Manana to Aiea Loop Trail

It was a reunion of sorts in the mountains as I haven’t hiked with Alexis in over seven years. Her personality hasn’t changed for good or bad.

Who let the dogs out? The hunters. The age-old question has finally been answered, never mind the Baha Men.

The cats let themselves out.

Somebody got confused about the meeting place. Not once. But twice. We finally all got onto the trail after one of us got hello checked by the resident homeless while using the bathroom.

Let’s follow the hiking sign, shall we? And let’s try not to get spooked by the cloud of screaming parrots. Somebody please find them a zoo!

Standing on the bench to see the sunrise. Somebody wanted to sit down.

Waiting to offer Roseann assistance if needed coming over the narrow cliff. Or maybe just to laugh at her if she fell. I think more the latter.

Roseann passing under the bent arch. A precursor of things to come. Old age and all.

Group photo at the gate. Two more miles to go!

Passing through the tall grass and uluhe ferns. Scratch city.

First aid clinic in the mountains. One of the million uses for duct tape.

All fixed up and ready to go!

Eating away at the last mile before the summit.

Almost there!

Group photo at the somewhat socked in 2,660′ knob. Luckily the winds soon blew the clouds away.

Leaving the summit for greener and overgrown trails.

Windward views to the left and Leeward views to the right.

Looking straight down Eleao Windward and neighboring Kalahaku Teeth, two of the hardest hikes I’ve done to date.

Passing Eleao Meadows as we followed the fence line.

The gate soon spit us out onto the grassy slope with commanding views of the mountain range and surrounding areas.

Jason not letting the gate hit him where the sun don’t shine.

Coming down in a controlled descent on the soft under footing, more or less.

What a view!

Back on the ridge line.

Looking down into Waihe’e Valley and points beyond.

Hills for daze.

Roseann passing the landslide section before dropping down into the saddle summit.

Group photo at the 2,160′ summit.

Somebody had to get their obligatory shoefie picture in somehow against the backdrop of Waihe’e Valley. Jason?

Climbing out of the saddle.

Traversing the seemingly serpentine ridge line.

Up and down. Up and down. You get the picture.

Views for daze.

Approaching the large grassy field under the shadow of the flat topped peak.

Roseann on the ridge looking out to Waiahole, Ohulehule, Manamana and Kualoa ridges.

The meadow, The myth, The legend. Group photo in the oasis in the mountains that was unusually calm and clear. No complaints from the peanut gallery.

Trudging our way up the spongy hill to higher ground.

Crossing over the connecting ridge to more spongy ground.

Leaving the mythical spot behind us as we slowly grinded our way to the top.

Roseann standing on the grassy summit.

Leaving the summit for more rolling hills.

Back on the edge. The cliff edge.

Aileen making her way up against the Windward backdrop.

The hills have hills. Never ending.

Are we there yet?

Dropping down the grassy slope. Whichever way it takes to get there.

Alexis looking back at the mountain range we had just partially traversed.

Approaching the power line tower on the ridge line, signaling that we were close to the summit.

Looking out as the sun made its last call over the peaks and valleys.

Our last summit group photo at 2,805′ elevation.

Climbing our way down from the power lines tower and onto the trail.

Setting the tone for the rest of the trail. Hiking in the dark until my batteries died. My cuss words didn’t die out. Just like the Energizer Bunny.

Hiking by the city and highway lights. Somebody rolled their ankle pretty bad on the trail. Thankfully it was mere moments from the trailhead. Need a hand? How about a hiking stick?

We were all plumb tuckered out from our long day and night in the mountains. Some more so than others. Luckily for somebody, there was a nearby fire hydrant.

Thanks to Richie for picking us up and feeding us shakes, sodas and chicken nuggets in the back of a speeding truck. Good eats. Good times.

Our 14.3 mile hike was blessed with good weather, spectacular scenery and great company. Fun times.

Photos taken by Aileen Agustin, Alexis Catarina, Jason, Roseann Fai 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 ridge trail, aiea summit, eleao meadows, koolau summit ridge trail, ksrt, manana summit, manana trail, waimalu meadows, waimalu summit, waimano summit