I bit off more than I could chew on today’s hike. I was a tad ambitious in thinking that I could traverse from Poamoho to Pupukea in a single daylight day. My lack of fleetness and the punishing overgrowth and mud had me throw in the towel and cutting the hike short at Laie. I still spent a whole day in the mountains by myself. Forest time. Solitude time.
Poamoho Trail
A big thanks to Richie and Roseann for dropping me off at the trailhead. The overgrowth on the jeep trail was really out of hand which cut the driving time to a crawl.
Poamoho Trail
Going up the graded trail which looked like it was recently cleared and ate my banana breakfast at the halfway point.
Poamoho Summit
The winds were blowing the clouds away at the summit. Breathtaking as always.
Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)
I left the Cline Memorial and the overgrowth was already impasssable on the trail, so I dropped to the fence line and followed it to the gate. A bad harbinger of things to come.
KST
Passing a lobelia plant that seemed on the verge of blooming.
Boot Junction
One hour after leaving the summit, I reached the boot that has seen better days.
KST
I elected to save my energy and plowed right through all the mud pits scattered along the trail. It takes too much energy trying to detour around them and not get muddy. Why stave off the inevitable? Embrace the mud. People pay good money to soak in mud. I was getting it all for free.
Rabbit Hole
My head was hunkered down as I was trying to make good time and before I knew it, I had overshot the junction and was almost at the doorstep of the Army Cabin. #*$@*!
Papali Junction
The weather had took a turn for the worse as I reached the Papali Junction complete with a spanking new sign.
KST
Meandered through the mountains as the trail contoured around the hills with trails that seemed to be surrendering back to Mother Nature in spots.
KST
Pushing my way through mud pits and clouds of uluhe, clidemia, thimbleberry thorns and other plants soon sapped my energy. I was not making good time.
KST
Taking a load off my legs as I rested on the scenic rock looking out towards the Waianae Mountain Range.
Koloa Cabin
I reached the cabin at 1pm, which was significantly slower than my last solo trek. I decided that the overgrowth was probably going to be worst past Laie based on how things were going, so I took a break at the cabin and decided to bail down Laie.
KST
Leaving the fence line behind me as I pushed towards Kawailoa.
KST
Descending down towards the bowl shaped depression.
Laie Summit
I reached my last summit at 3pm. My body and mind had enough of the KST today. The sole-sucking mud and punishing overgrowth had totally taxed what meager willpower I had in me. Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.
Laie Trail
Going down the six mile trail with another brand new sign.
Laie Trail
Passing the waterfalls where I heard some trail runners laughing ahead of me. Wish I could have laughed at that point. I was just bone tired.
All pau
My hike covered almost 16 miles through some of the worst overgrowth on the trails that I have witnessed in recent memory. Thanks to Quan for picking me up at the end. Post hike meal at Kenko-ya where everybody knows your name or at least your favorite dish. Order at the door. Better than door dash.
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.
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