The Kona Low pressure system was still lingering around the islands like a bad cold, so I decided if you can’t beat them, might as well join them.

Makaha Valley Plantation

We all met up and parked at Lilyn’s friends place and took a group photo with the resident peacock perched in the tree behind us. These birds from India, first arrived to Hawaii during the mid-1800s and has since established feral populations on all the major islands. In 2009, a woman beat a peacock to death with a baseball bat in this same area. She was found not guilty. If you ever heard a peacocks assortment of sounds which ranges from screams, honking, cawing, calling, squawking, clicking, screeching and cooing, you would understand.

Makaha Valley

Waterfalls spilling off the mountains all around us. It was going to be a wet day.

Makaha Valley

Approaching the gated community of Mauna Olu Estates in the shadow of Kamaile’unu Ridge.

Makaha Valley

Fording the swollen stream.

Makaha Valley

The firefighter assisting the barefoot hikers who threw their shoes on the opposite bank so that their shoes and socks would stay dry. On a waterfall hike. Things that make you go hmmm.

Makaha Valley

Somebody was excited to find paria leaves in the wild.

Makaha Valley

Passing a lo’i kalo.

Makaha Valley

The nearby creek was cranking.

Makaha Valley

What lies behind that gate and can somebody grab my sunglasses?

Kane’aki Heiau

Group photo in front of the best preserved Hawaiian temple on the island.

Kane’aki Heiau

Wat? Just taking a picture of the colorful bird of paradise flower native to South Africa.

Makaha Valley

The running water was making deep cracks on the service road.

Makaha Valley

Straight from the tap. Unfiltered.

Makaha Valley

Holding hands so that if one gets swept away, they all go together. Teamwork.

Makaha Valley

Intro to mycology 101. Tremella fuciformis or snow fungus.

Makaha Valley

Waiting at the BWS pumping station.

Makaha Valley

One would be hard pressed to not find any manmade structure, active or abandoned, that has not been touched by graffiti. Scott would beg to differ.

Makaha Valley

Not taking our shoes off again?

Makaha Valley

I guess not.

Makaha Valley

This particular tree serves as a marker to turn up towards the ridge named after a primate that made it big in Hollywood.

Makaha Valley

Some stream are for crossing. Some are for sitting.

Makaha Valley

Crossing another stream. Who said there were only a few?

Makaha Valley

How do mushrooms grow? I’m glad you asked. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium, which are root like threads, are found underground and in decaying matter like dead trees. Damp and dark conditions promote the growth of mushrooms on the surface which releases spores to spread more colonies of mycelium. You didn’t ask?

Makaha Valley

Somebody earlier was worried that the falls might be dry upon arrival. Losing bet.

Makaha Valley

More stream crossings than you can shake a tabi at.

Makaha Valley

Dry.

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Wet. Rinse. Repeat.

Makaha Valley

Fleshy shelf tree fungi.

Makaha Valley

Sighting of fungal fruiting bodies perhaps Marasmiellus hapuuae.

Banana Falls

No pooling or harvesting of bananas today.

Makaha Valley

Looks like the same mushrooms you can find in your local supermarket. Don’t know if it’s edible though.

Makaha Valley

There’s more than one way to climb a tree. Some chose easy. Some chose hard.

Makaha Valley

Or don’t climb at all.

Makaha Valley

Not all those who wander are lost. But it sure looks like it. Let’s turn around. Besides, I’ve got a Dyson Vacuum to buy!

Makaha Valley

Scott scrambling up the moss and rain slicked rocks.

Pueo Falls

High pitched voices announced that the flowing falls was near. Two got lost. One stayed behind as falling rain in a confined space was not always conducive to a waterfall hike.

Pueo Falls

Approaching the roughly 1,000′ multi-tiered waterfall cascading down from Mount Ka’ala.

Pueo Falls

Following the rapidly moving stream as we made our way up the slippery slope.

Pueo Falls

Getting closer to the roughly 300′ base tier of the waterfall. The spray and force of the water was very palpable.

Pueo Falls

Brown water was less than white water.

Pueo Falls

Everybody got their 15 minutes of photographic fame.

Pueo Falls

Group photo at the base of the thundering waterfall.

Pueo Falls

The unrelenting rain forced our early departure so we made like the red sea and split.

Pueo Falls

Getting out of the stream and back onto the trail.

Makaha Valley

What goes up, must come back down faster.

Makaha Valley

Back and forth stream crossings.

Makaha Valley

Walking through coffee plants that were left behind by the former Waianae Coffee Plantation.

Makaha Valley

Must be a female thing.

Makaha Valley

Colony of fungi that seemed to almost completely cover the bark of the tree.

Makaha Valley

Wash day. Just don’t get washed away.

Kane’aki Heiau

360 degree view of the 16th century Hawaiian temple that was dedicated to Lono, the god of Agriculture and Fertility.

Makaha Valley

Not the view you would want.

Makaha Valley

The sign marks the spot. Harvest time!

Makaha Valley

Last stream crossing of the day. Wet from top to bottom.

Makaha Valley

Walking out towards civilization. Playtime was over.

All pau

Somebody ruffled his feathers and she still wasn’t impressed. Our waterlogged hike in every sense of the word, covered a little over ten miles with a fun group. Post hike meal at Coquito’s. Hearty food for a hearty hike.

Photos taken by Chico Cantu, Jen Odence, Lilyn Avendano, Marilyn Bermudez, Scott Dea, 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.

I joined Tom’s hike along with Chris, Glenn, Justin, Rebecca and Thessa to explore a waterfall tucked deep at the base of Mount Ka’ala.

Valley hike

We started off hiking up a paved road in a remote Leeward Valley. Overshot the junction just to put in some extra cardio.

Stream crossing

Multiple stream crossings in the lush verdant valley.

Heiau

Hawaiian temple restored to it’s 17th century details.

Cloudy mountain

Clouds rolling in between the ridges.

No name peak

Somebody give it a name already. Tom pointed out Razor’s Ridge. One day.

Where?

There!

Good flow

Bog fed stream.

Tree of life

Between a rock and a tree. Or something like that.

Hear that?

We could hear the waterfall spilling off the summit of Ka’ala.

Bushwhacking ahead

Kid gloves are off. Or on? It wasn’t that bad.

Pueo falls

We gained roughly 3,000′ in elevation from the valley floor to the base of the waterfall.

Up close and personal

Looking up at the multi-tiered 1,000′ waterfall dropping off the highest mountain on the island. Photo by Tom Engle.

Good flow

Group photo at Pueo Falls left to right: Tom, Rebecca, myself, Thessa, Chris, Glenn and Justin.

Looking back

The falls feeding the stream that flows down the valley. Photo by Tom Engle.

How does this focus work?

The freezing four.

Mahalo

365 days a year. Photo by Tom Engle.

Uncommon fruit

Purple lilikoi.

Banana Falls

Rebecca couldn’t get enough of being wet. Photo by Tom Engle.

Pigs?

A couple hunting dogs checked us out and went back into the bushes.

Green mangoes

Shoyu. Vinegar. Chill. Eat.

Which one?

The human mango picker. The meandering valley hike covered 10.92 miles through multiple stream crossings and minor bushwhacking with a majestic waterfall payoff at the end. Post hike meal at Tacos and More. Red? Green? Separate checks? Make my life harder. When does Makaha Gene come in?