Poamoho to Manana (High High’s Finish)

It was that time to help another friend finish off their last segment of the KST this weekend.

Thanks to Scott for dropping Aida, Roger and myself off at the trailhead. Akira and Tessa were taking Ferlino’s redeye truck ride.

Aida crossing over one of the old landslides that wrecked the trail awhile back.

Solo selfie at the strangely still summit with panoramic views of the valleys below the 2,520′ grassy hump.

Glad you guys could join us.

What’s for dinner? Steak, corn and rice. Thanks Chef Suzuki.

Day 2
What’s for breakfast? Sausage and egg sandwhich. Domo arigatou gozaimasu.

Our group photo outside of the cabin. I wonder what’s inside?

The runway walk. No audience needed.

It’s hard to believe that the trail was once wide enough for pack animals, now its just good enough for pack hikers.

The group hiking towards the notch that was dynamited out of the mountains to allow passage.

Passing through a grassy meadow.

Life imitating art.

Passing through a stand of native loulu palm trees.

Group photo at the spur ridge that leads down into Kahana Valley.

Catching the sun breaking in the distance over the bay.

Aida and Roger scrambling over an old landslide.

Tessa going around the bend in the trail.

Lucky the fence stopped the landslide.

Meeting the endangered KST goose. Must be a female.

Contouring over another landslide interrupted by the fence line.

Passing an orb web that was catching nothing but the morning dew. They were also used as bandages in the old days as they contain Vitamin K which helps the blood to clot.

Group photo at the 2,360′ clearing that also leads down to Wahiawa.

Following the trail as it offered ringside seats into the views of the verdant valleys below us.

Looking back at the mostly undeveloped valleys of Punalu’u and Kahana.

Taking the higher trail as we didn’t want to hike into the valley partially owned by Paul Zweng, who supposedly also owns the summit of Pu’u Ohulehule. That I find hard to believe as there are no signs saying as such and another example of individuals and institutions trying to take away what belongs in the public domain like beach access. Mountain access.

Picking our way on the trail that was draped with mixed vegetation.

Can you see Tessa for the valleys?

Weaving our way on the trail as it switched from Windward to Leeward several times.

Going over one of several fence crossings to stay on trail.

Meandering through the mountains. This is why it’s called the KST as it does not follow the ridge line but the path that was picked almost a century ago by the US Army and the CCC.

More than one person has thought “Why can’t the entire trail be like this?”

Akira making his way around the bend in the trail.

Letting gravity do all the work as we followed the fence line down.

Group photo in the surprisingly still meadow with the horizontal sugi pine tree slowly creeping up on the side of the hill.

Climbing out of the meadow was no problem today as there was no pushback from the usually present gusting winds.

Hopped over the selfie stick fence to continue on the trail.

Akira standing in the notch.

We contoured around the base of the summit of Waiahole and plunged into the fragrant Sugi Pine Trees, that was possibly planted by Japanese immigrants back in the day.

Took a break at the site of the former Kipapa Cabin.

Following the ridge that took us out of the stand of sugi pine trees.

Climbing up the short cardio hill.

Where tomato becomes tomatoe. Where the KST becomes the Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT).

This is why it’s called the KSRT, as the trail for the most part follows the ridge line.

It was getting dark. Time to seek refuge.

Home for the night.

Day 3
The sunrise lit up the mountains. Good morning.

We cleaned up the cabin and took our leave to resume our hike.

Tessa catching the breaking sunrise.

Hiking down into the saddle.

Threading our way through the stand of loulu palm trees.

Scrambling up the spongy ground was a bit taxing.

Climbing out of the gap to a somewhat more level ground.

Spoke too soon.

Pausing on the ridge where an Australian hiker who had started a day earlier than us from Pupukea soon caught up with our group.

It was a beautiful day to be hiking in the mountains.

Dropping off the ridge line into the meadow that was surprisingly still, the theme of the hike this weekend. No complaining here. Must be a Kona kind of weekend.

We topped off our water, stretched and cooked some food to whet our appetites.

Climbing out of the spongy meadow to get back on the ridge line.

Looking back at the postcard views.

Following the ridge line with views of Kaneohe Bay and the Windward coast to our left.

I’ve fallen and I can get back up.

Scrambling our way to the top.

#23 – Congratulations to Akira “High High” Suzuki for completing the entire Ko’olau Summit Trail in segments. Mahalo to Aileen and CB for joining us at the celebratory finish as they had hiked up from Waimano Trail. The Hapon had to take a smoke before receiving the customary champagne dousing or in this case drinking.

Leaving the 2,660′ massive knob of a summit for the rollercoaster ridges taking us down.

Going down what Stuart Balls calls “the best of the ungraded Ko’olau ridge trails.” I still beg to differ. To each their own.

Talks of an alternate means of transportation floated around the 3.5 mile marker. That flew out the window.

We reached the picnic shelter as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Time to walk out the trail under artificial illumination.

Big shout out to Chico who met us at the trailhead with coke floats that hit the spot.

We all had dinner at the nearby restaurant and Akira even got a lemon crunch cake to celebrate his finish again. Congratulations again Mr. Suzuki.

Postscript: On the same route we took several months ago, an obviously entitled transplant and/or misguided individual commented that we were trespassing on KSBE land and that the DLNR was notified of my blog. As everybody in the party can attest, at no point did we encounter any signs prohibiting passage or stated private property. And since when did the mountains stop becoming public domain for all to enjoy? Probably another case of the entitled transplants trying to tell locals what they can’t do and at the same time being vile hypocrites by doing it themselves. I have seen and heard countless of them pointing wagging fingers at others and saying you can’t do that and then find out they are burning campfires in the mountains, rappelling in restricted watersheds, and flying drones in national parks and doing the same hikes and activities that they are telling others that they can’t do, to name a few. They just want it for themselves. Selfish bastids.

Photos taken by Aileen Agustin, Akira Suzuki, Aida Gordon, Christopher Bautista, Roger Schiffman, Tessa Bugay, 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: camp rusty, corner, kipapa summit, koolau summit ridge trail, koolau summit trail, ksrt, kst, manana ridge trail, manana summit, pauao junction, poamoho cabin, poamoho summit, poamoho trail, schofield-waikane summit, waiawa gap