Manana to Aiea

by kenji SAITO on December 6, 2020

I was in the mood for another grinder in the mountains. Met up with Art, Chris, and CJ in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in the wee hours of the morning. Photo by Art Young.

Trailhead

Trailhead

Look! Up in the tree! It’s a owl! It’s a rat! It’s just a cat. Call HFD.

Manana Trail

Manana Trail

I think Chris wants a bike for Christmas.

Manana Trail

Manana Trail

We took a quick break at the picnic shelter. No signs of campers today.

Manana Trail

Manana Trail

CJ in the twisted tree. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Manana Trail

Manana Trail

Passing through the gate. Halfway to the summit. We also saw what looked like workers on an adjacent ridge. Fellow early risers.

Helipad

Helipad

The KST looked strikingly clear from our flat vantage point. Photo by CJ Mendiola.

Manana Trail

Manana Trail

Chris striking a pose on one of the many humps we had to traverse. My friend calls this the b*tch trail for obvious cardio reasons.

Manana Summit

Manana Summit

CJ at the 2,660′ knob. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Manana Summit

Manana Summit

Group photo left to right: CJ, Chris, Art and myself. The views were amazingly available today.

Ko'olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

The end and beginning of the trails for our group.

KSRT

KSRT

A flowering lobelia on the side of the scenic cliff.

KSRT

KSRT

Sighted another lobelia with different colorings.

Eleao Meadows

Eleao Meadows

Passing the small grassy fields made smaller by the fencing. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KSRT

KSRT

Leaving the fence line behind us as we went down the slippery slope to stay on trail.

KSRT

KSRT

CJ soaking in the views. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KSRT

KSRT

CJ crossing over the landslide section of the ridge line which soon marked our descent into the saddle.

Waimano Summit

Waimano Summit

Our last group photo together as Art decided to go down the seven mile graded trail after overworking his leg muscles coming up the muddy Manana Trail. Chris also collected his rubbish from his previous KST one shot hike and had to shed on of his pant legs.

KSRT

KSRT

Climbing out of the 2,160′ summit with sweeping views of Waihe’e Valley.

KSRT

KSRT

Back to our regularly scheduled program of up and down hills.

KSRT

KSRT

Approaching the largest meadows on the KST.

KSRT

KSRT

Dropping off the ridge line and into the meadows. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Waimalu Meadows

Waimalu Meadows

“Mythical” and “Magical” are the two most common adjectives used to describe this area.

Waimalu Meadows

Waimalu Meadows

We were struck by the fact that the meadows was eerily devoid of wind and clouds. No complaints here.

Waimalu Meadows

Waimalu Meadows

When you have no fork to eat your pancit, you fall back on what you got.

Waimalu Meadows

Waimalu Meadows

The slow and steady climb to the summit. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Waimalu Meadows

Waimalu Meadows

Always a lung buster going up the spongy ground. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Waimalu Summit

Waimalu Summit

Chris pointing to our destination. Or he could have been stretching out his arm.

KSRT

KSRT

What Mother Nature gave, she took away. Clouds rolled in and out of the mountains as we resumed our ups and downs on the ridge line.

KSRT

KSRT

CJ climbing up towards the base of the power lines. Less than half an hour to the summit now. It can’t come any sooner.

Aiea Summit

Aiea Summit

Group photo at the rainy 2,805′ summit. Photo by CJ Mendiola.

Aiea Ridge Trail

Aiea Ridge Trail

Heading down the muddy trail.

All pau

All pau

We reached the Keaiwa Heiau Park 5-10 minutes before closing. But the gates were already locked. Thanks to Quan for picking us up outside the park.

GPS Tracks

GPS Tracks

Our 14.2 mile hike covered rollercoaster ridges, scenic and sunny mountain and meadow views, cloudy and rainy ridges. The complete hiking package. Post hike meal at Alley Restaurant where Art met up with us. Oxtail soup was sold out. Need to hike faster so we can get here earlier before they sell out. Thanks to CJ for picking up the tab. Great hike with a fun crew.

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.

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

BC96734 February 4, 2021 at 12:05 pm

Do you know what species of Lobelia is in these photgraphs?

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kenji SAITO February 5, 2021 at 3:10 pm

Sorry, I don’t know the specific species.
Mahalo

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