Papali Ridge to Kaluanui Stream

by kenji SAITO on November 21, 2020

Lilyn drove Art, Quan, Tessa and myself to the red tree town to chase waterfalls this weekend.

Hau'ula

Hau’ula

We walked our way down the road where sleeping dogs don’t lie.

Trailhead

Trailhead

Leaving the road for the hau tree trail.

Ma'akua Ridge Trail

Ma’akua Ridge Trail

Group photo at the bench, left to right: Art, Lilyn, myself, Quan and Tessa.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Switch backing our way to the ridge line.

Club 96717

Club 96717

Dancing for dollars. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Making our way up the hilly ridge.

Waterfall

Waterfall

We saw water trickling down a chute on the opposite ridge.

Pepeiao

Pepeiao

To pluck or not to pluck the wood ear mushrooms? Did we pack a pan for stir fry?

Break time

Break time

Getting as comfortable as we can amongst the mossy trees.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Quan arriving at the signed junction and mountain music provided by ELO.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Group photo by Tessa Bugay.

Don't bring me down

Don’t bring me down

Going out on a limb. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

We left the junction behind us, but not the music.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Making our way up the grassy climb.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Climbing up the short and stiff hill. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Art the Redeemer.

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Entering the 378 acres reserve that sprawls over the Windward mountains and valleys. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Lilyn making do with the fence when there’s no pole around. No dollars deserved this time. Imaginary or real.

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Quan stepping over the gate as she held on tight to her dreams.

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Going down the trail that has seen better days.

Sunrise fungi

Sunrise fungi

Who needs the beach? Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Heading down into the cloud soaked valley.

Livin' Thing

Livin’ Thing

Is this what the real thing feels like? Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

“Strange Magic” floated through the mossy trees.

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve

Lobelia plant sighted. Where is the resident botanist?

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Crossing the stream to seek temporary sanctuary. Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui Cabin

Kaluanui Cabin

All we want is a roof over our heads. A tent will do.

Kaluanui Cabin

Kaluanui Cabin

Rolling up the door as we sat on the wood floor and had our lunch before we headed down for stream exploration. I also found out that one of my slippers had fallen from my pack somewhere on the trail.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Our packs stripped to the bare essentials, we headed out.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Lilyn trying to move the rock out of the way. Not very successful, I might add. Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Rock hopping our way down stream.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Quan wading through the waters that are home to all five of Hawaii’s native fresh water fishes.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Lilyn at it again. Some people just don’t learn or they are forgetful.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

If you can’t beat ‘em, sit on ‘em. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. It was serenely peaceful as the waters gurgled around my legs and the cloud soaked valley dampened the sounds and amplified them at the same time.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

We came around the bend and found ourselves at the top of the gushing waterfall. It was quite a sight, a feast for the visual and auditory senses.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Climbing down to the base. Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Lilyn spotting Quan coming down.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Everybody getting wet. The power of the falls was visibly felt as the water spray kept us at a safe distance.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Group photo at the twin waterfalls. An uncommon view from my last time here, when the falls were barely flowing.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

“I don’t want to get wet” said the already wet hiker. Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Heading down stream.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Step on that spot. The one covered by water.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Catching a side waterfall on our way down stream.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

The girls climbing down with Art’s tangled webbing. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Taking the higher ground as the water coursed its way through the jumbled rocks.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

The end of the stream for us as the waters kept cascading over the rocks and into a series of pools before eventually feeding Kaliuwa’a or Sacred Falls.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Group photo. Glad we made it this far.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

It was time to head back, before we lost the daylight hours. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kokio Keokeo

Kokio Keokeo

Tessa with one of many white hibiscus flowers that populated the stream banks. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Climbing back up the side of the small waterfall. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Tick tock. Time waits for no hiker. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

The girls contouring around a mudslide in the stream.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Approaching the twin falls. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Heaven forbid that we forget to take the butt grabbing photo. Somebody was half-assed.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Climbing back up the muddy hill. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Making our way back upstream as the weather conditions favorably improved. Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Approaching the cabin after hours of rock hopping.

Forever 21

Forever 21

We all wished Lilyn a Happy Birthday with a cupcake in a cup topped off with a ghetto candle. Art can relate.

Kaluanui Cabin

Kaluanui Cabin

Good morning from the best campsite ever. Well, that’s what somebody said. The area had taken a heavy pounding from rain showers that swept the valley last night. So we decided to scuttle the original exit plan and go back down the same way we had come up.

Kaluanui Cabin

Kaluanui Cabin

We swept out the cabin and left with nicknames, some old and some new. All wrapped up in kindness and fun company.

Kaluanui Stream

Kaluanui Stream

Slip sliding our way across the stream. Pays to have spikes on. Photo by Art Young.

Kaluanui NAR

Kaluanui NAR

Heading back into the “magical” forest.

Kaluanui NAR

Kaluanui NAR

Going up the not so magical overgrowth on the trail.

Kaluanui NAR

Kaluanui NAR

What are we looking at? Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Kaluanui NAR

Kaluanui NAR

Looking at the meadows, ridges and valleys carved out of Mother Earth. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Is it 1 hr? Or 1 hr 5 minutes? Somebody needs to be exact. Photo by Art Young.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Leaving the fence line behind us as we went down the trail.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Tessa approaching the small saddle known as “the pig wire.”

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Do you need a spot? A spot of tea perhaps.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Group photo in the field of flowers. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Not sure if we are going the right way as the sign is upside down.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Are we there yet? Photo by Art Young.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Running across three hikers ascending the ridge. One of them was barefoot, whose shoes were left further down the ridge. A bit further. Art also found my slipper on the trail. Now my pair was complete.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Winding our way down through the stand of paperbark trees.

Papali Trail

Papali Trail

Lilyn trying to catch up to hear the ELO music on our way down to the bench.

Ma'akua Ridge Trail

Ma’akua Ridge Trail

Wash day in the stream that rarely flows as we saw 37 Hawaiian flags fluttering above us.

Ma'akua Ridge Trail

Ma’akua Ridge Trail

Getting back on the road where we bumped into a group that was clearing the surrounding areas that had covered an heiau in this ancient fishing village. We chatted with the group and a sweet talking woman who gave us an abbreviated version of the local history and even got some pineapples as a refreshing treat. Mahalo.

All pau

All pau

One of our best camping hikes ever covered 9.2 miles through pristine wilderness, raging waterfalls and verdant vistas all around. Some of us just can’t get it of our heads, the music that is and not the priceless memories we took away. Post hike meal at North Shore Tacos where indoor seating trumped over the lack of outdoor seating at Papa Ole’s. The expensive food coupled with mediocre customer service failed to win us over, the pineapple drink notwithstanding. A most memorable camping hike with good friends.

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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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

Wahinee01 December 19, 2020 at 12:35 pm

Hahaha… you and your hilarious captions. This is one of my many fave hike. Let’s go back again, this time the other way around. Thank you for the fun hike Kenji :)

Reply

kenji SAITO December 19, 2020 at 5:58 pm

Aloha Tessa,
I try. Yes what an adventurous hike it was. Thanks for the fun company.
Mahalo

Reply

Arthur December 19, 2020 at 1:06 pm

Cool!

Reply

kenji SAITO December 19, 2020 at 5:58 pm

Aloha Art,
What is going on here? LOL.
Mahalo

Reply

Aida Gordon December 20, 2020 at 8:17 pm

Looks like a lot of wet fun! Kicking myself for missing it but it couldn’t be helped. I’ll go when you guys go back! Good creew, funny names, great adventure!

Reply

kenji SAITO December 22, 2020 at 11:53 am

Aloha Aida,
Yup was like playing in nature’s wet’n’wild water park and no admission fee. See you the next time around.
Mahalo

Reply

Brina Healy February 16, 2021 at 11:19 am

Looks EPIC!

Mahalos for posting :)

Reply

kenji SAITO February 16, 2021 at 1:41 pm

Aloha Brina,
Thanks for swinging by.
Mahalo

Reply

Mark October 9, 2022 at 7:24 am

Ah we made it to the top of that falls and I thought there might be a way down. Gotta go back now! Love your photos and captions ????

Reply

kenji SAITO October 13, 2022 at 2:45 pm

Aloha Mark,
Thanks. Yup, lot of fun exploring. Just stay safe and bring webbing just so you can safely make it back up on some sections.
Mahalo

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