Pupukea to Waiahole Uka

by kenji SAITO on September 5, 2015

It was time to repay a visit to the Ko’olau Range. Gen, Jose and myself spent the Labor Day weekend cabin hiking in the mountains. Mahalo to Chris Hiona for dropping us off in Pupukea.

Pupukea

Pupukea

We shouldered our hefty backpacks, some were stuffed with the kitchen sink and the liquor store, as we started on the dirt road that passed the Boy Scout Camp and headed deep into the forest.

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road

The dirt road transitioned to a paved military road where we soon passed the Kaunala trailhead on our left that winds through the Pupukea Paumala Forest Reserve. Another hike for another day.

Off the beaten road

Off the beaten road

We left the road past mile marker 19 to begin our hike on the Pupukea trail. The road actually continues its way through the lower Ko’olau Range and ends at Helemano Military Reservation.

Black Junction

Black Junction

The “official” start of the KST trail. We decided to take a short jaunt to the lookout.

Summit Lookout

Summit Lookout

Group photo left to right: Gen, myself and Jose.

WST

WST

Looking out towards the Waianae Range and the Kawailoa Wind Farm.

Hina

Hina

All feet on the Pupukea Summit. This is also supposed to be the junction for the old Kahuku trail.

Ocean View

Ocean View

Looking out towards Laie Point.

Slipper Junction

Slipper Junction

Jose plunging into one of the heavily overgrown sections on the trail.

Soggy

Soggy

Ziploc bags and plastic containers are not foolproof nor waterproof over time.

Trail

Trail

Jose walking through knee high uluhe ferns and vegetation.

Laie bound

Laie bound

Just a couple more hours to the summit. Almost there. Flashbacks to another hike.

Trail

Trail

The trail opened up, giving us a brief respite from all the overgrowth.

Loulou Palms

Loulou Palms

Wading through waist high uluhe ferns and shrubs. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Country

Country

Somewhere along this section, we missed the junction for the Maleakahana Trail. Another hike for another day.

Summit

Summit

The Laie summit.

Foxhole

Foxhole

Group photo at the 2,240′ summit.

Trail

Trail

The trail from the summit was initially defined and well trodden.

Meadow

Meadow

We passed the summit of Kawailoa on our right as we crossed the bowl shaped depression. There’s also a nearby water source that Patrick Rorie showed us on our last hike in this area.

Mountain Yoga

Mountain Yoga

Our first sign of the fence on the KST. It would keep us intermittent company through the following days.

Muddy shoes

Muddy shoes

Time to take a break. A break from the mud.

Follow the fence

Follow the fence

We resumed hiking on the mostly Windward side of the fenced trail.

Cabin in the clouds

Cabin in the clouds

A sight for sore eyes.

Koloa Cabin

Koloa Cabin

The best cabin on the KST.

Cabin life

Cabin life

Stuff I learned on my first cabin hike. Bring extra clothes, so you don’t have to be wet, dirty and miserable the whole day and night. Wet clothes and shoes will not dry on top of the KST. Bring a toothbrush, as dental hygiene is important when roughing it. Mountain House tastes a lot better than MREs, especially if you have a heat source. Hot chocolate is imbibed better laced with vodka. Smoking tobacco tastes better when you roll it yourself. Things that go bump in the night could be a rat or a ghost. But if you sleep soundly and snore loudly enough, things like that don’t bother you.

Sunrise

Sunrise

Click here for the larger image.

Morning musings

Morning musings

Rambling reflections of our hike so far that we left in the cabin log book, that was donated by Allison Baird.

Good morning

Good morning

Group photo at the cabin.

Leaving the cabin

Leaving the cabin

It was so hard to leave this cozy cabin in the mountains. Click here for the larger image.

KST

KST

The Windward side of the Ko’olau Summit Trail.

Leeward side

Leeward side

The trail also meandered on the Leeward side that was marked by heavy cover and vegetation.

Trail

Trail

The trail weaved across open meadows and back to the Windward side.

Looking back

Looking back

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Kicking It

Kicking It

Stretching it on the KST. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Ko'olau Faces

Ko’olau Faces

I always fail to get the memo. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

Waianae Mountain Range

Waianae Mountain Range

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

Trail

The trail contoured the ridgeline for the most part.

Scenic view

Scenic view

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Ko'olau Range Lobelia

Ko’olau Range Lobelia

No plants were harmed or molested in the making of this photograph.

Castle Junction

Castle Junction

Group photo.

Mountain activities

Mountain activities

Time to stretch and relax.

Trail

Trail

Open country. Photo by Genesaret Balladares

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

Hello. Which one of 5,000 species are you?

Hello fence

Hello fence

Just when we thought we lost the fence.

Army Cabin

Army Cabin

A junction and cabin for another day. Time and weather was not on our side.

Ridges

Ridges

Looking out at all the ridges and valleys.

Got Mud?

Got Mud?

The Papali section is feet down, the muddiest section of the KST.

Mud break

Mud break

We needed a Kit Kat break, not a mud break.

Ko'olau Award

Ko’olau Award

Gen being badged the Wawae’iole club moss. The order of mud splatter was automatically awarded.

Deep Mud

Deep Mud

Jose going through a typical muddy section of the trail.

Spartan Mud Race

Spartan Mud Race

Get ready. Set. Go! Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

Trail

The fence made some sections of the trail a little tight for space.

Ko'olau Massacre

Ko’olau Massacre

Hiking in mud all day can do strange things to a person.

Cloudy view

Cloudy view

We saw a stream meandering its way down to the valley below us.

Revenge of the Ko'olau Massacre

Revenge of the Ko’olau Massacre

Hiking in the mountains all day can do strange things to a person.

Trail

Trail

Approaching a scenic point overlooking Kahana Valley.

Kahana Valley

Kahana Valley

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

Trail

Clinging onto the fence as the trail traversed a narrow section of the ridgeline.

Hanging on

Hanging on

Click here for the larger image. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Meadow

Meadow

Why did the hikers cross the fence? To get to the other fence.

Da Boot

Da Boot

The iconic landmark on the KST. Some believe this is the junction for the Pe’ahinai’a Trail, another trail that has fallen out of use.

Trail

Trail

We followed the contour trail on the Leeward side.

Fence

Fence

The fence picked the trail back to the Windward side.

Almost there

Almost there

We left the fence line to continue following the ridge down to Poamoho.

Contouring

Contouring

Hiking on the Windward side of the trail.

Gated hike

Gated hike

The gate was a sign that we were close to the Poamoho summit.

All wet

All wet

Soaked to the bone with mud and water.

Poamoho Summit

Poamoho Summit

One of the best views on the island. When it’s not socked in. Like today.

Trail

Trail

There was no view at the summit to be had, so we pushed onto the cabin. The fence had extended its reach since my last visit.

Cabin and marsh

Cabin and marsh

Let’s get out of this rain, but let’s take a group photo first.

Poamoho Cabin

Poamoho Cabin

Our cabin for the night.

Cabin entertainment

Cabin entertainment

Poamoho cabin is the oldest extant cabin on the KST and is beginning to show its age. Especially after staying in the newer and roomier Koloa Cabin, but at least it wasn’t locked. We had a roof over our heads and all the rain water we wanted at our disposal.

Sunrise

Sunrise

Good morning! Time to put our wet clothes and shoes back on.

Morning smokes

Morning smokes

Even robots just want to have fun.

Back on the trail

Back on the trail

Our final day hiking on the KST, as we pushed towards our destination which was Waiahole Uka.

Donkey trail

Donkey trail

These trails were blasted and carved out of the mountains by the CCC gangs back in the 1930s.

Hiking sign

Hiking sign

Another new sight on the KST. What’s next? Lunch wagons?

Peek-a-boo

Peek-a-boo

Can you see us? Photo by Jose Luis Delaki

Pauao Ridge Junction

Pauao Ridge Junction

The long hike down to Kahana Valley. Another hike for another day.

Trail

Trail

Hiking the Windward side of the trail.

Trail

Trail

Watching out for the numerous false steps on the trail. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Trail

Trail

The mountainside was dotted with assorted shapes and sizes of native loulou palm trees.

Trail

Trail

The trail had numerous short up and downs. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

A trail with a view

A trail with a view

Every now and then, the clouds would part to tease us with a view.

Schofield-Waikane Junction

Schofield-Waikane Junction

The long ridge down to Wahiawa. Another hike for another day.

Waikane Junction

Waikane Junction

We came to the Waikane junction where we took the higher trail to continue our hike.

KST

KST

The trail contoured on the Windward side below the ridgeline.

Meadow

Meadow

Cloudy and socked in conditions makes it easy for hikers to get confused and lost navigating the trails.

Tricky Junction

Tricky Junction

This section was counter-intuitive as one does not continue straight but heads up and turns left to maintain track on the KST.

Trail

Trail

Contour for days.

Lehua Papa

Lehua Papa

Perched above us was the largest known tree of the myrtle family on the Ko’olaus according to Dave Fahrenwald.

Fence

Fence

Fenced ridgeline.

Ko'olau Potraits

Ko’olau Potraits

The mountain meadow photo booth. Where do all those memos go?

Jungle

Jungle

Uluhe was growing rampant in some sections. Photo by Jose Luis Delaki.

Notch

Notch

Gen going through the notch.

Uphill

Uphill

Pushing up the last hill to the summit of Waiahole Uka.

Looking down

Looking down

One of the few groves of Japanese Sugi Pine Trees to be found on the island. Other than at your friendly neighborhood nursery.

Waiahole Uka Summit

Waiahole Uka Summit

Socked in and raining. Typical Windward ridge.

Going down

Going down

Making our way down the cloud covered ridge.

Grasshopper

Grasshopper

Can you hear me now?

Going down

Going down

One at a time.

Mossy

Mossy

Abundant moss covered most of the trees at the higher elevation.

Uluhe

Uluhe

Waiahole is known for its dense and interlocking uluhe ferns. Loads of fun. Not really.

Ocean view

Ocean view

Taking a respite from the uluhe, enjoying limited views of Mokolii.

Never ending

Never ending

Coming to the last major hump before the final descent off the ridge.

Water

Water

Once we dragged ourselves off the uluhe infested mountain, we turned right onto the Kuolani-Waianu trail and crossed over several large landslides with huge trees blocking the trail.

All pau

All pau

Big mahalos to Chris Bautista for picking us up in the dark and pouring rain. No sign of Scuba, the self proclaimed guardian of the valley.

GPS Tracks

GPS Tracks

The laborious three day hike covered 27.92 miles through the Northern Ko’olaus with stunning scenery, convoluted terrain and not another soul in sight. Good times with great friends. Post hike meal at Haleiwa Joe’s. Gen ran into the restaurant to secure our table before the last seating. I got the most eye popping, belt busting piece of prime rib that my stomach has seen. All that was missing were the horns and the tail.

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