Met up with Aida, Alexis, Art, Edgar, Jen, Lilyn, Marilyn, Quan, Scott and Tessa in Central Oahu to explore abandoned bunkers and tunnels.

Waikele Towers

Going through the fence single file.

Waikele Towers

Climbing up the ladder single file.

Waikele Towers

The rest of the group making their way to the top against the background of the Waianae Mountain Range.

Waikele Towers

Catching the breaking sunrise at the top of the tank.

Waikele Towers

All feet on top of the ventilation hole?

Waikele Towers

Drone view of the tank.

Waikele Towers

Alexis descending down into the inky darkness.

Waikele Towers

Group photo in the heavily graffitied tank.

Waikele Towers

The sounds inside the tank were amplified and reverberated to excruciatingly annoying pitches that would drive most people mad if stuck inside for any long period of time.

Waikele Towers

Looking up towards the pseudo-skylight.

Waikele Towers

Climbing out of the tank.

Waikele Towers

Approaching one of six watch towers that once stood guard over the former Naval Ammunition Depot, Waikele Branch.

Waikele Towers

Climbing up the ladder that topped out at the platform that is slowly rusting away.

Waikele Towers

Looking out over the approximately 120 caves that once held military explosives, including nuclear weapons. Now they are being used for commercial and personal storage units.

Waikele Towers

Anybody else coming up? Crickets.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

We collected Chris who was running fashionably late and drove to a neighborhood where we walked down a steep ditch that funnels runoff water to the Panakauahi Gulch.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Chris rolling down with his one wheel drive.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Approaching the engineering marvel at the bottom of the gulch.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Tessa sitting on a rock that probably does not gather any moss.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Sitting on top of the four tunnels.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Walking through one of the tunnels that were littered with rocks, some of considerable heft. The power of raging water is not to be trifled with lightly.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Exiting the other side to search for petroglyphs.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Scott fruitlessly looking for the rock carvings that was of seemingly questionable age.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Group photo looking in.

Panakauahi Petroglyphs

Group photo looking out. We increased our heart rate and worked our glutes on our way back up the steep ditch.

Waikakalaua Subway

We parked in another neighborhood where we saw several shedding trees that looked like colorful art.

Waikakalaua Subway

Climbing down into the tunnel entrance.

Waikakalaua Subway

Walking in the tunnel …

Waikakalaua Subway

… that soon branched off into different directions.

Waikakalaua Subway

Art channeling his inner hamster.

Waikakalaua Subway

The start of the steep descent down into total darkness. Hand rails included.

Waikakalaua Subway

Bottoming out.

Waikakalaua Subway

Approaching the 8′ dropoff.

Waikakalaua Subway

Group photo.

Waikakalaua Subway

Chris in the top crawl space.

Waikakalaua Subway

Patience is a virtue when taking group photos.

Waikakalaua Subway

Panoramic view of the graffitied exterior.

Waikakalaua Subway

Playing peek-a-boo amidst the concrete baffles.

Waikakalaua Subway

What goes down, must go back up.

Waikakalaua Subway

Exiting the tunnel.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

We parked in another neighborhood where the spirt of Christmas was still alive.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Looking down into the neighboring suburbs.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Walking on the service road that is slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Negotiating the wreckage that was partially blocking the entrance to the bunker.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Quan coming around the wrap around doors that resembled a giant Hot Wheels Track.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Walking up the stairs and past the wall that was defaced with the ancient symbol that was hijacked by the Nazis.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

The view from the blocked corridor.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Walking down the corridor that was lined with a pair of tracks or grooves that was onced used to transport military goods?

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Breathing in acceptable amounts of asbestos dust and other stuff that’s best left unknown.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

You keep a knocking but can’t come in. Or not.

Lower Waikakalaua Bunker

Exiting the bunker as we made our way back to the cars.

Waikakalaua Flume

Somebody let the dogs out as we walked down the concrete ditch where some things are best seen with the camera than the naked eye.

Waikakalaua Flume

Chris warming up.

Waikakalaua Flume

Life imitating art.

Waikakalaua Flume

Tessa getting friendly with Mario. Not the guy from Windows Hawaii.

Waikakalaua Flume

Look Ma, No Feet!

Waikakalaua Flume

Top down view. Let the gimp out.

Waikakalaua Flume

Gecko eye view of the group down below.

Waikakalaua Flume

Group photo from the bottom up.

Waikakalaua Flume

Hanging by her good hand.

Waikakalaua Flume

Name that videogame character. It’s not pac-man.

Waikakalaua Flume

Chris peering through one of the drainage holes.

Waikakalaua Flume

Panoramic view of the area. We ate lunch at the nearby shopping center where the group split into three parties depending on food preferences.

WW2 Bunker

Taking the road to pineapple fields and one of four coastal batteries that used to operate during WW2.

WW2 Bunker

Built in 1912 or 1913? The sun can play tricks on ones eyes.

WW2 Bunker

Aida walking in the field of fruits that originated in South America, was introduced to Hawaii in 1813 by a Spanish ship pilot by the name of Don Francisco de Paula Marin who also planted coffee, cotton, mangoes and grapes. The US annexation of Hawaii in 1898 and the canning technology paved the way for Dole, Del Monte and Maui Land and Pineapple to eventually supply 80% of the world’s canned pineapples.

WW2 Bunker

Approaching the battery commander’s station where a couple kids with dirt bikes were hanging out.

WW2 Bunker

Standing on top of the bunker whose 8-inch turret guns were once trained on the north shore beaches to repel the Japanese invasion that never came.

WW2 Bunker

Art is obviously one of the people that doesn’t like pineapple on his pizza.

WW2 Bunker

Drone view.

WW2 Bunker

Pineapples being delivered by an amazon drone. Technology is simply amazing nowadays. In the old days, you would have to pick them by hand.

WW2 Bunker

Drone view. Only four were paying or vying for attention.

WW2 Bunker

Climbing down from the bunker was harder for some than others.

WW2 Bunker

Art checking out the shaft.

WW2 Bunker

Climbing down into the darkness.

WW2 Bunker

Low clearance.

WW2 Bunker

Dropping down into the plotting room.

WW2 Bunker

Further progress was stymied by a wall of dirt.

WW2 Bunker

One of many spiders that are the sole remaining inhabitants of the bunker.

WW2 Bunker

Most of the ceiling had long since collapsed to the floor.

WW2 Bunker

Climbing towards the light.

WW2 Bunker

Exploring other shafts that lead to closed off ammunition rooms.

WW2 Bunker

Art sliding backwards into the crack in the ground.

WW2 Bunker

Further progress was stalled by a boulder that was blocking the door that would only permit people with ectomorph bodies to pass.

WW2 Bunker

A bird nest in the hand is worth two in the bush. A corruption of the English proverb.

WW2 Bunker

Avoiding traffic and a red truck made us thirsty so we headed to McDonald’s for some ice cold refreshments.

Battery Palailai

Parked in another neighborhood where we did the low crawl to take the shortcut.

Battery Palailai

There are a lot of snacks to eat on trails. Berries. Mangoes. Mountain Apples. Strawberry Guavas. Cow Patties. The nutritional value varies with each item.

Battery Palailai

Making our way to the bunker.

Battery Palailai

Stepping foot on Fire-control station “B.”

Battery Palailai

Looking out towards possible invasion routes.

Battery Palailai

Walking on the outside of the bunker that was active from 1942-1944.

Puu Palailai

Drone view of the four level bunker.

Battery Palailai

Many tried out to be the next Club Femme Nu Pole Dancer. Only the fireman from Kauai got the spot. The rest had to settle for Club 939.

Battery Palailai

Staggered group photo.

Battery Palailai

Group photo with the background of Makakilo.

Battery Palailai

I thought segregation ended back in 1965?

Battery Palailai

360 view from the pole dancer tryouts.

Battery Palailai

All feet on the survey marker as we left the bunker.

Battery Palailai

Headed back down to the suburbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDs12bwe0ZE

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Battery Palailai hike.

Battery Makakilo

We parked in the last neighborhood for the day and had our parking valet watch the cars while the rest of us hiked up the road shared with bikers coming down the hill.

Battery Makakilo

Quan pushing her way through the overgrown trail.

Battery Makakilo

Drone view.

Battery Makakilo

Interior view.

Battery Makakilo

Our last group photo of the day.

Battery Makakilo

Office view.

Battery Makakilo

Somebody put a lot of effort to build this personal bunker for the zombie apocalypse.

Puu Makakilo

Practicing the tradition that started in Trinidad. The bar was not set low enough.

Puu Makakilo

Church in the mountains. Doesn’t hurt to have a cooler at your feet. Doesn’t hurt even more if the cooler was actually filled with ice cold beverages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Lpuep2ogc

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Battery Makakilo hike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs15W9zZ_gM

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our Bunker Holoholo hike.

Thanks to Scott for showing us the eight different spots that totaled a little over nine miles. Post hike meal at Thelma’s, where we all ordered our own separate entree’s. Some more than one. That person didn’t get enough pineapple on the trail and had to make up for his caloric deficiency incurred through slow jogging on a dusty field. Ever hear the expression “Eat my dust?”

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Alexis Catarina, Art Young, Chris Bautista, Edgar Gamiao, Jen Odence, Lilyn Avendano, Marilyn Bermudez, Quan Haberstroh, Scott Dea, 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.