Met up with Alexis, Ani, Analyn, Chris, Ferlino and Lopaka at Moanalua Valley to get back in the saddle.

Moanalua Valley

Swallowed up by the towering California grass and the inkiness of the early morning.

Moanalua Powerline Ridge

Going up the streambed without a hiking stick, we finally found the ridge and starting making our way up.

Moanalua Valley

Looking back at the sun slowly eating the shadows. Nom nom.

Moanalua Powerline Ridge

Making our way to the power lines.

Tripler Ridge

Following the rope to the summit, where we met a couple other hikers that had made it from the Tripler trail.

Tripler Summit

I think we are being photographically segregated at the top. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail (KSRT)

Pushing our way through the moss wrapped trees.

KSRT

Hiking in the clouds. Always a surreal situation. Especially on a skinny ridge.

Kalihi Saddle

Clear on the left. Cracked in the middle. Cloudy on the right.

Kalihi Saddle

Ferlino contouring his way pass the crumbly section. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Kalihi Saddle

Alexis crawling around a boulder solidly anchored in the dirt.

Kalihi Saddle

Lopaka rounding the eroded corner.

Kalihi Saddle

Okay, who wants to go next? Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Kalihi Saddle

Watch out below. I’m coming down!

Kalihi Saddle

Look mom, only one hand and one leg! Don’t try this on the mountains, boys and girls. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Kalihi Saddle

Rope was only being used for photographic purposes. Right? Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Kalihi Saddle

Making our way down past the broken wave.

Kalihi Saddle

Somebody was yelling “I live for this sh*t!”

Rock Triangle #1

Analyn watching Lopaka climb his way down. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Rock Triangle #1

Ferlino at the end of his webbing.

Kalihi Saddle

Slip sliding down the ridge. Photo by Alexis Widick.

Kalihi Saddle

Back to bipedal hiking.

Kalihi Saddle

Hold onto your hat!

Kalihi Saddle

Straddling the saddle. Photo by Alexis Widick.

Rock Triangle #2

Taking the Windward way down. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Rock Triangle #2

Chris making his way down as the wind was whipping the webbing something fierce.

Kalihi Saddle

Scooting and straddling. Photo by Alexis Widick.

Kalihi Saddle

Crawl, scoot, straddle or walk. Pick your poison.

Kalihi Saddle

Somebody needs to get with the program. Photo by Ani Lagpacan.

Kalihi Saddle

The group coming down tabletop rock.

Kalihi Saddle

Straddle, walk, straddle, walk, walk, walk. The sequence was not being followed.

Kalihi Saddle

Single file shuffling. Photo by Ferlino Carinio.

Kalihi Valley

The gusty winds were kicking all sorts of loose plant life in the air, like this floating leaf.

Kalihi Saddle

Everybody wanted a picture on this rock. Photo by Lopaka Hipperson.

Kalihi Saddle

The group approaching the last obstacle on the ridge.

Witch’s Hat

Sizing up the hat. 7 3/4. Photo by Alexis Widick.

Kalihi Saddle

Waiting their turn. Photo by Lopaka Hipperson.

Witch’s Hat

Now if we all had brought broomsticks, the wind could carry us away. Photo by Alexis Widick.

Witch’s Hat

Everybody making their way down the back of Witch’s Hat.

Kalihi Saddle

Almost there.

Kalihi Saddle

Celebrating the end (almost) of our hike by unfurling the flag.

Powerlines

Pop quiz in the mountains, what is Alexis doing to Analyn?
a) trying to slap a mosquito on her butt.
b) deflecting her flatulence towards the group.
c) applying medical tape to her butt.

Powerlines

It was a day of firsts for Alexis. First time doing Kalihi Saddle. First time eating a spam musubi.

Powerlines Trail

Rain showers brought slippery conditions to the stone steps. Pop goes the ankle.

Powerlines Trail

Mahalo to Ferlino for carrying Alexis’s bag and tripod for walking it out.

Powerlines Trail

When a rain jacket just isn’t enough.

All pau

Thanks to Jasmin for picking our group of soggy hikers up on the side of Likelike Highway.

Post hike meal

Fun hike that covered 6.48 miles through ridges and valleys, with new and old friends. Post hike meal at Cattle Company. When ones hunger pangs override the need for pressing medical attention. Group photo left to right: Chris, myself, Ferlino, Jasmin, Alexis, Ani, Lopaka and Analyn. Thanks Ferlino for the meal. Hit the spot.

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.

Today’s hike was to wrap up an unfinished trail. Met up with Bob, Gary, Gen and Glenn deep in Moanalua Valley.

Trailhead

We were here two weeks ago but had to abort the hike due to an alleged fallen hiker. Long story short. He didn’t fall. He was lost. Recovered.

Seven bridges

Crossing the storied arched bridges that harked back to a time when missionary families ruled the land.

Kamananui Valley Trail

Walking into the blinding sun.

Pop-Tart?

Crazy good. Not that crazy. Not that good. Not biting. Leave me alone.

Deep in the valley

We passed the valley and ridge junctions and plunged deeper into the valley to continue our hike.

Marker 17

The flat part was over. Now it was all uphill.

Steady climb

The trail cut a swath through the uluhe ferns. No bushwhacking needed.

Steeper

Bob scrambling up the mountain. Some trail sections required four points of contact.

Looking ahead

Clouds spilling over the Ko’olaus. A harbinger of rain or just cotton candy for the eyes?

Humming

The trail was once used by Hawaiian Electric to service the power lines back in the day.

Waianae Mountains

Looking into Moanalua Valley with the Waianae Mountains in the backdrop.

Bottle capped stakes

The trail soon intersected with the Tripler ridge.

Excuse me

A small group of hikers passed us going the other way. We also saw and yelled at some caveman hikers on the middle ridge going down. Running late.

Ohia lehua

Red lehua flowers populated the ridge going up. Don’t pick them. Too late.

Cloudy

Topped out at the 2,760′ socked in summit. No view. Move along.

HECO trail

Making our way down the somewhat steep and narrow ridge. Look! A view.

Panoramic view

Click here for the larger image.

More power lines

The ridge leveled and expanded as we made our way underneath another power line tower.

Area 51

Bob climbing up towards the defunct radar station.

Jungle gym

Posing with the undertaker. Photo by Genesaret Balladares.

Top of the world

Look at the camera. Everybody.

Last scramble

Climbing up the last hill.

Which way?

Group photo at the Moanalua Middle Ridge junction, left to right: myself, Glenn, Bob, Gen and Gary. Photo by Chris Bautista who we ran into at the junction.

Need a hand?

Gen making her way down past the 2,820′ summit of Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe. Look ma, only one hand!

Calling Tokyo Bay

We arrived at the CCL building just in time. Rain.

Don’t forget Old Glory

The original route was to go down Moanalua Middle Ridge. However, Gen’s injured thumb and rain dictated that we seek the shortest way down. All 3,922 steps.

Slippery when wet

Bob and Glenn descending into the clouds.

Hitchhikers

Several hikers, Chuan and the two Eric’s, took our invitation to follow us down the stairs as the rain changed their mind about returning back down the middle ridge. And they had both thumbs.

Hoist house

Stuck in a building with no roof and rain pouring in. Might as well wait outside.

Windward view

The rain soon stopped and we broke below the cloud deck.

Smile, you’re on Candid Camera

Getting used to my picture being taken. At the bottom. Photo by Bob Tyson.

Platform

One of five landings that breaks the continuity of the stairs.

Tagging

Not OK.

H3

The H3 highway generated just as much, if not more controversy than today’s HART when it was being built in the late 1980s.

Valentine’s Day Massacre

The landslide sent trees, dirt and rocks cascading into a small section of the stairs resulting in twisted steps and handrails.

Landslide

The death of the stairs was greatly exaggerated.

Honk if you’re hiking

We could see the cars on the highway and they could see us.

Coming down

The group making their way down to the bottom section of the stairs, only to be greeted by…

Mr. Anderson I presume?

…the guard who was giving us an earful until we let him know that we had an injured person in our party that necessitated coming down the stairs. Note: Stairways to Heaven or Haiku Stairs is considered private property and the no trespassing rule is strictly enforced with round the clock guards and punitive measures being dished out.

School is in session

The gate was wide open. We simply walked out. The gate is normally closed and laced with barbed wire, sharp stakes and holes meant to deter hikers from accessing the trail.

One day

The other stairway. From hell.

1942 – ?

When will the obituary be published?

GPS Tracks

The valley to the mountain to the stair hike covered 7.57 miles. Post hike meal at Ruby Tuesday. What’s in the dip? Bet you can’t eat just one.