Met up with Aida, Akira, Chico, David, Ferlino, Mari, Roger, Rose, Susan, Tessa, and Val to do our first hike (walk) of the year. The dirty dozen, well not today.

Mapunapuna

Group photo as we left the industrial area that is prone to flooding during high tides and parts of the land has already sunk 4-5 feet. The city promised to fix the problem in 2008. Here we are in 2025. I guess another problem is that Damon Estates sold this chunk of land that is leased to 137 different tenants on 186 separate parcels to a mainland property firm back in 2003. Passing the buck.

Nimitz Highway

Akira in front of one of American’s most iconic motorcycle brand next to Indian motorcycles.

Nimitz Highway

Fish out of water. Surfboard out of water.

Ualena Street

Approaching one of many humpback murals painted by Robert Wyland in 1985.

Aolele Street

Visiting the site where a Kamaka Air plane crashed into this unoccupied building on December 17, 2024, missing the fuel farm, rail and nearby occupied buildings. Unfortunately the two pilots, Hiram Defries and Preston Kaluhiwa lost their lives in the accident.

Dunkin’ Doughnuts

Stopping at one of the 12,900 locations to have coffee, donuts and breakfast at one of the largest coffee shop and donut restaurants in the world.

Nimitz Highway

Chico made sure that Akira got his whistle wet.

Nimitz Highway

The group waiting for the red light to change. I heard that its timed to force cars to stop every 300′ to stop speeding but does nothing for managed traffic flow.

Nimitz Highway

Passing a HFD training dummy or perhaps it was a chronic sleeping it off.

Nimitz Highway

We approached the foot bridge while keeping a wide berth of the cat lady and her cats.

Main Street Foot Bridge

Group photo on the bridge that provides safe passage over the highway.

Hokulani

The two military veterans climbed the most stable tree in the military housing area.

Kamehameha Highway

You can never find a crosswalk when you need one.

Kamehameha Highway

Chico and Ferlino examining the artwork on one of the rail columns up close. Each column depicts something related to the area and was all designed by Daniel Kanekuni. Some in the community had a beef and said they should have been designed by people that have Hawaiian blood.

Kamehameha Highway

Where one goes, two will surely follow.

Kamehameha Highway

Looking for a surfer or a homeless person.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Group photo at the memorial that honors the sailors that lost their lives in the December 7, 1941 attack from Japan. The Arizona memorial was actually the idea of Robert Ripley, of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! fame in 1948.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

These were the only boats we were going to see today.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

If you can’t stand the water, get out of the boat.

Kamehameha Highway

Ferlino engaging in a Filipino childhood past time.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

We soon traded the highway for the bike path that had its genesis back in 2001 as we passed underneath the Moanalua Freeway.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Crossing over Aiea Stream.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Paralleling the stream that separates the bike path from the residential homes.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Going over a wooden bridge that straddles Kalauao Stream.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Finding out how many human hamsters can fit on a non-rotating tire.

Best Buy

Stopping at one of 1,125 locations of the consumer electronics big box stores to use the bathrooms, check out the latest VR gadgets and cool off. No laptops were purchased on this walk.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Our last bridge crossing over Waimalu Stream.

Neal S. Blaisdell Park

Group photo at the Peace Bell that was donated and constructed by Japanese craftsmen and sponsored by Buddhist Bishop Ekan Ikeguchi on the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Does this shower have hot water?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Passing through HECO’s Waiau Power Plant that was built in 1937.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

A couple questions popped into my head as we passed this taro and watercress farm. 1) What is too late next week? 2) Why is mama lonely and what kind of visit are we talking about? 3) We passed all these signs warning us not to eat any fish caught in these waters, does this not apply to this farm as well?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Chico hanging onto the shoe tree after he pulled down the dead fronds to better frame his predicament.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

No good deed goes unpunished did not apply in this case, as the farmer came out to give Chico a bag of freshly plucked lilikoi for pulling down the dead fronds. Did these passion fruits grow in the same water?

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Back on the trail after crossing over Lehua Avenue.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Graffiti on one of the buildings that borders the path.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

I was wrong. One more bridge crossing. But this one wasn’t over a stream, just a marsh or pond.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Always one in the crowd. Can’t follow directions.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

Looking at naval ships anchored in Middle Loch.

Waipio Pt Access Road

Crossing the heavily trafficked road to get back on the bike path that also borders the Ted Makalena Golf Course.

Pearl Harbor Bike Path

A lawn mower with a missing wheel apparently does not work as well as a shopping cart.

All pau

The bike path soon terminated at Waipahu Depot Road which did not mark the end of our walk as we still had over a mile to walk back to our staged cars. Mileage may vary depending on whom you asked.

GPS Tracks

Our fourth segment of the perimeter walk covered 13.7 miles with a fun group. Post hike meal at Kunio Japanese Restaurant. This place is not “real” Japanese per the Hapon. Thanks to Ferlino, Rose, Aida and Roger for shuttle services.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Akira Suzuki, Chico Cantu, David Katz, Ferlino Carinio, Mari Saito, Roger Schiffman, Rose Tsuru, Susan Katz, 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.