Cobbled together a group of eleven friends to go walking around the island this weekend. Thanks to Ferlino and Roger for the shuttle service.

Waipahu

Group photo left to right: Chico, Mari, Ferlino, myself, Akira, Chris, Dale, Jordan, Aida, Tessa and Roger. Somebody forgot their phone in the truck. It’s an Android. No loss. But we have to deduct 1,000 pics from the photo pool.

West Loch Bike Path

CB jumping off the bridge that did not exist over a year ago when we had to traverse the hanging pipes.

West Loch Bike Path

Spotting an a’eo or Hawaiian black-necked stilt in the Pouhala Marsh Water Bird Sanctuary.

West Loch Bike Path

The group crossing the second bridge over Waipahu Stream in their own different ways.

West Loch Bike Path

Let the shopping cart races begin.

West Loch Bike Path

The jury’s out on who won the Oscar for the best interpretation.

West Loch Bike Path

Ferlino getting a little help from Chico to walk across the handrails on the bridge. If he takes a fall in the drink, he can fish out the dead bloated cat in the stream.

West Loch Bike Path

Chico trying to “pants” Akira. The hijinks that goes on our walks. Never a dull moment.

West Loch Bike Path

Group photo on one of the piers along the stretch of “Chocolate Beach” that was built in the 1960s in tandem with the West Loch community that was being developed.

West Loch Bike Path

Another group photo spaced out on another pier that was actually closed back in 2015 due to concerns of structural safety. They must have obviously addressed those concerns.

West Loch Bike Path

Chico shaking the pod-like fruits from a nearby tamarind tree, that was introduced to Hawaii in 1797 by Don Francisco de Paula Marin. Ferlino picked them up and ate some of them.

West Loch Bike Path

Re-purposing an empty roro dumpster.

West Loch Bike Path

Dale showing that he’s still got it. This guy had several State powerlifting records in the 80s and is still active.

West Loch Bike Path

There must be an easier way of picking mangoes.

West Loch Bike Path

Just need shoyu. Low sodium.

West Loch Bike Path

Ferlino by the shoreline.

West Loch Bike Path

Some in the group took a bathroom break at Kapapapuhi Point Park.

West Loch Bike Path

We will have to take your word for it.

West Loch Golf Course

I thought the other color flag was supposed to be red? Not red, white and blue?

West Loch Bike Path

It’s the message that counts, not the grammar.

West Loch Bike Path

Different perspectives on the bridge that crosses Honouliuli Stream.

West Loch Bike Path

Is that the blue agave plant? If not, then no tequila for you Akira.

Betty Nagamine Bliss Memorial Overlook

Group photo at the lookout that was damaged by arson on August 19, 2024. What’s sad is that the structure was just re-built after being burned down previously in December of 2021.

Betty Nagamine Bliss Memorial Overlook

If one gets tired of watching Hawaiian seabirds and other waterfowl, one can always watch two primates getting back to their roots.

West Loch Bike Path

Checking out an eco-friendly sustainable fence at a nearby home.

West Loch Bike Path

Standing next to a rainbow eucalyptus tree that was introduced in 1929 from the Philippines.

West Loch Bike Path

A shopping cart street vendor offered us free slices of jabong that he had picked up from the ground.

West Loch Bike Path

Calling “American Chopper” for a project that is right up their tail pipe.

Historic Ewa Village

Group photo on the mill wheel that stands at the historic plantation village that was established in 1890 to house the different ethnic groups that labored in the sugar cane fields.

Leeward Bike Path

We had the narrow gauge tracks. We had the train whistle. No train? No problem. All aboard!

Leeward Bike Path

The electrical poles were hanging at a perceived precarious balance. Shades of Lahaina?

Leeward Bike Path

CB multi-tasking as he plucked the moringa leaves from a free range branch as we followed the bike path.

Leeward Bike Path

Let’s not walk on the third rail shall we.

Hawaiian Railway Society

We dropped in on the only operating railroad museum in the State.

Hawaiian Railway Society

The train leaving the station early. I thought it was at 1300 and 1500? It’s only 1110!

Checking out the merci train that was shipped from France after WW2 in appreciation for the 270 boxcars that US citizens sent to help the suffering French, of those, Hawaii sent two filled with sugar.

Hawaiian Railway Society

Hanging out for the next train ride.

Hawaiian Railway Society

Oh Roger!

Hawaiian Railway Society

Leaving the train depot as the afternoon sun forced our departure.

Leeward Bike Path

Using the parasol that was most likely invented in China over 4,000 years ago.

Leeward Bike Path

Our group waving at the passing train, possibly a tradition started in the 1840s in the United Kingdom.

Leeward Bike Path

CB finally found a car with great mileage. Zero.

Leeward Bike Path

The tracks were cleared, so the “people train” complete with whistles and the pumping motion of our arms and legs took to the tracks.

Leeward Bike Path

Walking on an abandoned military rail car. The US Navy ran this section of the tracks to run their ammunition trains from West Loch to Lualualei Naval Ammunition Depot from 1950 to 1970.

Leeward Bike Path

Afternoon tea and crumpets, the homeless way.

All pau

Practicing proper hygiene after the finish of our walk.

GPS Tracks

Our fifth perimeter walk covered 8.55 miles with free range food and fun activities with good friends.

Ono Steak & Shrimp

Our post hike meal was at a place that didn’t serve mac salad. Sacrilegious!

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Chris Bautista, Dale Yoshizu, Ferlino Carinio, Jordan Baird, Mari Saito, Roger Schiffman, 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.

Met up with Aida, Akira, Chico, David, Ferlino, Mari, Roger, Rose, Susan, Tessa, and Val to do our first hike (walk) of the year. The dirty dozen, well not today.

Mapunapuna

Group photo as we left the industrial area that is prone to flooding during high tides and parts of the land has already sunk 4-5 feet. The city promised to fix the problem in 2008. Here we are in 2025. I guess another problem is that Damon Estates sold this chunk of land that is leased to 137 different tenants on 186 separate parcels to a mainland property firm back in 2003. Passing the buck.

Nimitz Highway

Akira in front of one of American’s most iconic motorcycle brand next to Indian motorcycles.

Nimitz Highway

Fish out of water. Surfboard out of water.

Ualena Street

Approaching one of many humpback murals painted by Robert Wyland in 1985.

Aolele Street

Visiting the site where a Kamaka Air plane crashed into this unoccupied building on December 17, 2024, missing the fuel farm, rail and nearby occupied buildings. Unfortunately the two pilots, Hiram Defries and Preston Kaluhiwa lost their lives in the accident.

Dunkin’ Doughnuts

Stopping at one of the 12,900 locations to have coffee, donuts and breakfast at one of the largest coffee shop and donut restaurants in the world.

Nimitz Highway

Chico made sure that Akira got his whistle wet.

Nimitz Highway

The group waiting for the red light to change. I heard that its timed to force cars to stop every 300′ to stop speeding but does nothing for managed traffic flow.

Nimitz Highway

Passing a HFD training dummy or perhaps it was a chronic sleeping it off.

Nimitz Highway

We approached the foot bridge while keeping a wide berth of the cat lady and her cats.

Main Street Foot Bridge

Group photo on the bridge that provides safe passage over the highway.

Hokulani

The two military veterans climbed the most stable tree in the military housing area.

Kamehameha Highway

You can never find a crosswalk when you need one.

Kamehameha Highway

Chico and Ferlino examining the artwork on one of the rail columns up close. Each column depicts something related to the area and was all designed by Daniel Kanekuni. Some in the community had a beef and said they should have been designed by people that have Hawaiian blood.

Kamehameha Highway

Where one goes, two will surely follow.

Kamehameha Highway

Looking for a surfer or a homeless person.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Group photo at the memorial that honors the sailors that lost their lives in the December 7, 1941 attack from Japan. The Arizona memorial was actually the idea of Robert Ripley, of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! fame in 1948.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

These were the only boats we were going to see today.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

If you can’t stand the water, get out of the boat.

Kamehameha Highway

Ferlino engaging in a Filipino childhood past time.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

We soon traded the highway for the bike path that had its genesis back in 2001 as we passed underneath the Moanalua Freeway.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Crossing over Aiea Stream.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Paralleling the stream that separates the bike path from the residential homes.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Going over a wooden bridge that straddles Kalauao Stream.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Finding out how many human hamsters can fit on a non-rotating tire.

Best Buy

Stopping at one of 1,125 locations of the consumer electronics big box stores to use the bathrooms, check out the latest VR gadgets and cool off. No laptops were purchased on this walk.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Our last bridge crossing over Waimalu Stream.

Neal S. Blaisdell Park

Group photo at the Peace Bell that was donated and constructed by Japanese craftsmen and sponsored by Buddhist Bishop Ekan Ikeguchi on the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Does this shower have hot water?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Passing through HECO’s Waiau Power Plant that was built in 1937.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

A couple questions popped into my head as we passed this taro and watercress farm. 1) What is too late next week? 2) Why is mama lonely and what kind of visit are we talking about? 3) We passed all these signs warning us not to eat any fish caught in these waters, does this not apply to this farm as well?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Chico hanging onto the shoe tree after he pulled down the dead fronds to better frame his predicament.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

No good deed goes unpunished did not apply in this case, as the farmer came out to give Chico a bag of freshly plucked lilikoi for pulling down the dead fronds. Did these passion fruits grow in the same water?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Back on the trail after crossing over Lehua Avenue.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Graffiti on one of the buildings that borders the path.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

I was wrong. One more bridge crossing. But this one wasn’t over a stream, just a marsh or pond.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Always one in the crowd. Can’t follow directions.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Looking at naval ships anchored in Middle Loch.

Waipio Pt Access Road

Crossing the heavily trafficked road to get back on the bike path that also borders the Ted Makalena Golf Course.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

A lawn mower with a missing wheel apparently does not work as well as a shopping cart.

All pau

The bike path soon terminated at Waipahu Depot Road which did not mark the end of our walk as we still had over a mile to walk back to our staged cars. Mileage may vary depending on whom you asked.

GPS Tracks

Our fourth segment of the perimeter walk covered 13.7 miles with a fun group. Post hike meal at Kunio Japanese Restaurant. This place is not “real” Japanese per the Hapon. Thanks to Ferlino, Rose, Aida and Roger for shuttle services.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, David Katz, Ferlino Carinio, Mari Saito, Roger Schiffman, Rose Tsuru, Susan Katz, 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.

Our hike in the mountains got rescheduled, so it was back to the pavement for our perimeter walk #11.

Waipahu

Mahalo to Chico for dropping Aida, Aileen, Akira, Lilyn, Mari, Ryan, Tessa, and myself off on Waipahu Depot Street.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Walking on the bike path where we soon passed the HFD Waipahu Maintenance Facility and Ted Makalena Golf Course that opened in 1971.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Sharing the path with bicyclists and stray dogs. Luckily, one of them didn’t bite.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Looking out towards the Middle Loch of Pearl Harbor that are home to 13 mothballed naval ships.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Yielding to two-wheeled and four-wheeled traffic.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Boarding the bus to shorten our time on the path.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Exact change only. Get behind the yellow line!

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Crossing over Waiawa Stream.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Passing the community project that is working to restore the coastline through education and engagement.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

We crossed over Lehua Avenue to continue on the path and passed a marker that stated 11 miles to Honolulu Depot in Iwilei, which was the old train depot of the Oahu Railway and Land Company (OR&L).

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Measuring up to one of two shoe trees, unlike its arboreal brethren on the mainland, these shoes are nailed to the tree trunk instead of dangling from the branches.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Mixed messages or perhaps complementary in a patch of taro and watercress plants.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Passing the HECO Waiau Power Plant that started generating power for the island back in 1938.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Catch and release?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Akira enjoying the views of East Loch.

Japanese Peace Bell

We detoured off the path to visit the wooden pavilion located on the edge of Neal Blaisdell Park, that was built entirely from interlocking lumber using no nails by two craftsmen from Japan.

Japanese Peace Bell

Group photo with the bell that was donated by the Buddhist Bishop Ekan Ikeguchi of Kagoshima, Japan in 1991 to mark the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Best Buy

We dropped into one of 1,138 stores to enjoy some air conditioned air, use the bathrooms and pick up a laptop.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Somebody had the bright idea of stuffing the laptop in their backpack. Somebody ended up carrying the laptop for the remainder of the walk.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Akira trying to channel his inner hamster. Epic fail.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

I guess it was hot for some.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Going underneath Moanalua Freeway, that was surprisingly devoid of homeless encampments.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Detouring around the fenced compound that is home to the COMPACFLT Boathouse.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Climbing and hanging onto the tree branch as we channeled our inner Ferlino.

Kamehameha Highway

Why did the hikers cross the road? To avoid getting run over.

Halawa View Apartments

Life imitating art. The mural in the background that covers one side of the 14-story building depicts Hina, the Hawaiian moon goddess, who was believed to have guided sailors with the moon and the stars.

Kamehameha Highway

Crossing over Halawa Stream. Always one in the crowd.

Kamehameha Highway

How the Grinch stole Christmas. So much for giving other people’s laptop to those in need.

Kamehameha Highway

Walking underneath the largest public works project in the State’s history. Today, it was at least good for shade. $54 per person.

Kamehameha Highway

Hitchhiker. Thumb is not big enough.

Kamehameha Highway

Trying to avoid being roadkill.

Nimitz Highway

Walking underneath Hawaii’s busiest highway and the not ready for prime time Skyline.

Nimitz Highway

Traffic mirror group selfie.

Big Kahuna’s Pizza

Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Not the dentist. Hai! Hai! Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Nimitz Highway

It’s not a shopping cart, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Nimitz Highway

Unattended cart.

Nimitz Highway

Does this have a seat belt?

Nimitz Highway

Trying to make short work of our walk back to the yard.

Nimitz Highway

Pushing maximum load capacity.

All pau

Akira practicing catch and release on our way back to the cars.

GPS Tracks

Our eleventh walk around the island covered 11.2 miles through the urbanized parts of the island with a fun group. Back in the yard, we spent an inordinate amount of time transferring photos to each other. Some of us drove to Magnolia Ice Cream & Treats in Kalihi for refreshing Halo-Halo dessert to cool us down from our walk.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Aileen Agustin, Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Lilyn Avendano, Mari Saito, Ryan Nakahara, 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.