnes, Aida, Art, Bill, Chris, Dale, Janell, Jenn, Katie, Lilyn, Quan, Richard and family and Shirley joined us at Haleiwa Joe’s, the one in Haleiwa and not Kaneohe, for our first civilized meal in 10 days. Thanks to Jenn for the fragrant leis that worked hard to mask our pungent odors and to Lilyn for our one shot patron for the one shot hike.

Post hike meal

Mahalo to Dale, Quan and the waitress for our hefty cut of cow dinners. Thanks again to our friends for coming out and their support! It was quite the adventure and experience.

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.

Forecasted thunderstorms changed our camping plans from the WST to the KST on the MLK weekend. So many acronyms, not enough time.

Poamoho Road

Permit in hand, we swung the gate open to kick off our weekend. Thanks to Ferlino and Jasmin for dropping Chris, Cisco, Stuart and myself off. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Cow Whisperer

Stuart breaking up the bovine blockade until we heard loud snorting from the tree line. A safe seat in the jeep is worth a bull in the bushes.

Muddy Road

Shout out to Brian for four wheeling our group up the road. Saved us five miles of walking and possible mad cow attack.

Trailhead

Setting foot on the mostly graded trail that takes you to one of the best scenic spots on the island.

Poamoho Trail

Making our way over a landslide area that had blocked the trail with fallen trees.

Poamoho Trail

Blurring the distinction between maintained and unmaintained.

Poamoho Trail

Heading into the side gulch to cross the stream to the summit.

Poamoho Trail

Getting off the trail … Photo by Chris Bautista.

Poamoho Summit

… and heading to the place with a view or so we hoped. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Poamoho Summit

The winds were surprisingly light at the summit and the views did not disappoint today.

Cline Memorial

Passing the silent stone monument on our way to the cabin. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Boardwalk

A short spell of dry walking.

Invasive or Indigenous

The Japanese White Eye was having its feathers ruffled with a grass noose, until we released it back into the forest.

WST

Looking out towards the marsh and the Waianae Mountain Range.

Poamoho Cabin

No camping at the cabin, just enough time to read some poems and sign our names in the log book.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Hugging the Leeward side that sheltered us from the Windward winds and views.

Notch

Chris standing in the pass that dynamite carved out of the mountain.

Pauao Junction

The somewhat steep ridge that drops down into Kahana Valley that used to be heavily overgrown, but thanks to HTMC and dedicated volunteers, remains reasonably passable.

KST

Low hanging clouds in the valley that were slowly migrating to the ridge lines.

Hiking Sign

We must be on the right trail.

Schofield-Waikane Junction

Taking a break at the 2,360′ summit. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

Enjoying our views of the clouds suspended above the valleys.

KST

Chris on the Leeward side of the ridge line.

Waikane Junction

Gaining the higher trail to remain in the mountains, otherwise we would have descended down into the valley of unexploded ordnances.

KST

The passage of time and hiker traffic had carved footholds into the landslide that had wiped out a section of the trail earlier last year.

KST

Enjoying the Windward views on the trail.

KST

Our eyes followed a ridge down to where a cabin or manmade structure was perched on the Leeward side. Just looking.

KST

We continued on the Leeward side through the thick overgrowth of knee high uluhe ferns.

KST

Back on the now cloudy ridge line.

KST

Stuart braking his descent down the fenced ridge line.

Tree of Life

Group photo with the horizontal sugi pine tree in the background, left to right: Cisco, myself, Stuart and Chris.

Selfie Junction

You’re supposed to take a picture of yourself.

Notch

Jumping or levitating? Photo by Chris Bautista.

Camp Waiahole

Party of four amidst the lush sugi pine trees, never mind the coiled and rusted barbed wire.

Camp Waiahole

Chris giving us a preview of the electrical show that would soon light up the heavens and a booming orchestra in the sky to boot.

Camp Waiahole

Nothing like waking up in the morning to powdered dry feet. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

Leaving our sheltered camp ground, we heard the gushing stream below us, fed from last night’s heavy rainfall.

KST

We saw the clouds breaking up on our climb up, giving us false hope that the worse of the thunderstorms had passed.

Kipapa Summit

Making our transition from the Ko’olau Summit Trail to the Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail.

KSRT

To bee or not to bee?

Lapalapa Trees

Rumor has it that Hawaiians burned the green wood of these trees when they were stuck in the cold and wet mountains. Much like us?

Waiawa Gap

Making our way up and down the beast of a rollercoaster ridge.

Notch

When Mother Nature gives you rain, just open your mouth and say “thirsty!”

Waiawa Gap

Climbing our way out of the gap, we heard another gurgling steam somewhere off to our right.

Glove Junction

Somebody must have plucked a lot of these red lehua flowers from the ohia trees.

KSRT

Our phones were ringing off the hook with flash flood alerts. Day late and a dollar short. We were in the middle of the system.

Corner

We filled up our water bottles and …

Corner

… visited a mini-waterfall. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

KST

The huggable tree on the mountain. No hugs today?

Manana Summit

We stopped briefly at the 2,660′ summit and hunkered below the highly porous trees to eat a bite before moving back on the ridge. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Eleao Meadows

Passing the bowl shaped grassy field.

KST

Horizontal rain was sheeting and stinging us on the ridge, complete with complimentary audio. Sensory overload in the mountains.

KST

Twin waterfalls on the crossover. Only seen during heavy rainfall. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

Passing the eroded section. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

KST

Coming down the mountain. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Waimano Summit

Our rainy crossover hike came to an end at the 2,160′ summit. We still had a rainy trail to hike down.

Waimano Trail

Going down the seven mile graded trail.

Waimano Trail

What? Only mile 5? The miles were not melting away fast enough on the trail back down. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Waimano Stream

Fording the somewhat swollen stream, luckily it was not of flash flood proportions.

Picnic Shelter

We briefly stopped at the picnic shelter and found that a group had made itself home there, complete with a roaring fire. All that was missing were the marshmallows and horror stories.

All pau

We left the trail and crossed the road to seek shelter from the rains that had turned from torrential to a constant drip. Our camping weather was split into Jekyll and Hyde, made bearably by good company. Mahalo to Ferlino and Jasmin for picking us up and bringing us hot cocoa on this stormy night. Post hike meal at Zippy’s. Hot soup does a body good.

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.

It was time for another camping weekend. I’m glad we didn’t listen to the weather forecast of rain and gloom. Met up with Chris, Ethan and Shirley in the wee hours of the morning. Somebody needed more packing time. That’s why it pays to start early. Have to adjust for Hawaiian time.

Poamoho Road

Thanks to Ethan’s friend, Kevin, for giving us a ride. Shirley trying to shed some light on the lock. Not very successful I might add. Photo by Chris.

Poamoho Road

We ran across this fool who thought he could outrun a Tacoma. Photo by Shirley.

Trailhead

Group photo left to right: Shirley, Ethan, myself and Chris.

Poamoho Trail

We shouldered our packs, some heavier than others, and began making our way on the mostly graded trail.

Poamoho Trail

Synchronized photo taking of the Waianae Mountain Range.

Helemano Stream

Looking down at the longest stream on the island and clear summits in the distance.

Poamoho Trail

Enjoying the maintained trail before it ends. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Poamoho Trail

Pausing before we start hiking on the un-maintained trail. Fraught with overgrowth, uneven terrain and …

Poamoho Trail

… fence lines.

Poamoho Trail

Chris and Shirley crossing over the landslide section of the trail.

Clines Memorial

Shirley getting the contrast, exposure, framing, and lighting just right. Otherwise Chris may come out darky.

Poamoho Summit

Group photo by Chris at the 2,520′ summit, that overlooks Punalu’u and Kahana Valleys.

Koolau Summit Trail (KST)

We took our leave of the summit and made our way to the cabin.

Koolau Summit Trail (KST)

Passing the Private (PVT) junction. No cover. No salute.

Koolau Summit Trail (KST)

Shirley weeping with joy after seeing her first cabin on the KST or maybe she was just wiping her snot. I don’t recall.

Koolau Summit Trail (KST)

The trail briefly popped back onto the Windward side, affording more Jurassic views of the valley.

Koolau Summit Trail (KST)

Morning dew drops on the ubiquitous uki grass. Photo by Shirley.

Poamoho Cabin

The fence workers had gone home for the weekend. We had the cabin all to ourselves and the other 25 hikers coming up the trail.

Poamoho Cabin

What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin. Choosy hikers choose JIF.

KST

Following the fence on the Leeward side until we …

KST

… temporarily lost the fence and crossed over to the stunning Windward side of the trail.

KST

Looking back at the contoured trail carved into the side of the mountain. Photo by Chris.

KST

Making our way towards the man-made notch.

KST

Shirley passing through the last fenced gate on the trail. For now. Photo by Chris.

Pauao Junction

Chris looking into the valley. So many ridges and saddles to explore. Photo by Shirley.

KST

The fence workers have been busy.

KST

Panoramic view.

KST

Enjoying the cleared and relatively wide open fenced trail for now. Photo by Chris.

KST

The fence soon left the KST again and continued to follow the ridgeline above us.

IG Photo bombers

We just want our 15 minutes of social media fame too!

Schofield-Waikane Junction

Somebody needs to get with the program.

KST

We left the junction to resume our hike on the windswept ridgeline.

KST

Shirley plowing through the thick brush on the Leeward side.

KST

We contoured back to the ridgeline and saw the Waikane-Waiahole junction ahead of us.

Waikane-Waiahole Junction

One leads to the valley. One leads to the mountains.

KST

Chris taking the higher road.

KST

Making our way through the convoluted topography of the Northern Ko’olaus. Photo by Chris.

KST

We were blessed with an overcast day tempered with gentle winds on our hike.

KST

Passing “HMK’s” rock. Which begs the question. Who is HMK?

Waianae Mountain Range

Looking out towards the West side. Both ranges had clear views.

KST

Panoramic view of the rotating view of the valley as we continued to traverse the KST.

KST

A serendipitous encounter with two fellow hikers on the trail, Cisco and Justin. Congratulations to Cisco for completing the Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST) today. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

KST

Back on the ridgeline, not for long, as we contoured to the Leeward side.

KST

Build the fences and they will climb over them.

KST

The “rolling hills” of the Northern Ko’olaus have a different and distinct flavor than the trails found on the Southern end of the mountain range.

KST

The fence continued to follow the ridgeline, while we followed the trail that contoured below it.

KST

We regained the fenced ridgeline and followed it down …

Meadow

… and dropped into the inviting meadow that usually funnels the air currents, inducing a wind tunnel effect on past visits. No such conditions today.

Meadow

Meadow life. Failed headstands. Photobombers. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Chilling with Kikaida.

Meadow

Tree huggers.

Meadow

Leaving the meadow to gain the contour trail. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

KST

Shirley crossing over the Selfie Stick Junction. I guess we are going to be here for awhile.

KST

Passing through a cascading carpet of uluhe ferns.

KST

Shirley making her way to the notch. IG photo shoot time.

KST

Mountain yoga. One was more successful than the other.

Campsite

We decided to camp for the night between the summits of Kipapa and Waiahole, nestled and sheltered amongst the Sugi pine tree grove.

Campsite

Camp life. Pitching our tents on the rusted remains of the army cabin. Watching sunbeams shooting through the Waianae Mountains. Eating reconstituted meals and drinking hot coffee. Glow sticking without the ecstasy. Not a bad way to end the day.

Campsite

Honey whiskey and Tylenol makes the tent go round and round and facilitates drunk ranting and texting. Farting and snoring cut through the rustling wind and pelting rain showers throughout the night. Somebody had earplugs. Somebody wished they had earplugs.

Campsite

Good morning from the Ko’olaus. Hot coffee, steaming pho and pop tarts for breakfast. Flooded tent. Somebody needed a demonstration on how to tie her shoelaces. Early morning bowel movement. Pushing and pulling Chris’s tent. Does this look wrong in any way?

KST

Making our way out of the Sugi pine tree grove.

KST

Crossing a narrow ravine to get up the ridge.

KST

Our sunrise for the morning. We couldn’t catch it from the campsite due to the early morning rain. I’m glad the rain went away for our hike.

KST

Climbing out of the campsite.

Kipapa Summit

Group photo at the windswept 2,786′ summit.

KSRT

We transitioned from the Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST) to the Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT) after passing the Kipapa Summit.

KSRT

Ethan checking out the views.

KSRT

Checking out a ridge for a future hike.

KSRT

Making our way to the Waiawa Gap.

Waiawa Gap

Descending into the heavily overgrown gap.

Waiawa Gap

Group photo in the notch. Somebody had to mark their territory.

Waiawa Gap

Climbing out of the gap.

KSRT

Grams equals Ounces. Ounces equal Pounds. Pounds equals Pain. A lesson that Shirley would take to heart and her lower back as well. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

KSRT

The glove junction with the summit of Waiahole behind us. Photo by Chris.

KSRT

The weather forecast got something right. The winds were blowing hard on the ridgeline.

KSRT

Enjoying a relatively flat lull between the hilly ridge.

KSRT

Crossing over from the ridgeline. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

KSRT

Stopping at the scenic spot for a pic … Photo by Shirley.

KSRT

… and assisted bowel movement.

KSRT

Are we there yet?

KSRT

We dropped down into this meadow and found a surprising flowing stream. Somewhat of a trickle, but enough to refill our water supply.

KSRT

Hot coffee and pho in the meadow. Life was good. Photo by Chris.

KST

Leaving our last meadow on the hike.

KSRT

Tree hugger. Photo by Shirley.

KSRT

Looking at the twin “sisters” of Eleao Windward and Kalahaku Teeth that borders Waihee Valley.

KSRT

Almost there.

Manana Summit

Triple views ranging from Kahana Valley to Makapu’u at the 2,660′ summit.

Manana Summit

The “face” of Manana. Photo by Shirley.

Manana Trail

We still had to hike down close to six miles of the ungraded roller coasting ridge.

Manana Trail

Looking back at the Ko’olau Mountain Range and the points we had traversed. Ethan was speeding down the trail to take a shower. Chris was flapping around like Superman. Shirley was making her story. I was just plum tired.

Manana Trail

Lady in the tree.

Manana Trail

Racing the sun down to the bottom. The sun would win.

Manana Trail

Too tired to rest on the bench.

All pau

Sunset silhouettes. We made it back to our cars under the cover of twilight.

GPS Tracks

Our two day fun filled hike covered almost 20 miles with awesome adventure buddies. It was one of my best camping hikes. Blessed with good weather and company. Post hike meal at Buzz’s Original Steakhouse. Unlimited soda and soup. Not a bad deal.

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.