Having done Koko Crater to death, it was time to mix it up a bit today. I picked up Glenn from Koko Crater Botanical Gardens and drove around East Oahu to find a suitable place to ascend up the tuff cone from a different approach.

Trailhead

We parked behind Kaiser High School and found a construction road to gain access to the base of Koko Crater.

Ravine

A ravine presented the least resistance to starting our hike. As we hiked deeper into the ravine, resistance presented itself in the form of thick vegetation.

Out of the ravine

Glenn climbing out of the ridge to escape the overgrowth.

Heavy overgrowth

From the frying pan into the fire. More overgrowth.

Kuapa Pond

Looking back at the now diminished Fishpond Wall. Hard to believe it once covered 523 acres. Something had to give way for Henry Kaiser’s suburban vision.

Koko Crater Puka

Looking up at the puka. Hard to find, as most people walk right over it when hiking the rim.

Lepidoptera season

Butterflies were flittering and fluttering all around us.

Litter

Higher up, remnants from the WW2 bunkers were strewn on the slopes.

Splash of color

Purple flowers amidst a sea of green and reddish brown.

Hawaiian Picker

Glenn found what looked like to be an antique bottle. Maybe not. Dirt makes everything look old.

Rock face

Glenn climbing up the “hardest” section of the ridge.

Summit view

The view at the top, looking out towards Diamond Head.

Four legged hiker

Most of the four legged hikers put their two legged owners to shame on the tracks coming up.

Coming up the tracks

Jasmin took the “easy” way coming up the tracks to meet us at the top.

The less traveled path

We went down the sheeted rock trail that paralleled the tracks on the left. The tracks were bustling with rush hour hikers, while we had the zipper lane all to ourselves.

Koko Crater

Leaving behind Koholepelepe, the original Hawaiian name for this cinder cone, which translates to traveling vagina or fringed vulva. According to legend, Pele was being pursued by the pig demi-god, Kama-pua’a. Pele’s sister, Kapo sent her traveling vagina to lure Kama-pua’a away so that Pele could escape. Looking at Koko Crater on Google Maps, the resemblance to the Hawaiian name is obvious.

Koko Head Shooting Complex

Glenn had someplace to go and Jasmin was tired from her night work. I continued the hike solo by dropping behind the shooting range and followed the highway out.

49er ridge

I soon climbed up a spur ridge dubbed “49er ridge”, this is the same spot where the lava tube goes underneath the road and out to the rugged and rocky shoreline.

Trees, but no shade

The lower part of the ridge was covered by thickets of hard and sharp trees.

Hot, hot, hot

It was a scorcher of a day on the slopes of Koko Crater.

Rock dike

This section reminded me of the arch, but without the arch.

Looking back

Just one of many ridges that leads up to the crater rim. So many to explore.

Rock caves

Interesting rock caves formed by wind and erosion?

Too close for comfort

Scrambling up the ridge, the loud gun reports from the shooting range seemed uncomfortably close.

Panoramic view

Click here for the larger image.

Going down the rim

Hiking down the open and exposed crater rim.

Panoramic view

Click here for the larger image.

Dropping down into the crater

The crater floor is home to a botanical garden and horse stables. Come for the tracks and stay for the trees and horses.

Koko Crater GPS Tracks

The fun, short and hot hike covered 3.83 miles. Many more spur ridges and caves to explore on the crater.

I joined Will and Chris on a slightly different route up Koholepelepe or Koko Crater Rim today.

Free admission

Instead of starting from the end of the rim, we were going to take a “shortcut” and go up from the spur ridge that was inside the crater.

Spur ridge

The spur ridge is quite noticeable once you look for it past the stripped tree tops. The waning moon was still visible as well.

Nature call

Not often that you find one of these on a hiking trail. Luckily we were in the middle of a botanical garden.

Equipment shed

We soon passed a equipment shed on our left, indicating that we were on the right trail. Thanks to Baron for the directions and idea.

Balls of cacti

If you see this, you have gone too far. Turn around.

Bushwhack time

The base of the ridge is just a stones throw from the equipment shed. Not really bushwhacking, but watch out for the sharp as steel cacti lurking in the tall grass. It hurts like a bee and then some.

Out of the bushes

Now we can see where we are going.

Time to go up

There was nothing tricky or technical with this ridge.

Still going up

Basic scrambling up a nicely inclined ridge.

Slab section

I took a shine to this spur ridge and will use this route when traversing the crater rim in the future.

Made it to the rim

Gusty winds greeted us at the top of the rim.

Watch your step

Dragon Fruit Cacti are in abundance on this section of the rim. Fruiting season occurs June to December.

Climbing up

Chris trying out his climbing skills. For those less inclined, the rim can be contoured on the left on fairly level ground. Photo by Will Lee.

Traffic jam

As we neared the summit, we met another group coming down. Who yields? The one that seizes the opportunity to pass the gap.

Photo bombed

The winds were making for a bad hair day.

Waiting our turn

Great town views at 1,208 feet high. Group photo left to right: Chris, myself, and Will.

Traffic jam

Going down the makai or ocean side of the rim, we ran into a couple that had come up from the arch. The crater rim seems to be getting a lot more traffic lately.

Elusive puka

Looking across the crater floor to see that puka or hole in the rim that I have yet to see up close.

Halona blowhole

The Halona Blowhole parking lot was surprisingly open, considering that this was the weekend.

Easy climbing

The last rock to climb on the rim. After this, it was all downhill.

Going down

We took the left trail down, which sits opposite the spur ridge that we had taken up.

Koko Crater Stables

I don’t think many people realize that there is a horse stable tucked away here.

Now you tell us

Looking back at the trail that we had just descended, we noticed this sign. Oops.

GPS Tracks

By most accounts, Koholepelepe means “traveling vagina” in Hawaiian. The route we had taken today, resembles something that visits said passage. Or is it just my imagination? I think I had too much sun today.