May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. What better way to spend St. Patrick’s Day than in the verdant mountains of the Ko’olau’s? Now if we only had a Patrick with us. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Poamoho Road

Met up with the group at Allison’s house where we then shuttled to the trailhead, where Chris inspected a Volvo parked on the side. Safe but no 4×4 capability. Let’s just wait for Olivier.

Truck selfie

Somebody wanted a group photo on the bumpy road, so I fished my GoPro out of my backpack and obliged with this very clear and detailed picture.

Stranger danger

You can’t sweet talk us lady, you’re still not riding in the cab with us.

Trailhead

Hunters were unloading their dogs near the trail sign, so we stayed back just in case any of us reeked of swine stench. Group photo by Olivier Rojas, left to right: Chris, Allison, Laredo, Ani, Janell and myself. Mahalo to Olivier for the ride up the jeep road.

Poamoho Trail

Laredo peeled off his jacket, so my brain finally registered that rainbow man was hiking with us.

Poamoho Trail

Heading into the gulch.

Poamoho Summit

We were greeted at the 2,520′ hump with piercing sun beams and suspended pollution particles that muted the mountains and valleys below us.

Poamoho Summit

Hanging a right at the Cline memorial to begin our trek on the KST.

Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST)

Opening the gate to where the country is still country. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

KST

Contouring below the fence line as the views continued to stay with us. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

Some of us took the fence line while others took the original KST, but we all ended up in the same place.

KST

Laredo opening the gate for the ladies.

KST

Following the trail as it bended its way through the mountains.

KST

Making our way through the rolling terrain dotted by ohia trees in varying states of decay and growth.

Boot Junction

I always wondered who left the boot here?

KST

No fence sitters here. We all know where we are going.

KST

Panoramic view of the mountains and valleys below us. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

KST

Leaving the fenced meadows behind us. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

Hiking on the fenced periphery of the native plants. Photo by Chris Bautista

KST

Chris spotted a native lobelia jutting out from the side of the cliff below us, its isolated existence shelters it from close contact.

KST

One of many short ups and downs, helped or hindered by the fence line? Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

The girls crossing over another gate in the fence line. Keep to the left to our destination. Keep to the right to explore.

Opae’ula Cabin

Looking at the four star hotel in the distance.

KST

Janell’s baptism by mud. She took it like a champ.

Junction

Somebody doesn’t look too happy.

KST

Hopping over the gate to continue our hike on the muddy trail. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

KST

The group meandering their way through the mountains.

Papali Junction

Time to leave the KST.

Mud pits

Some of us chose to cling to the fence, while others gave the gift that keeps on giving a wide berth.

Castle Falls

We hopped the fence to catch a glimpse of the waterfalls that always seems to be flowing.

Papali Trail

Checking out the coastline views.

Castle Junction

Going off the reservation or was it the other way around? Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Castle Trail

Allison and Laredo coming down the trail who were easily identified by the bright white shirt and bare skin.

Castle Trail

Janell snacking on the leaf base of the ubiquitous uki grass.

Castle Trail

Heading down into the hanging valley. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Castle Trail

Passing through a clump of moss-ified trees.

Castle Trail

The trail down was peppered with miniature landslides and blowdowns that textured the terrain.

Castle Trail

Random trail meetings. Photos by Chris Bautista.

Kaluanui Stream

Standing in the stream that collects and cascades down multiple waterfalls before terminating at Kaliuwa’a Falls.

Kaluanui Stream

Stream life.

Kaluanui Shelter

I wonder if this shelter is built near the original redwood framed tin roofed cabin that was established in the 1930s?

Kaluanui Shelter

Sheltered life.

Castle Trail

Leaving the stream as we climbed up the trail.

Castle Trail

Making our way out of the hanging valley.

Castle Trail

Walking underneath a stand of moss-ified trees.

Castle Trail

The fence line has continued its migratory spread and shows no sign of slowing down.

Castle Trail

Passing through the notch on our way down.

Castle Trail

Bushwhacking our way down the Pig God trail.

Castle Trail

“The finest view on the island if it doesn’t rain, only it always rains.” 1946 HTMC schedule. Today it didn’t rain. Photo by Allison Banks.

Castle Trail

We cut out a lot of the vegetation choked switchbacks by going straight down a spur ridge. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Castle Trail

Looking back at the notch in the mountains.

Castle Trail

Somebody’s skin seemed impervious to all that clawing and intrusive overgrowth.

Castle Trail

Looking for a four leaf clover in all the wrong colors and genus.

Castle Trail

The ridge eventually petered out and returned us to the overgrown switchbacks.

Castle Trail

Crossing over one of multiple boulder strewn runoffs from the mountain.

Castle Trail

Tree huggers are proliferating on these trails like so many strawberry guava trees. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Castle Trail

Heading down into the valley that once was golden colored from all the rice paddies that were once tilled by Chinese immigrants.

Punalu’u Valley

Speak softly and carry a big stick, especially when there are loose dogs running around and you go down the wrong road. Photo by Chris Bautista.

All pau

Janell doing her best impersonation of a speed bump. Many thanks to Jasmin and Quan for picking us up.

GPS Tracks

Somebody’s dream hike covered 14.2 miles through verdant mountains, muddy trails and lush valleys. Fun hike with a great group. Post hike meal at El Chile Relleno where they still give unlimited chips and salsa.

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.

Met up with Chris, Derek, Ethan, Glenn, Huckett, Kristina, Stuart and Tina to take a walk where the country is still country. The rugged Northern Ko’olaus.

Trailhead

Have permits, will hike.

Laie Trail

The group making their way over the eroded trail section. A dirt biker’s paradise.

Laie Trail

The sun washing over the group coming up the dirt road. Photo by Derek Potter.

Laie Trail

Root level with the grove of Norfolk Pine Trees. The technical start of the trail. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Laie Trail

Glenn popping out of the corridor of strawberry guava trees and into the sunlight.

Laie Trail

We followed the graded ridge trail as the invasive forest slowly switched to mostly endemic forest.

Laie Trail

Crossing the Ko’olau Summit Trail to get to the top. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Laie Summit

Summit view at 2,240′ overlooking the town of Laie. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

Laie Summit

Group photo at the foxhole, left to right: Ethan, Kristina, Stuart, Glenn, myself, Derek, Tina, Huckett and Chris.

KST

The summit air was chilly, so it was time to walk it off.

KST

A study in contrasts. Native loulu palm trees dotted the mountains, while invasive wind turbines populated the hills of Kahuku. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

KST

Crossing the bowl shaped depression to eventually meet up …

KST

… with the familiar fence.

KST

Looking back.

KST

Coming around the bend. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

KST

Mud up to your ankles was promised. And delivered. And then some. Photo by Ethan Clavecillas.

KST

Open country. Fenced country.

KST

Why did the hikers cross the fence? To get to the cabin.

Koloa Cabin

Cabin life. Boarded. Dental hygiene is the key to a happy mouth.

Koloa Cabin

Group photo at the cabin. Taking a photographic memory as the cabin log is gone, so we couldn’t leave any written memories behind.

KST

Picking up the trail from where we left off.

KST

Climbing into and out of a small notch. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

Passing the rope that lead to somewhere. We were not going somewhere.

KST

The group crossing through a small meadow.

KST

The trail meandered to the Windward side …

KST

… and back to the Leeward side.

KST

Almost to the home stretch. But first, another stretch of mud. Photo by Chris Bautista.

KST

End to end views of the rugged Waianae Mountain Range.

KST

Almost there. See the fence?

Papali Junction

Group photo at the rubber slippah junction. Rumor has it that a certain king lost a pair in this same area.

Papali Ridge

Only two hours to the valley floor. Right Chris?

Papali Ridge

Just when Tina thought she left the mud all behind her. Think again. Knee deep mud.

Papali Ridge

Looking down the ridge. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Papali Ridge

The unabated fencing of the mountains continues.

Castle Falls

Just follow your ears.

Papali Ridge

When the fence becomes a ladder. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Castle Junction

Hold that gate.

Castle Trail

Passing clumps of mossy covered trees as we made our way down the trail.

Castle Trail

Leap of faith. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Castle Trail

The trail soon dumped us into the cold and clear waters of Kaluanui Stream.

Kaluanui Stream

Stream life. Washing. Drinking. Tenting. Eating.

Kaluanui Stream

Group photo at the stream that feeds Sacred Falls.

Kaluanui Stream

Tour helicopters buzzing overhead us. Nothing to see here. Fly along folks. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Castle Trail

Huckett passing through the notch. What notch?

Castle Trail

We all had to pause and soak in the stunning valley views. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Castle Trail

Looking back. See the notch?

Castle Trail

Making our way down the spur ridge that cut out most of the middle man switchbacks.

Castle Trail

So, that’s what they call it. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

Castle Trail

Stuart making his down the mostly cleared trail.

Castle Trail

The detour stops here.

Castle Trail

Tina walking along the fern draped cliff.

Castle Trail

Avocado pickers, Chris and Derek, climbed and harvested a mountain souvenir for each of us. It was delish.

Castle Trail

Passing over a landslide area.

Castle Trail

Walking through a corridor of strawberry guava trees.

Castle Trail

What hike wouldn’t be complete without wading through a patch of uluhe ferns? Exactly.

Castle Trail

The long road out of the valley that was made short …

Castle Trail

… by a pick up truck. Photo by Stuart Krempin.

All pau

Thanks to the friendly farmer that gave us a lift out of the valley.

GPS Tracks

Our country hike covered 17.64 miles over some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain to be found in the mountains. Great grinder with a great group. Post hike meal at North Shore Tacos. Beats the run to the border any day.

Note: I have been made aware the 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.

I met up with Gen, Glenn, Jose and Justin to do some exploring on the North Shore. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trailhead

We passed the revolving graffiti wall on our way to the Ma’akua Ridge Trail.

Sunrise

The sun breaking over the town of Hauula.

Bench

Group photo by Justin Hirako, left to right: Jose, Gen, Justin, Glenn and myself.

Papali Ridge

We left the loop trail and headed up the ridge.

Rope Log

There were no rope and no log. What the heck is this thing?

Papali Ridge

The trail started like a typical ridge hike, multiple short ups …

Papali Ridge

… and downs.

Papali Ridge

The trail was surprisingly clear. The uluhell was only ankle high. Ankle biters.

Papali Ridge

Spoke too soon. Glenn wading through waist high uluhell.

Coastal view

Looking back at the coastal communities of Hauula, Laie and Kahuku.

Papali Ridge

Group photo at the Papali junction. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail snacks

Gen munching on uki grass. A good source of dietary fiber.

Papali Ridge

Justin approaching the saddle.

Papali Ridge

Ferns and fungus growing out of a fallen tree.

Mountain of dreams

Dirty yoga. Wrong in so many ways. Photos by Justin Hirako.

Papali Ridge

The ridge became a steady chore going up.

Papali Ridge

Justin and Glenn making their way up.

Ridges and Valleys

We soon noticed a fresh looking cut trail going down into the valley.

Costco Hot Dog

Glenn sucking down the mustard like there’s no tomorrow to combat his cramps.

Trail Junction

A sign pointed to the trail we had just been checking out from the top of the ridge.

Trail

The trail looked like it had been recently cleared. Lucky us.

Bare Tree

A lonely tree shorn of its leaves.

Moss Trees

The trail switch backed through a forest of moss covered trees.

Leap of faith

One had no faith. One went blindly. One went with eyes wide open.

Trail

Gen and Jose checking out the stream below the trail.

Kaluanui Stream

White hibiscus lined the banks of the stream.

Kaluanui Stream

Group photo by Justin Hirako.

Kaluanui Stream

We dumped our packs and decided to do some exploring.

Kaluanui Stream

Glenn rock hopping down the stream.

Kaluanui Stream

What’s around the corner?

Waterfall

Waterfall! Photo by Justin Hirako.

Tours

Helicopters frequently buzzed the valley during our short stay. We waved. They waved back.

Waterfall

Noticed a couple of old rappelling anchors at the top. No ropes. No rappel.

Waterfall

We contoured our way down to the base of the waterfall. Group photo by Justin Hirako. Hey, where did the other two go?

Kaluanui Stream

If only we had more time to explore downstream.

Sunning

We made our way back upstream to find Jose sleeping soundly on a rock. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail

We refilled our camelbacks from the stream and picked up the trail on the opposite side of the banks.

Construction

Stopped to check out the site of a future cabin? Group photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail

Leaving the stream behind us.

Trail

Looking out towards the ocean.

Notch

I can’t go any higher. Something might rip. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Notch

Justin squeezed through horizontally and vertically. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

Punalu’u Valley

Click here for the larger image.

Trail

The trail was completely overgrown with towering pink fringe flower vines. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail

Going under and around strawberry guava trees. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail

Heading down into Punalu’u Valley. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail

Some overgrown sections were so thick that we had to crawl on our hands and knees.

Trail

Justin used sheer momentum and mass to break through.

Trail

Passing underneath a tangled thicket of tree branches. Luckily we didn’t have to go through them.

Trail

Between a hard rock wall and a drop off. Walk carefully.

Detour

Looked like a section of the original trail got closed down. Possibly due to a landslide?

Detour

Gen going down the detour trail.

Trail

The detour trail soon dropped us back to the switchbacks.

Road

We followed the sign that pointed to a road further down. Talk about taking a spur ridge down instead, dissipated with the fact that darkness would soon cover us and we didn’t know the lay of the land.

Trail

Gen wading through head high uluhell.

Trail

Flower girl.

Trail

Glenn making his way under and over thickets of tree branches. That road can’t come soon enough.

All pau

We made our way down off the ridge, passed through the valley populated with farms and palatial houses until we popped out on the road. Photo by Justin Hirako.

GPS Tracks

Our hiking mileage varied, depending on whose tracking app you asked, 9.85 or 11.01 miles. Either way, it was quite an epic day hiking in the mountains with a fun crew. We even had a “valet” that was watching our truck. Glenn gave him some cash and a job referral for his “troubles.” Post hike meal at Zippy’s.

Chris took Jasmin and myself to what many would argue is the island’s most impressive waterfall – Kaliuwa’a Falls, located between Hau’ula and Punalu’u.

Nice day at the beach

It was also a beautiful day to be basking or swimming at the beach, but we were chasing a waterfall today. Photo by Chris Hiona.

Follow the trail

We followed the trail into the eerily empty park.

Passing the Board of Water Pumping Station

The only other soul we had for company was a BOW (Board of Water) employee that came to check the pumping station in the park.

Take the left fork

We followed the gravel road as it turned left towards the valley.

Headed into the valley

The gravel road turned into a grassy trail as we headed deeper towards the valley.

First stream crossing

Pushing through the chest high grass, we came across the first stream crossing.

Boulder road

We passed through several large boulders wedged against each other. There was also a smaller area above the boulders that looked like home for one or several pu’a or pigs. This valley is also associated with the Hawaiian demigod known as Kamapua’a, who was half-pig and half-man.

Follow the stream

We paralleled Kaluanui stream on the well-trodden path.

Second stream crossing

Looking across the stream, we saw a rope tied on a tree branch that served as a trail marker to cross over to continue the trail. The waters were relatively calm and shallow, which made for safe passage. Not safe crossing during and after heavy rains, as it would turn the stream into a flash flood of whitewater.

Pohaku laulau

Further down the trail, we came across a boulder with a pile of naked rocks and pohaku laulau (rocks wrapped in ti leaves). Some critics argue that wrapping ti leaves around rocks and offering them as prayers or offerings, is a corruption of the practice of  Ho’okupu where Hawaiians wrap ti leaves around real food and not rocks, as offerings.

Claustrophobic?

 We came to the point where the valley walls significantly narrowed to claustrophobic proportions.

Dry chute

A trickle of water coming down this otherwise massive dry waterfall chute.

Close

 We walked around the chute and saw the falls up ahead, along with tour choppers buzzing overhead.

Closer

If it wasn’t for the annoying sound of the choppers interrupting the atmosphere and ambience of the waterfalls, it would have been picture perfect.

Close enough

Another concern was that the sound from the helicopters were being amplified by the narrow canyon and ping ponging off the canyon walls, something that could trigger rock slides. Not good, especially in a confined space where there was no room to run.

Kaliuwa’a Falls

Group photo at Kaliuwa’a Falls left to right: Jasmin, myself and Chris. See all the assorted size rocks on the ground? It came from somewhere. Up.

Two waterfalls

 I managed to catch a second, smaller waterfall that was cascading down the left canyon wall.

The way out

Leaving the narrow canyon that was indeed home to an impressive waterfall. Photo by Chris Hiona.

Park closed

As we made our way back out to Kamehameha Highway, signs that we somehow missed coming in stated that the park was closed and hefty fines was the punishment. Oops. Upon doing some research, Kaliuwa’a Falls which is better known as Sacred Falls, was the scene of a rockslide back in 1999 that claimed eight lives and injured 50+ others. The State shut down the park and falls several days later and remains closed to the public.