A group of us walked on the holiday that was founded in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd to celebrate fatherhood and complement Mother’s Day. It took awhile for the holiday to gain traction with the public until President Nixon formally made it a national holiday in 1972.

Waimea

Some did pushups to warm up at our meeting spot, while others checked out the latest fad from Nordic folklore through Hong Kong.

Dillingham Airfield

Thanks to Lilia and Jeremy for shuttling us to our starting point that started as Camp Kawaihapai in 1922, then Mokuleia Airstrip in 1941 and Dillingham Airfield in 1948 and full circle to Kawaihapai Airfield in 2001. But most locals still call it Dillingham Airfield. Old habits die hard.

Dillingham Airfield

Edgar met us on his e-bike to keep us partial company today.

Dillingham Airfield

Look, up in the sky! It’s a glider! It’s a plane! It’s skydivers!

Dillingham Airfield

The closest we will come to jumping out of a perfectly good airplane today.

Farrington Highway

Pedestrians have the same crossing rights as equestrians.

Farrington Highway

Chico taking a break from walking.

Farrington Highway

Entrance to Dillingham Ranch that was founded in 1897 and was sold to the Nolan family in 2023 for 36.5 million dollars.

Farrington Highway

Where there is no polo, there can be no marco.

Farrington Highway

I didn’t know they had a petting zoo around here.

Mahinaai Street

The group checking out one of the fruit and vegetable stands on the road. What’s in your hand Akira-san?

Crozier Drive

Many of these older homes are considered historic and are granted tax exemptions and in return must grant the public viewing access that is not obstructed.

Crozier Drive

Exploring Crozier Beach that was accessed through a public corridor. There is a growing entitlement among migrant wealthy owners who seek to gentrify local areas by restricting public access to beaches which run contrary to State law that mandates all beaches are public. Money talks, locals walk.

Crozier Drive

We didn’t see any campers, just hikers.

Crozier Drive

Art imitating life.

Crozier Drive

Public dancing or stretching.

Crozier Drive

Looking for affordable beachfront housing. Barking up the wrong tree?

Waialua Beach Road

Edgar riding by the Pu’uiki Beach Park which is privately owned by Dole Food Company. Public beach access?

Waialua Beach Road

The bus stop served as our temporary resting spot where Jeremy joined us on his electric bike.

Waialua Beach Road

Public papaya pickers.

Waialua Beach Road

We got papayas, now all we need is a chicken.

Waialua Beach Road

You can keep the cash reward. Chicken papaya sounds pretty good right now.

Cane Haul Road

We going that way. You go that way.

Cane Haul Road

Did everybody smile?

Cane Haul Road

Railings were a late addition to the bridge. Safety first.

Cane Haul Road

Photo provided courtesy of Dale Yoshizu which I believe shows the last run of those giant cane hauler trucks across the Cane Haul Bridge on October 3, 1996, which marked the last day of the Waialua Sugar Mill, the last of its kind in the islands.

Cane Haul Road

Looking back at the roughly 420′ bridge that crosses over the waters of Kaiaka Bay.

Cane Haul Road

Group photo in front of what most people think of when you say grass shack. This particular one was sheltering a couple of canoes.

Kaiaka Bay

Walking from the road to the beach to the park.

Kaiaka Bay Beach Park

Group photo in front of the rock known as Pohaku o Lana’i, the two rocks seemingly stacked and balanced on top of each other resembles a giant mushroom, legend has it that the rocks floated ashore from the mythical land of Kahiki.

Kaiaka Bay Beach Park

Jeremy getting some air time as he leaves no carbon footprint. Until he charges his bike. Edgar packed his bike in the car and went home to celebrate his day.

Kaiaka Bay Beach Park

Something is out of place on the Bill and Peggy Paty monument, can you spot it?

Haleiwa Road

We stopped at the Waialua Fire Station to get our blood pressure checked, saw an old co-worker and just to take photos.

Haleiwa Road

Group photo in front of the 93-year old fire station that sits in a flood and tsunami zone. Five acres of land was purchased from Dole in 2020 to build a new fire station but then they found out that it also sits in a tsunami zone. You can’t make this stuff up.

Haleiwa Road

Checking out the shuttered Chun’s Store and Market that was a fixture in the Haleiwa community since 1946.

Haleiwa Road

Partial group photo in front of Kealii O Malu Church that was built in 1939, services are held every Sunday at 10am.

Haleiwa Road

The rest of the group was more interested in picking calamansi from the nearby tree than praying.

Haleiwa Road

I don’t know if Dale wanted to take his photo with the pretty wahine or the vintage VW bus.

Haleiwa Road

Passing Haleiwa Boat Harbor that was built in 1966 at the mouth of the Anahulu River.

Haleiwa Road

Mari plucking a penny off the pavement in front of 7-11 where we had stopped to refresh ourselves. Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck.

Kamehameha Highway

Watching people climb and jump off the Rainbow Bridge constructed in 1921 and paddlers going up Anahulu River that once teemed with edible marine life, but now is polluted ever since Haleiwa Harbor was built in 1966.

Anahulu Bridge

The original wooden bridge built in the early 1900s that served to facilitate mostly horse drawn carriage traffic into town until a tractor in 1915 destroyed the bridge.

Kamehameha Highway

Group photo in front of the current Anahulu Bridge.

Kamehameha Highway

Entering Haleiwa town, that was founded by Benjamin Dillingham in 1898. Jeremy directing traffic or giving directions as some of us stopped to grab some fruity ice cream. Quite a treat for our taste buds.

Kamehameha Highway

Aspiring and fallen angels.

Kamehameha Highway

Passing Haleiwa Beach Park and admiring the crimson flower trees bordering the park that was constructed in 1939.

Kamehameha Highway

Group photo at the sign that had its genesis in 1996, graffiti and vandals soon rendered the sign a shadow of its former self in 2005, as perpetrators had sawed off the surfer and only left the feet on the surfboard. Japanese surfboard shaper, Tatsuro Ota volunteered on his own to repair and rebuild the male surfer. However, in 2006, the original artist who made the signs, Carole Beller, took down Ota’s replacement and replaced it with the current female surfer you see in the photo. Copyright protection.

Kamehameha Highway

Chico helping direct traffic so HPD can get to where they are going. The civic duty is strong in this one.

Kamehameha Highway

Take a wild guess as to who lives here.

Kamehameha Highway

No turtles. Only beachgoers. Nothing to see here. Move along.

All pau

Approaching the side street where our cars were parked.

GPS Tracks

Our Father’s Day walk covered 11.9 miles with good company and fun times. Aida went to eat in solitude on the North Shore. The rest of us tried Waiahole Poi Factory and discovered it was closed so we decided on Saito and Pho to have our post hike meal.

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

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our walk #9.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Alexis Catarina, Chico Cantu, Dale Yoshizu, Edgar Gamiao, Jeremy Cannone, Kenny Lui, Mari Saito, 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.

Met up at the aviation hub that was in danger of being shuttered until the State was granted a 50-year lease last year from the US Army.

Makua Cave

Thanks to Jeremy and Roger who shuttled us from Dillingham Airfield to Kaneana Cave.

Makua Cave

Group photo to kick off our walk.

Farrington Highway

Looking at the cave that wasn’t meant to be explored today due to various reasons.

Farrington Highway

Edgar had the right mode of transportation today.

Farrington Highway

Checking out a drainage pipe. Lucky it wasn’t raining today. We didn’t want to get washed out to sea.

Farrington Highway

Drone time.

Keawa’ula Bay

Entering the Kaena Point State Park. This area is more commonly known as Yokohama Bay, one of the stories of how this place got its name was that Japanese laborers landed on this very beach to build the OR&L train tracks that wrapped around the island in 1897.

US Space Force

Live long and prosper. Despite some trekkers claiming that the logo for the newly minted branch of the US military was a copy of the Star Trek logo, the delta symbol was first used by the US Army Airforce in 1942. So it seems that Star Trek copied the military and not the other way around.

Keawa’ula Bay

Walking on the last sandy stretch of beach on the west side.

Kaena Point State Park

Can you see the heart for the hole in the ground?

Kaena Point State Park

A different view of the “heart” that perhaps was “stolen” in the love triangle legend between Pele, Hi’iaka, and Lohiau.

Kaena Point State Park

Testing out Edgar’s e-bike. Did it spark interest to purchase one? Roger joked I could do the entire KST with such a bicycle. Watt a bright idea!

Kaena Point State Park

Checking out a seal basking on the rocky shoreline.

Kaena Point State Park

That’s not the arch we’re looking for on this trail.

Kaena Point State Park

Somebody was so impatient.

Kaena Point State Park

Group photo at the arch, which is a favorite among rock boulderers.

Kaena Point State Park

Taking the high road as nobody wanted to contour along the rocky shoreline.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Entering through the predator-proof fence that protects 59 acres that are home to seabirds and native plants.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Walking through one of the last intact dune ecosystem in the islands.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Sightings of wedge-tailed shearwater and Laysan albatrosses.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Seeking shade in the concrete pyramidal tower that was erected in 1919 and fell victim to erosion in 1990.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Two questions. Who wrote that message and whom is it for? Anybody sitting in close proximity?

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Walking around the tide pools.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Group photo with the current lighthouse.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Walking the sandy corridor as we made our way out.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

The albatross has one of the largest wingspan of any living bird, reaching a span of close to seven feet. Dwarfed only by the Wandering Albatross, whose wingspan can reach between 8 to 11′.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

Passing the Spirit Leap Rock or leina a ka ‘uhane on our way out.

Kaena Point State Park

Edgar waiting for us as we exited the fenced reserve. Perfect timing.

Kaena Point State Park

Walking our way on the rocky and rugged coastline.

Kaena Point State Park

Never turn your back on the ocean. Unless it’s for a photo opportunity.

Kaena Point State Park

One was fishing and one was camping.

Kaena Point State Park

Fish of a scale swim together.

Kaena Point State Park

We think big and we dream big. It’s all a dream. Welcome back to reality.

Kaena Point State Park

Staying our distance as we saw one of 400 monk seals thought to inhabit these islands.

Kaena Point State Park

Yielding to 4×4 trucks making their way on the bumpy road.

Kaena Point State Park

No sign of Hawaii’s native yellow-faced bees, which look more like black wasps than the European honeybees. They are crucial pollinators for the native plants and without them, the ecosystem could collapse.

Kaena Point State Park

Somebody commented that the trail route was “stupid.” To each their own.

Kaena Point State Park

Remnants of the railroad tracks and trestles that used to run from Iwilei to Kahuku. The 1946 tsunami damaged the tracks, although repaired, never recovered due to the growth of automobile traffic which shifted the mode of transportation in the islands.

Kaena Point State Park

There is a distinct difference between an arch and a puka. Case in point.

Kaena Point State Park

Somebody didn’t get the standing memo.

Kaena Point State Park

Trading the sandy road for hard asphalt.

All pau

Walking back to our cars parked at Kawaihapai (Dillingham) Airfield and the end of our blistering walk.

GPS Tracks

Our eighth walk around the island covered 10.9 miles in “the heat” that were tempered with intermittent clouds and breezy winds with good company. Post hike meal at Julie’Z, where somebody was asked if they don’t eat Filipino food, as they brought their own tuna salad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x6_8EIn7TE

Video by Edgar Gamiao of our walk #8.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Alexis Catarina, Edgar Gamiao, Jeremy Cannone, Mari Saito, 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.

We spent the last Sunday in June doing our perimeter walk#6 around the island.

Waimea

Thanks to Matt for dropping Agnes, Aida, Enrique, Jasmin, Mari, Tessa, and myself off near Waimea Bay where we had last ended our walk.

Samurai House

Passing by the oceanside home that has a Japanese theme and built around five bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Rumours that actor Jonah Hill bought the property was squashed by the VRBO owner.

Kamehameha Highway

Finders keepers, losers weepers.

Kamehameha Highway

Walking on the shaded part of the road as the sun started heating up the ambient temperature.

Laniakea Beach

Too early for the turtle traffic, whose peak hours range from 1100 to 1500. Sad we missed the hard shelled herbivores but not the hard headed traffic that ties up the area.

Kawailoa Ranch

Passing the grazing horses.

Kamehameha Highway

Waiting for the bus or to get our picture taken?

Kamehameha Highway

Jasmin filling up her plastic bag with kamachile, a tart but sweet fruit. Are we on public property?

Haleiwa

Group photo in front of one of the restored signs that was first erected in 1996 by California artist Carole Beller. Years of neglect and vandalism saw the sign being covered in graffiti and even the surfer was chopped off. In 2005, Japanese Tatsuro Ota repaired the sign on his own dime and time. In 2006, Carole Beller took down the repaired surfer and replaced it with the current wahine surfer to protect her copyrighted creation.

Haleiwa

Why does my name get paired with an expletive? I just happened to be in the area and made a suggestion.

Haleiwa

Take a selfie and get a sticker.

Haleiwa

Take a selfie and get a photo.

Haleiwa

No pictures. Camera shy.

Haleiwa Beach Park War Memorial

Standing in front of the white obelisk that honors the sixteen locals who gave their lives in WW2 and was built and dedicated in 1947 by the Waialua Lions Club.

Haleiwa

Straining in front of the Bob Marley tribute that was done in 2014 by cryptik.

Haleiwa

Which way is Waialua?

Haleiwa

Pre-preening peacock.

Haleiwa

Fallen angel. These pair of wings are part of Colette Miller’s Global Angel Wings Project that started back in 2012 and has spread over the world.

Rainbow Bridge

I need a bicycle to get up this double arched bridge built in 1921 that carries traffic over Anahulu Stream.

Haleiwa

Popped into the nearby convenience store to get some ice cream refreshments.

Haleiwa Road

No get sassy otherwise I’ll get slappy. Are we on public property?

Haleiwa Harbor

Hello? I would like to order a mango picker.

Haleiwa Road

Pushing her luck. Where’s that neighbor when you need him.

Haleiwa Road

We spotted a colorful saffron finch that was introduced to Hawaii in 1965.

Kealiiokamalu Church

Some used their hands to pray at the Hawaiian church built in 1939.

Haleiwa Road

Others used them to pick calamansi.

Kaika Bay Beach Park

Group photo in front of the mushroom shaped balancing rock called Pohaku Lana’i, legend has it that the rock floated ashore from a distant land called Kahiki.

Kaika Bay Beach Park

We decided to have lunch at the shadowy sea park that covers 53 acres.

Haleiwa Road

Is this a good idea?

Haleiwa Road

Maybe not.

Waialua Beach Road

Why did the hiker cross the road? To see a misleading roadside advertisement up close.

Waialua Elementary School

Is that a verb or noun?

Waialua Beach Road

Some of us came more prepared for the rain than the others.

Waialua Beach Road

Share the road!

Crozier Drive

Air conditioned papayas.

Crozier Drive

Yard sale on the right.

Crozier Drive

Is this sign lost?

Crozier Drive

Checking out a secluded beach.

Crozier Drive

Too rich for my blood.

Mahinaai Street

Walking out towards the highway.

Mahinaai Street

Why let a perfectly manicured lawn go to waste?

Mahinaai Street

The girls checking out one of the honor fruit and vegetable stands in the area.

Farrington Highway

Milk it for all it’s worth. Or just take a picture.

Dillingham Ranch

Group photo in front of the property that was formerly Kawailoa Ranch until the railroad tycoon Benjamin Dillingham purchased it in 1897. His son, Walter would later be responsible for dredging Pearl Harbor, developing Honolulu Airport and Waikiki Beach.

Farrington Highway

Richard Cleveland introduced the first horse to Hawaii in 1803 to King Kamehameha. Today, they are used primarily for trail rides, rodeos and polo matches.

Dillingham Airfield

Who wants to skydive? Don’t everybody jump at once.

Dillingham Airfield

What’s the hardest part of skydiving? The ground.

Dillingham Airfield

The closest I’m getting to skydiving today.

Dillingham Airfield

Walking back to our cars.

All pau

Last chance?

Jerry’s Pizza Mill

Post-walk meal at the nearby pizzeria. Anybody order pineapple toppings?

GPS Tracks

Our longer than expected walk from Waimea to Waialua covered 12.5 miles that was made bearable with good company.

Photos taken by Agnes Bryant, Aida Gordon, Jasmin Nepomuceno, Mari Saito, 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.

Rain, rain – didn’t go away. The torrential rains that had soaked the Windward side earlier in the week forced us to cancel our planned hike of Ohulehule in Kahana Valley and replace it with a hike on the WST (Waianae Summit Trail). We decided to take a page from DGC and start segment hiking the WST, beginning with Kaena Point.

Christmas came early

Rain showers passed over as we parked at the far end of Dillingham Airfield, putting the hike into question. It cleared quickly, so we piled into Matt’s van to drive to the end of Mokuleia to start our hike. Group photo left to right: Will, Matt “Bah Humbug”, myself and Marvin.

Slip’n’Slide

The long jeep road to the trailhead was mud central, as we some trucks drifting and sliding through the liquid dirt as we slogged our way through.

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve

It was a windy day on the North Shore. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Spirit Rock

Passing through the fence that protects the bird populations, we saw a rock known as Leina ka ‘Uhane. Ancient Hawaiians believed departed souls would plunge into the ocean for eternity from this rock.

Up the mountain

The hardest part of the hike was climbing up this hill, made easier by the overcast clouds and cool winds. Photo by Will Lee.

Eye of the hikers

Sitting on top of a graffitied bunker. The striking eye was painted by the Irish artist known as Eoin.

Bunker view

Kaena Point in the background. Didn’t see any monk seals sunbathing.

Last bunker

As we climbed our way up, we could see the Mokuleia and the Waianae coastlines from our vantage point.

Almost there

It was a perfect day to hike as it was heavily overcast and windy as heck, otherwise it would have been a scorcher of a day. Sometimes it pays to hike after a heavy rainstorm.

Looking back

Our last glimpse of Kaena Point as we made our way to the top.

Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station

After having seen the KPSTS (Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station) or golf balls from Keawaula or Yokohama Beach so many times, we were going to finally see it in person.

Life imitating art

This sign gave me flashbacks from my last hike. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

Follow the paved road

For a change, I didn’t mind walking on a paved road while hiking. It was a nice paved road. I wish our city streets were like this road. Photo by Matt Vidaurri.

Tee time?

Matt wanted to play with a really big golf ball. His club wasn’t big enough.

Golf Ball

Excuse me, what time do the tours start?

Practicing how to levitate

Will and Matt trying to float above the concrete coated hill.

Everybody come here

Walking past the guard shack, a MP (Military Police) stopped us and questioned us as to where we came from. After hearing our story, he said that we were supposed to be escorted down the Satellite Tracking Station Road to Keawaula or Yokohama Beach on the Waianae side. He let us off with a one time warning. Happy Veteran’s Day!

Approved trail

The MP said to go down this trail and cross the ravine to the last tracking station or golf ball. We happily complied. Otherwise our hike would have been abruptly terminated.

Look both ways before crossing

After bushwhacking in the woods for about half an hour, we found ourselves right back from where we started! So we plunged back into the woods and paralleled the road until we were out of sight from the guard shack.

Back on the road again

The paved road eventually turned into a jeep road.

Goodbye golf balls

Looking back at the last cluster of tracking stations or golf balls.

Scenic point

Group photo with the Waianae coastline in the background.

Kuaokala Access Road

We were now on the Kuaokala Access Road that traverses a public hunting area. Hmm, did we have on bright clothing? Oh yeah, we had Hawaiian Santa with us. We were covered.

How wide?

This section of the trail was wide enough to drive a semi through it and then some!

Picnic table break

We took a short break at this picnic table. Photo by Will Lee.

Hmm, who has the right of way?

This mountain biker was the first person we saw today, besides the MP.

Matt of the hill

The views of the valley were starting to open up, especially if you were standing on top of a rock.

Makua Valley

Group photo looking into Makua Valley. It is believed that this valley was once inhabited by the Olohe, hairless, red-skinned people separate from the Hawaiians. They were skilled in lua or the ancient martial art of bone breaking. A good reason to keep out of their valley.

WST junction

The trail continues until you reach the WST junction to the right. We kept on going straight. Another hike for another day.

Right, right, left

There were three clearly marked junctions indicating which direction to head to Kealia trail.

Falling rocks

I thought it would be a good idea if we photographically illustrated the falling rocks sign at the Kealia trail. A plan not well thought out. Luckily we only picked up small pebbles. As the rocks were thrown up in the air, one hit me on my nose. Lesson learned.

Dillingham airfield

Coming down the 19 switchbacks. I lost count after two.

Beware of falling rocks

The switchback trail was littered and strewn with rocks of various sizes.

Fish farm?

There seemed to be a trail cut into the mountains above this fish pond?

Kealia trail

All pau!

GPS Tracks

The hike was 11.52 miles long. Surprisingly it did not feel like a grinder, as the trail was pretty much flat for the whole distance and the nice cool weather helped as well. After the hike, we drove to Dong Yang in Wahiawa for some good Korean food.

We drove all the way to the North Shore to hike Kealia trail which starts at Dillingham Airfield. There were already several cars waiting at the gate at the end of the runway when we got there, as they don’t open until 6:30am. 

Kealia Trail

We pulled into the parking lot by the control tower that was quickly filling up already. As we walked to the trailhead that is right across the parking lot, we passed some Boy Scouts that were just waking up and taking down their tents.

Falling rocks

There are 19 switchbacks going up the face of the mountain. This all made for slow and steady climbing on the trail that was littered with boulders of all shapes and sizes, I guess that’s what the earlier sign meant by “falling rocks.”

Picnic table

The picnic table marks the end of Kealia trail. We stopped for a spell to gulp water down and chowed down on power bars.

Kuaokala Trail

From here on we were hiking on the red dirt roads of Kuaokala Trail. We turned right at the first junction which soon led to the Kuaokala Public Hunting Area. Didn’t see any pigs or goats. We turned left at the next junction and another left at the T-junction. We kept to the right at the last junction which led to the lookout.

Lookout point

We made it to this lookout and discovered that somebody had driven their Mercedes SUV all the way up to this point. There was also a campfire pit with a bunch of bottled water next to it. We found out later that somebody had staged it there for a hiking group that was coming from the Kaena Tracking Station side. Now that’s planning!

Makua Valley

We took the trail to the right from the lookout and soon had a nice view of Makua valley which is used by the military for live fire training exercises. Needless to say, it is not advisable to hike down into the valley.

Kaena Tracking Station

It was also at the point in the trail that we met the hikers from the Kaena Tracking Station. They offered to give us a ride back to the airfield if we wanted to follow them back, we thought about it but decided to just go back the way we had come. On second thought, we should have took them up on the offer as who knows when the next time we would be able to visit the Kaena Tracking Station?

Mokuleia and Haleiwa

Coming down the switchbacks, we had sweeping views of Mokuleia and Haleiwa. We also saw skydivers, hang gliders, ultralights and glider planes floating around the airfield. The hike took us about four hours to complete.