It seems to have fallen out of favor to celebrate Christmas on the hardest hike on the island, so we decided to do our interpretation of the island classic of the song written by Eaton “Bob” Magoon, Ed Kenney and Gordon Phelps in 1959.

Waiahole

Numbah one day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
One Woodstock in one papaya tree

The papaya was introduced to Hawaii in the 1820s by the Spanish explorer turned horticulturist, Don Francisco de Paula Marin.

Punalu’u

Swing and smoke break. This was hard work.

Kaneohe

Numbah two day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
Two coconuts

Early coconuts were brought to the islands by Polynesian voyagers arriving from Tahiti, they are not native to Hawaii. The only native palm trees are the Loulu, found mostly in the Ko’olau Mountain Range.

Hau’ula

Numbah three day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
Three dried squid

This chewy snack was likely introduced by Korean immigrants in the early 1900s.

Aliamanu

Will the real Santa please shaka? Santa Claus first appeared in Hawaii in 1858 along with the first Christmas tree at Washington Place.

Aliamanu

Numbah four day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
Four flower leis

The early Hawaiian settlers brought the craft and tradition of lei making to the islands with them. Today the lei comes in many forms besides flowers, shells, nuts, feathers, money, candy and polyester.

Aliamanu

Numbah five day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
five stuffed pigs

The hogs were imported to the islands by the early Polynesians, most likely over 800 years ago. One manifestation of the pig is the Hawaiian god, Kamapua’a who could change his forms to suit his wishes.

Haleiwa

Numbah six day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
six uncoordinated hula dancers

In the absence of a written language, hula developed to pass the cultural knowledge embodied in stories and dances from generation to generation. Protestant missionaries tried to ban hula as they considered them a form of paganism. Then it survived as a tourist attraction until The Merrie Monarch started in 1964, where it started to get back to its roots.

Haleiwa

Somebody got their birthday cupcake early. Early Christmas.

Kahuku

Numbah seven day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
seven shrimps a swimming
into our mouths

Having our “not have to wait 90 minutes” shrimp lunch at the famous graffiti-covered white truck that supposedly started the garlic shrimp plate lunch back in 1993. The first signature on the truck was by a Ed Hernandez from El Paso, TX in 1994. In 2001, the truck was involved in an armed extortion attempt where the co-owner tried to force the other partner to sell and sign over his interest in the truck. It did not succeed and she was sent to jail.

Aliamanu

Numbah eight day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
eight out of tune ukulele players
calling Jake Shimabukuro

The history of the ukulele originated in 1879 when three Portuguese immigrants, Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias, and Jose do Espirito Santo brought with them a small guitar called the braguinha to the islands. The instrument was soon modified to suit local tastes.

Hau’ula

Numbah nine day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
nine bags of sour poi

Made from the root of the taro plant that came from the Marquesas Islands and eventually became a sacred and staple dish for the Hawaiians. In 1911, the BOH temporarily banned poi as they believed it started a cholera outbreak.

Hau’ula

Numbah ten day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
ten bottles of beer

The first recorded brewing of beer in Hawaii occurred in 1812 by Don Francisco de Paula Marin, the same individual that brought papaya to the islands among other things. The most famous beer to come out of Hawaii was Primo Lager in 1901, production was moved to the mainland in 1963 but the beer now produced by Pabst can still be found in stores.

Laie

Numbah eleven day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
eleven missionaries

The first boatload of missionaries arrived in 1820 to spread Christianity and “civilize” the Hawaiian population. Hiram Bingham was the leader of the first wave of missionaries that would forever change the landscape of the islands, for good and bad. His grandson, Hiram Bigham III, became an explorer who “discovered” Machu Picchu and brought it to the attention of the known world at the time.

Aliamanu

Numbah twelve day of Christmas
My Unko gave to me
twelve televisions
on layaway

“Hello Everybody. Welcome to the first official broadcast of KGMB-TV.” Those words ushered in the age of the television to the islands on December 1, 1952. 5:04PM. Four minutes late. Hawaiian time.

Mahalos to Chico and Ferlino for dragging us around the island in their sleds. Easy and fun day.

Photos taken by Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, Ferlino Carinio, Jasmin Nepomuceno, Roseann Fai, Tessa Bugay, Val Wang 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 Kamehameha Day doing our perimeter walk #5 around the island.

Kualoa Park

Early hiker gets the sunrise view.

Kualoa Park

Aida, Mari, Tess and myself boarded the bus as the others failed to wake up or became ill.

Kahuku

We got off the bus, checked out some wood carvings and pushed off on our walk.

Kahuku

Passing by shrubs of naupaka with their distinctive lower half flowers. The other upper half flowers live in the mountains. Hawaiian folklore spins it as lovers separated by a jealous god.

Kahuku

The golf ball originally started out as a wooden ball, then leather balls filled with cows’ hair, then leather pouches filled with chicken or goose feathers, then balls made from dried sap from the Malaysian sapodilla tree, then rubber thread wound into a ball covered by sap from the balata tree, and finally the modern golf ball we know today which is made from polymer blends.

Turtle Bay Golf

Good morning from the Rank Amateurs. What a day this is going to be. The early start with the unknown, straight off the streets, the skies are a canvas of colors, the air is thick with anticipation. The putt for birdie.

Turtle Bay Golf

He made the shot with his hybrid shaft topped with a MAX 360 head. The crowd of two was nonplussed at the display of low level athletic ability. He flashed the shaka, which supposedly has its origins with a Kahuku Sugar Mill worker who lost his three middle fingers and would wave his disfigured hand at kids who soon imitated him.

Turtle Bay Golf

Got my first yellow shirt. I’m going to Disneyland!

Turtle Bay Resort

Standing in front of the sprawling resort that covers 858 acres and was built in 1972 with the intentions of becoming the state’s first legal casino. Needless to say, that didn’t happen as the illegal game rooms continue to flourish in its absence.

Kahuku

Stopped at a fruit and vegetable stand to gawk at the sky high prices and Aida settled on a bag of cut pineapple slices. Where’s the pizza?

Kahuku

Dry run. Flat elevation. Daytime. Easy peasy.

Kahuku

Do they have a walking hiker ranch as well?

Kawela Bay

Looking out towards the offshore islet, Kukaimanini. The place was certainly living up to its name, the heat.

Kahuku

No wonder business is not booming.

Pupukea

Standing in front of what used to be called the Sheepside Skatepark that was in use from 2016-2022. I believe these abandoned buildings were part of the other ruins …

Pupukea

… across the highway. The buildings were part of the Waialee Home for Wayward Boys that was operated by the Hawaii Board of Education from 1906-1947. The mauka buildings were later purchased in 1954 and became the Crawford Convalescent Home, which is supposedly still in operation. The makai buildings were left to rot and return back to Mother Nature.

Kahuku Motocross Track

I didn’t know they added a trail for mopeds.

Pupukea

Passing through a little red pocket in a deeply saturated blue state.

Ted’s Bakery

We had to make a quick stop at this iconic North Shore eatery that has been in business since 1987.

Sunset Beach

Group photo at the two mile beach known as Paumalu in Hawaiian.

Pupukea

Some swung better than others.

Pupukea

Share the path, or they’ll just run you over.

Banzai Pipeline

I’m glad I’m not the only illiterate person on the beach, home to big wave surfing in the winter.

Rock Piles

Passing through another famous surf break.

Pupukea

The girls got their swings, I got my banyan tree.

Pupukea

If the slippah doesn’t fit, you must acquit.

Pupukea

Swinging the day away.

Shark’s Cove

Looking out at the lava beach that is popular with snorkelers and scuba divers due to the myriad of caves and tunnels underneath the water.

Pupukea Beach Park

Taking a bathroom break along with the scuba divers.

Pupukea

Stopping at the oldest and largest supermarket chain in the islands for some cold refreshments.

Three Tables

Looking out at low tide with the exposed flat reef which gives the place its name, is another popular spot with snorkelers and swimmers due to the underwater lava tubes and marine life.

Waimea Bay

The birthplace of big wave surfing. The winter waves were first ridden here in 1957 and the rest is history. During summertime, the waters are calm and clear.

Pupukea

Watching Waimea River drain into Waimea Bay.

Waimea Valley

Across the street was once the valley of the priests that has has since been turned into a tourist attraction showcasing the botanical garden, waterfalls and pool.

Waimea Bay

Watching the swimmers jumping off table rock to make a splash. It’s hard to believe, but a 1928 photo showed the same rock surrounded by sand. Beach erosion is real.

Waimea Bay

Looking back into the bay that was the site of Oahu’s first recorded contact with Europeans back in 1779, after British ships stopped here to get fresh water after the Big Island battle that resulted in Captain Cook’s death.

All pau

Taking a group shoefie while we waited for our bus ride.

GPS Tracks

Our hot as heck hike covered 10.3 miles that was filled with interesting pit stops and with a fun group.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, 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 showers failed to rain on our parade as Aida, Chico, Ferlino, Mari, Tessa and myself started on our fourth perimeter walk.

Kualoa Beach Park

Waiting for the bus as a couple friends failed to wake up in time. The show must go on.

Route 60

Chico catching up on the news.

Chings’ Punaluu Store

Walking on the right side of the road. Or is that the left side?

Punalu’u

Why did the hiker cross the road? To climb a tree.

Kaya’s Store

Sampling the blueberry cheesecake at the family store that was founded in 1946 and started as a hardware and butcher store.

Wat Lao Buddha Sacksith

Praying at entrance to the Laotian Buddhist temple.

Punalu’u

I don’t think there are enough trees in the day for Ferlino to climb them all.

Punalu’u

Bridge walking when there are no sidewalks.

Sacred Falls Park

Taking a photo in front of the park whose trail leads to the now shuttered Sacred Falls. Back on Mother’s Day in 1999, a rockslide killed 8 people and left dozens injured. It has been opined by some that gulch hikes are vastly more dangerous than ridge hike due to the enclosed environment and unpredictable weather and terrain conditions. I am in total agreement. That is why I mostly stick to ridge hiking.

Ching Tong Leong Store

She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are surely sea shells. So if she sells shells on the sea shore, I’m sure she sells seashore shells.

Hau’ula

Tessa testing her balance on the tree.

Hau’ula

Group photo on the coconut tree.

Hau’ula

360 degree view of us coconuts sitting on the tree.

Hau’ula

If you can’t climb onto the tree, might as well hang upside down from it.

Hau’ula

It was time to make like a coconut, and fall out of the tree.

Hau’ula

Somebody needs to get with the program.

Slurpee Stop

Thanks to Chico for the free carbonated frozen beverages first made by the chain back in 1966.

Hau’ula

Passing by a red hibiscus flower that was the original flower of the territory of Hawaii, until 1988 when the yellow flower was designated the official state flower.

Hau’ula

I’m guessing the slurpee didn’t sit well with Chico.

Hau’ula

Passing by one of many wooden carved statues that represent certain figures that in turn represent their mana or power.

Laie

Somebody said it tastes like dirt and besides, it wasn’t the type of free samples he was looking for.

Laie

I thought his last name was Tongi? His first name is actually William. The singing phenom was the first Pacific Islander to win the 2023 American Idol. Priced out of paradise was the reason his family had to move to Washington. Maybe now they can afford to move back.

Laie

Bunch of swingers.

Laie

No open house today. We are not descendants.

Laie

There’s more than one way to husk a coconut.

Polynesian Cultural Center

Posing in front of some tiki statues in front of the tourist attraction that was built in 1963 to promote the Polynesian culture.

Laie

Bathroom break.

Laie Shopping Center

The security guard made sure we operated the shopping cart in a safe manner. No alcohol was involved as this was a “dry” town.

Laie Hawaii Temple

Passing by the first Mormon temple built outside the mainland back in 1919.

Malaekahana Bike Path

Stepping foot on the bike path that links Laie with Kahuku and was built to encourage exercise in the communities and keep people off the roads.

Malaekahana Bike Path

Looking over at the huge 568′ rotating wind turbines that have been a source of controversy due to the hoary bats being killed by them and the close proximity to homes.

Malaekahana Bike Path

The path was long and hot, but at least it kept us out of harms way. No horses came out to play.

Kahuku

Taking a break at the bus stop from the withering heat.

Kahuku

Hello 911? I need to speak to the po … never mind.

Kahuku

The poke was overrated, but the garlic shrimp lived up to its billing.

Kahuku

Admiring a restored VW Beetle that had its origins in Germany when Adolph Hitler instructed Ferdinand Porsche to design and produce a people’s car (volkswagen) back in 1934. The end of WW2 could have spelled the end of the Beetle, had it not been for the British Army that needed cars during the post war era and thus started up the production line to fill the demand.

Kahuku

Group photo next to the train that the termites will eat.

Kahuku

Passing the “other” shrimp place, that a lot of people say taste better than Giovanni’s. Gasp. Blasphemy. Well, depends on who you talk to.

James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge

This area that was established in 1976, protects one of the few remaining wetlands on the island that are home to a host of endemic and endangered marine life. I’m not sure these two are on the list.

All pau

Everybody got three dollars?

McDonald’s

Ending the day with a McDonald’s McFlurry to cool ourselves off.

GPS Tracks

Our hot as heck walk covered 10.3 miles with a fun group.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Chico Cantu, Ferlino Carinio, 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.

Like a gullible fool, I believed the weather forecast for a stormy day and passed on the pass. What can I say? I went to public school.

808randomhikes

Aida, Art, Cathy, Cisco, Edgar, Lilyn, Quan, Sally, Tessa and myself met up on the Windward side to figure out how to fit 10 people into two cars, so that we could carpool around the island. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Maunawili

Our first stop was at the land of discarded shoes. Art diving into the sign as he takes the directions literally. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Maunawili

When a tree falls in the forest … Photo by Art Young.

Maunawili

… it’s much easier to climb it horizontal than vertical. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Maunawili

Walking under the forest canopy. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Maunawili

Touring the abandoned Boyd estate built in 1869.

Maunawili

The home has seen better days since being left to rot back in 1985 and used by B-Listers to re-enact Halloween stories.

Maunawili

The graffiti has run rampant throughout the decaying structure.

Maunawili

Sometimes they come back.

Maunawili

Will the real Queen please take a bath.

Maunawili

Weight capacity has been reached. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Maunawili

See vine. Swing on vine. See vine snap. See idiot fall down. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Maunawili

A colony of fairy inkcaps colonizing the neighborhood. Photo by Art Young.

Maunawili

On the way out, some of us had to answer the call of nature and attempt grade school calisthenics.

Waimanalo

Peeping into a slice of Middle Earth smack dab in the land of potable water. No open house for the hobbit house.

Waimanalo

Let’s see, 3.75 million divided by 10 comes out to empty your bank accounts and take a second job.

Laie

We drove to the land of the Mormons for our next exploration out on the spit of land that juts into the ocean. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Laie

Group photo with some of the five islands in the background that represent the remnants of the giant lizard that was slayed and chopped up by Kana in Hawaiian mythology.

Laie

Playing in the sharp and jagged rocks.

Laie

Deja vu. Lonely. I am Miss Lonely. I have nobody. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Laie

Trying to touch the ocean without getting wet or cut. We left the parking lot where somebody combined a compliment with laziness.

Kahuku

Missed opportunities for some. Lunch time for everybody.

Kahuku

Somebody was so hungry that a dozen garlic smothered shrimp was not enough and had to order another garlic drenched hot dog to top it off.

Waiale’e

We continued our circle island drive and stopped short of Sunset Beach to explore another abandoned building. How many hikers have disappeared here since 1916? Photo by Aida Gordon.

Waiale’e

Walking around the paint splashed ruins.

Waiale’e

Lilyn and Quan playing the instrumentals to their favorite song, “Hold on tight to your dreams.” Photo by Sally Chow.

Waiale’e

Climbing up the tree to see where the noise was coming from. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Waiale’e

The noise was coming from kids playing around in a custom built concrete skate park. Pretty cool.

Waiale’e

When one has a lot of energy, one expends it by climbing up the walls.

Waiale’e

A driver’s worst nightmare. Having a backseat driver and a slow driver in front of them. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Waiale’e

Quan climbing the twisted base to go out on a limb.

Waiale’e

Tree squatters.

Waiale’e

When you try to go fishing with a leaky bucket. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Waiale’e

Somebody was trying to goad me into going further out on a limb. Just hoping for a splash. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Waiale’e

Testing out the seaworthiness before taking our leave of the area. Photo by Sally Chow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGN9n9hISDw

Video by Edgar Gamiao.

Haleiwa

We got treated to free ice cream courtesy of Aida in the bustling art and surf town. Mahalo!

Pearl City

Getting lost in the Mad Max world of abandoned cars and boats and C&C workers cutting grass with equipment that doesn’t work.

Pearl City

We soon found our bearings and got back on the right track. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Pearl City

A bridge too far.

Pearl City

Entering the walled compound of abandoned buildings and stripped cars.

Pearl City

Checking out the first building in the sprawl that used to be a waste water treatment plant.

Pearl City

The rest of the group catching up to us. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Pearl City

Checking out the used car lot.

Pearl City

Edgar climbing up the steps to the second floor.

Pearl City

Looking down into the first floor.

Pearl City

Shitty reflecting pool. Photo by Art Young.

Pearl City

Checking out topside.

Pearl City

Sally going back down. Photo by Art Young.

Pearl City

We kept ourselves easily amused with what we had on hand.

Pearl City

Checking out one of the tanks.

Pearl City

Art dancing through the bushes. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Pearl City

We made our own AAA to get Lilyn’s car out of the muddy rut. It was either that or catch the bus. I didn’t have exact change.

Pearl City

Inside and outside riding through the muddy waters.

https://youtu.be/AOOGWnTKHOQ

Video by Edgar Gamiao.

Pali

Waiting for the #60 bus to take us to our last place on the list. Photo by Tessa Bugay.

Pali

Entering the Indian murals ruins. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Pali

Life imitating art.

Pali

Our last group photo of the day left to right: Edgar, Art, Lilyn, Cathy, Aida, myself, Tessa, Sally, Cisco and Quan.

All pau

Siri, where am I? Hello? Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRif6fP5d0s

Video by Edgar Gamiao.

That concluded our scheduled program of exploring abandoned places and eating all day. Fun times with good friends. Special thanks to Edgar and Lilyn for being our tour drivers all day.

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.