Bereft of hiking buddies for today, I decided to visit one of my favorite haunts on my own. Rules were meant to be broken. Sometimes, not all the time. I managed to snag an empty stall in the Moanalua Valley parking lot where a constant stream of hikers could be observed heading into the valley.
Kamananui Valley Trail
A harbinger of things to come. A trickle of water down the road …
Kamananui Valley Trail
… that was fed by miniature land locked reservoirs that reflected the forest canopy as I skirted around them.
Kamananui Valley Trail
Getting our feet wet in the shallow end of the road. Never play in the deep end.
Kamananui Valley Trail
Sharing the road with others.
Kamananui Valley Trail
Overflow from Moanalua Stream coursed and eroded its way down the trail as I met up and tagged along with the three iron ladies of the trail otherwise known as “entertainment.”
Kamananui Valley Trail
Joy making her way through the bowed branches of a hau tree.
Kulana’ahane Junction
Crossing the ankle deep stream to the other side of the bank.
Moanalua Middle Ridge
Leaving the valley floor as we began our steady climb up the ridge.
Heart Rock
I left my heart in Moanalua Valley, at the very bottom. Shattered and broken into a million pieces.
Moanalua Valley
Looking back into the valley that barely escaped being turned into a corridor for the H-3 Freeway back in the 1970s.
Moanalua Middle Ridge
Passing the wild orchids that populate the lower section of the ridge.
Moanalua Middle Ridge
The grass is greener on the other side of the rope. Photo by Gunner SB.
Moanalua Middle Ridge
Sugar getting ready to out-run the rain showers that were heading our way as the ridge took on a more eroded character.
Moanalua Middle Ridge
Walking in the rain clouds and mud as we made our way to heaven.
Pu’u Keahiakahoe
Group photo left to right: Sharon, Joy, Sugar and myself. We parted ways after they sang a rousing rendition of sugar sugar.
Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)
Closed to climbing but apparently not the clouds.
Tripler Summit
Rain, rain go away. I still haven’t learned that nursery rhymes don’t work up in the mountains.
Bowman Summit
I was debating going down the Bowman trail if the rain didn’t let up. It will stop. The power of positive thinking.
KSRT
The rain soon left, but the clouds stayed to keep me company for a little while as I headed down into the saddle.
Kalihi Saddle
The ridge line and stiff winds kept the clouds at bay on the Leeward side.
Dirty Slide
Sliding my way down the flank of the ridge, I discovered that a series of mini-landslides had broken the continuity of the trail going back to the ridge line.
Rock Triangle #1
The grass had really overtaken certain sections of the ridge and even buried some sections of the ropes. Pays to pack your own webbing, never leave home without it. Where are those trail clearing crews when you need them?
Lanihuli Waterfalls
Looking across the valley towards the waterfalls cascading down the side of the mountain known as swirling heavens.
Rock Triangle #2
I couldn’t find purchase for my feet climbing down the slick rocks, so I scrambled back up and slapped on my spikes. Didn’t want to be on the six o’clock news.
Kalihi Saddle
Looking back at the rugged character of the saddle. Never fails to disappoint.
Witch’s Hat
The most storied section of the ridge in terms of “take my picture spot.”
Witch’s Hat
Scrambling down the backside of the last obstacle on this side of the saddle.
Camp Centipede
Taking care not to kick over any rocks and send an errant hundred footed arthropod scurrying my direction as I made my way down towards the power lines and into Kalihi Valley.
All pau
Thanks to Shirley for picking me up and dropping me back to my car, where I was re-united with my hiking “entertainment” group. Post hike meal at Ruby Tuesday, where the dinner theme seemed to be vegetarian.
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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