Somebody requested to hike the highest point on the island for his birthday hike. Thanks to Maureen for dropping Analyn, James, Ryan, Shirley and myself off deep in Waianae valley.

Trailhead

Four pairs of shoes and one pair of slippers hit the much reviled road.

Balut

From a fertilized egg to a sun bleached pig skull.

Waianae Ka’ala Trail

Reading with pictures.

Waianae Ka’ala Trail

We soon left the valley floor and started to make our way up the steep hill.

Waianae Ka’ala Trail

Looking up the rooted and leaf carpeted trail.

Waianae Ka’ala Trail

Yoga on the trail. Bring your own tree branch.

Three Poles

Will the real Bolohead please stand up?

Valley views

Seeing double which meant twice the photo shoots. Photo by Analyn Baliscao.

Waianae Ka’ala Trail

Following the fence line which soon yielded to …

Boulders

… assorted rocks of various sizes …

Boulders

… that we climbed up and over them.

Waianae Ka’ala Trail

James climbing up the steep, rock studded trail.

Waianae Ka’ala Trail

Ryan making his way up.

Ka’ala Natural Area Reserve

Established in 1981 to protect the diverse ecosystem found on this often cloud soaked flat summit.

Boardwalk

Walking through the mostly stunted native forest.

Lehua

Dew kissed lehua blossom. Hoping that rain will not kiss us on the hike today. Photo by Ryan Wong.

Mount Ka’ala

We soon saw the radar dome which signaled the end of the boardwalk.

Making a wish

Blowing the candle out before the wind does it. Happy Birthday James!

Mount Ka’ala

Group photo left to right: Analyn, Shirley, myself, James and Ryan.

Mount Ka’ala

Seeing double is usually a scary experience. Just ask Analyn.

Mount Ka’ala

Overlooking the North Shore towns of Mokuleia and Waialua. Photo by Ryan Wong.

Mount Ka’ala

Leaving the 4,025′ summit.

Optical illusion

Why is my phone making the photo circular? Smart phone problems. Photo by James Crabb.

Sumida Watercress Farm

Analyn picking the dark, leafy greens from the side of the road. Better than Farmer’s Market.

Weeping Wall

Cooling off from the humidity drenched day.

HFD

We saw the yellow bird circling the summit, looking for passengers?

Panoramic view

It was another nice day to be on the West side.

King Kong Ridge

Heading down the ridge.

King Kong Ridge

James and Ryan making their way down, mindful of the false holes.

King Kong Ridge

Squeezing myself in between the trees and the mountain. Photo by James Crabb.

King Kong Ridge

I wonder how long this webbing has been here? Still holding up.

King Kong Ridge

Shirley and Ryan coming down from the contour around the knob. Photo by Analyn Baliscao

King Kong Ridge

Hikers on the right, Kong on the left. Photo by Ryan Wong

Yellowjackets

The three victims of riled up social wasps. Analyn and I escaped unscathed, due to our lack of sweetness.

King Kong

No room for Ryan at the top.

King Kong

Shirley climbing her way down.

King Kong

Group photo on the shoulder.

King Kong Ridge

Heading back down the ridge after our photo shoot that was filled with bees and multiple re-takes.

Kahuna Cave

Approaching the larger than life boulders standing on the ridge.

Kahuna Cave

Hanging out with the mosquitoes. No yellowjackets allowed.

Strawberry Guava

Threading our way through the densely packed invasive trees.

Post hike meal

Cooking up strawberry guavas, wild mushroom and leaves with my imagination. Going be here for a long time.

Mango Tree

No stone fruits were ready to be picked today.

Streambed

Crossing one of three streambeds in the valley.

Avocado Tree

Ask and you shall receive. It also helps that Ryan threw rocks in the trees to scatter and shower the ground with the buttery berries. Yes, the avocado is botanically considered a berry.

Makaha Icy Ponds?

It was close enough for Ryan to cool off.

California Grass

We were in over our heads wading through the invasive and itchy grass.

Kane’aki Heiau

Analyn standing in front of one of Oahu’s best preserved and restored Hawaiian temples; thought to have been originally built in the 15th century and dedicated to Lono; the God of agriculture, fertility and rainfall.

Trail

Walking through the valley as we passed a farmer tilling her plot. Photo by James Crabb.

Road

Leaving the recently burnt valley that is nicely bouncing back.

All pau

Our valley to valley hike covered 9.6 miles with new and old friends. Mahalo to Chris for picking us up and saving us from the peacocks. Post hike meal at Thai Lao. Family style. Hold the seafood.

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.