It was a nice hot day to do a ridge in Waianae. Met up with Chris and Gen in Nanakuli at the trailhead.

Morning shade

We scrambled up through the dry brush and scattered rocks with the ridge providing temporary shade from the withering Waianae sun.

Northwest ridge

Climbing up the shorter but steeper route. Shaved half a mile. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Morning sun

The elevation gain also came with the loss of the morning shade. Good morning Waianae.

Buddha has left the mountain

Group photo at the 1,870′ summit of Heleakala, left to right: Gen, myself and Chris.

Going down

Dipping into the saddle to shed 1,000′ of elevation.

Going up

Just like those fad diets, we gained all of the 1,000′ elevation back and then some.

Watering hole

No twerking bees here. Move along.

Rocky climb

It was a rocky rollercoaster ride up and down the ridge.

Getting hot

Time to slather liberal amounts of sunscreen on our exposed epidermis.

Lualualei Valley

Looking into the largest coastal valley on the Leeward coast.

Panoramic view

Click here for the larger image.

Climbing down

Going down one rock at a time.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Lucky she was a southpaw. Still had three fingers and the hook of her elbow. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

False summit ahead

Plunging ahead into overgrowth country.

Contouring

The exposed rocks intermittently broke up the continuity of the overgrowth.

Where’s that rope?

The main rock obstacle on the ridge. We had actually spotted a rope on the right side as we approached it through the overgrowth but lost sight of it and went up the hard way. No rope. Character building. Dislocated thumb. More character building.

More rock climbing

I’d rather deal with climbing rocks than thick overgrowth any day.

I don’t need help

Color me impressed. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Looking back

The hardest part of the ridge was behind us. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Tangled branches

Ducking and weaving.

Summit ahead

The ridge soon leveled out and became more exposed as we neared the summit.

WST

We climbed over the fence to mark our arrival at the 3,035′ point on the Waianae Summit Trail.

Follow the fence

After eating our lunch, we followed the steps and fence back down.

Broken step

Somebody needs to lose weight. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Central view

Soaking in one of the many views along the ridge.

Close the gate

Leaving the Palehua Nature Preserve.

Headed out

Passing the rock passage. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Scenic point

Time to bust out the selfie stick again. Make that plural.

Climb that tree

That tree was made for sitting.

Indiana Jones Boulders

Hoping not to get rolled over. Photo by Chris Bautista.

Heleakala ridge

The ridge was filled with cardio climbing and rock scrambling. Throw in some heat for good measure, tempered with weak winds.

Switchbacks

One coming. One going.

Bamboo forest

Funny finding bamboo grass on the West side.

Back to civilization

Walking down to the communication towers. The end of the hiking trail and the start of the road trail. Photo by Chris Bautista.

The long road out

The long winding road went down five miles past lettered lots, Camp Timberline and assorted wildlife, fenced and free range.

GPS Tracks

The hot and scenic hike covered 9.59 miles. Post hike meal at Outback. No prime rib? Chopped steak for me.

Rain kept me off the mountains. Again. Plan B. Despite assurances from a hunter at the Manana trailhead, that it only rains in the morning, we all piled into Jose’s car and drove to the West side looking for a dry trail to hike.

Westside Pavilion

We soon found ourselves roughly two miles deep on Lualualei Naval Road in Nanakuli, where we parked outside Westside Pavilion, a party venue. If one has the proper military clearances, the road goes all the way to Kolekole Pass and beyond. A somewhat suspicious caretaker swung by and quizzed us as to what we were doing and if we worked in the insurance or law enforcement fields. Hiking was our reply. His parting advice to us was “Lock your car as this is Waianae.” Sound advice anywhere.

Trailhead

The trailhead is across the street and easily gained by climbing up a concrete wall and squeezing in between a barbed wire fence.

Where is the trail?

We followed the faint foot trail in the dry grass and kiawe trees.

Heiau?

Going up the rocky slope, we skirted the remains of a rock wall. Perhaps it was once part of a heiau?

Scrambling

The trail going up the northern ridge is somewhat obvious, punctuated with faded ribbons that marks the path.

Two more humps

Going up the somewhat steep ridge provided a cardio wake up and several rock faces sprinkled along the way were easily climbed thanks to numerous handholds and footholds.

Can you see the rainbow?

Rain made a quick show in Lualualei Valley and a rainbow soon appeared over the coastline, washed out by the strong Waianae sun.

Maui!

Passing the second false peak, the triangular face of the adjacent ridge which bears a striking resemblance to a pyramid, popped into view. Heleakala means “where the sun is snared” as the Hawaiian demigod, Maui, caught the sun and slowed her down so that his mother’s bark cloth would have more time to dry.

One more hump to go

Thessa climbing towards the summit of Pu’u Heleakala.

Pink flowers

As we neared the summit, we left behind the dry shrub, which was replaced by greener vegetation and a profusion of these tiny pink flowers.

Lualualei Valley

Looking down into Lualualei Valley and the Navy’s VLF Antenna Farm that towers over the land at 1,503′.

Hawaiian Pyramid

Jose pointing to the ridge commonly called the “Hawaiian Pyramid” for obvious reasons. As one climbs higher, the perspective changes and it looks less like a pyramid and more of a ridge.

Pu’u Heleakala

Group photo at the 1,900′ summit left to right: Jose, Brian, Thessa and myself. I heard that a Buddha statue once marked the summit, Buddha was nowhere to be seen.

The trail to Palikea

Looking towards the 1,000′ drop to the saddle and the 1,200′ climb back up towards the pyramid ridge. The ridgeline continues to Palikea and Palehua if one so wishes. Today we had no such wish. Another hike for another day.

Going down

We decided to take the gradually sloped southern ridge, which splits Nanakuli and Lualualei Valleys, back down.

Baby mantis

Jose found this tiny critter, which was about the size of a grain of rice. Thank goodness for macro capability in cameras.

Raining in the ocean

Looking out towards the ocean, we saw several rainclouds. Recycling in action.

Looking back

The summit of Pu’u Heleakala is easily gained and easily lost. The hike seemed too easy to be true.

Henry Guevara, we meet again

Coming down the ridge, we ran across this base that had “Henry Guevara” tagged on it. Apparently, he had just died a week earlier as his ashes are hanging on a tree at the summit, perhaps this was his favorite trail. Luckily, Brian did not sit in the ashes, like the last time on Olomana. Inside joke.

Down to the pillbox

We started descending down from the ridge before the residential housing area and towards this white topped pillbox.

No vacancy

The pillbox was taken, in terms of occupancy, by homeless people as their camp was located nearby.

Trail out

Walking back towards the road with Puu o Hulu Kai and Uka in the background.

Following the tracks

Remnants of railroad tracks that once crisscrossed the island.

Emergency Access

The road to nowhere? Photo by Thessa Bugay.

Is the coast clear?

Thessa hamming it up. No palm trees were taken or harmed during the photographing of this event.

GPS Tracks

Our dry hike in Nanakuli was a short and sweet 3.9 miles, as compared to a wet and long muddy hike if we had stuck with the original plan on going from Manana to Waimalu.