Hell to Heaven

Why do two hikes when you can do just one? Why see only one stairway when you can see both? Rhetorical questions aside, that is how we found ourselves at top of Aiea Heights this morning. Thanks to Chris for dropping us off.

Campers and chickens were sleeping as we walked up the road that was slowly being illuminated by the breaking sun.

Turning off the loop trail, we were treated to a colorful cascade as the sun torched the mountain peaks.

Multiple downs …

… and multiple ups.

Taking a short break at the 2,441′ grassy peak.

Heading into the home stretch of the 5.5 mile ridge trail.

Coming up the last hump on the ridge.

Aida enjoying the sweeping views of the windward side from the grassy clearing.

Milling around the base of the power-line tower.

The group finally got enough of the eye candy views and started making their way down.

You can take the man out of the ironworks, but you can’t take the ironworks out of the man.

Group photo at the 2,805′ clear summit.

William trying to talk to the locals. Perhaps it was his Midwestern accent that was getting lost in translation.

The group contouring on the leeward side of the ridge under clear skies.

Stunning views to be had all around as we traversed the ridge.

Views like these are icing on the hiking cake.

Contouring around the fenced native plant enclosure. I have yet to see one, then again I don’t know what I’m looking at either.

Descending down into the verdant windswept pastures of hell.

Group photo at the stairs that the US Navy started but never finished. The views were uncommonly clear and striking.

William tried talking to the locals again. A hint of pidgin thrown in for good measure. No luck. What kind of neighbors are we?

This place is going to hell in a handbasket.

Climbing out of hell for greener pastures.

Overlooking the engineering marvel that was the most expensive interstate highway ever built back in 1997 at a cost of 1.3 billion. The current rail system costs pegged at over 12 billion will easily eclipse it and make H3 look like a bargain.

Group photo at the terminus of the trail that starts down in Moanalua Valley.

The group traversing over the crumbly section with the tree trip hazard in the way.

Descending down the western half of the saddle.

It was just a walk in the park. A windy park.

Following the serpentine ridge to the next summit.

Group photo in the “pocket” of the saddle.

The winds started to pick up as we began our ascent of the Eastern half of the saddle. I turned my cap backwards, not to emulate athletes or rappers, but to serve as a hiking windsock.

When hiking turns back the clock to when we used to drag our knuckles.

Just when I thought was out of the elevator service, they pull me back in.

Minding the huge windward drops on our right side.

Somebody was glad to be back on relatively level ground.

Approaching the most well known obstacle this side of the saddle – The Dirt Triangle.

Oh, I get up with a little help from my friends and some extra webbing.

Climbing up a particularly chossy section of the ridge. The gusting winds had blown the assist ropes to the far right side. Time to recover them.

The ropes were returned to its rightful place for the rest of the group to use.

Chico pulling himself up one crumbly rock at a time.

Passing a cascade on our right that feeds the main Moanalua Falls.

Chico traversing over an eroded section of the ridge line.

The start of the “other” stairs to heaven.

Knockin’ on heaven’s back door.

Closing the gap to the CCL building with its distinctive dual microwave antenna perched on the top.

Group photo at the top of the stairs that the city wants to keep. Demolish. Keep. Demolish. Bipolarism at its finest.

We started going down the 3,922 steps as weeks ago I was contacted by a quasi-official entity that wanted me to count and verify the number of steps for possible future wasted resources. They were also going to pay me. Check’s in the mail. Yes, I’m also the type that believes that I have a snowball’s chance of hell in winning the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. There is one born every day.

The windward views were indeed heavenly on this day.

Who’s keeping count? Chico?

I believe at this point, William gave up trying to communicate with the locals. Instead he made an impassioned plea to save the stairs. I think it fell on deaf ears.

Catching the setting sun behind the mountains.

It took two Navy men in 1942, 21 days to climb from the bottom to the top to install the original ladder. Thanks to their pioneering efforts, travel time is now measured in hours instead of days.

Thanks to Lilia for picking us up at the exit point. Post hike meal had to be someplace quick as most of the group didn’t want to sit and wait for their food. Fast food. McDonald’s. Drive-Thru.

Our back to back stairways hike covered 10.1 miles with almost perfect weather conditions with good company.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Chico Cantu, William Mayo 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.

Tagged as: aiea loop trail, aiea ridge trail, aiea summit, ccl building, dirt triangle, koolau summit ridge trail, ksrt, kulana'ahane summit, moanalua saddle, north haiku stairs, puu kawipoo, red hill summit, south haiku stairs, stairway to heaven, stairway to hell