Having hiked Pu’u Manamana back in February, I wanted to try a different connecting trail from Kahekili to Manamana . With that being said, we drove to Ka’awa on the Windward side and parked at Swanzy Beach Park.

Start of the trail

We walked up North on Kamehameha Highway and turned left into Huamalani Street right by the fire station. The trailhead is at the end of the street between two houses, can’t miss it, just try to ignore the sounds of the large dogs barking and hope they are leashed.

View towards the ocean

The beginning of the trail is flat with low hanging trees which quickly turned into an uphill climb as we pushed into Makaua valley. Within mere minutes, we had gained enough elevation to look into the valley below.

Pu'u Kahekili

The ridge trail to Pu’u Kahekili, which is the triangular peak looming over Ka’awa Valley, flattened out and we soon came across an old pillbox or military bunker left over from the war days. 

Near the peak

The flat part of the trail soon gave way to steep climbs up the mountain, that was partially assisted by ropes strategically placed by unknown hikers. Views of the Kualoa Mountains and the front part of Ka’awa Valley opened up to us as we neared the peak.

Peak of Pu'u Kahekili

We made the peak of Pu’u Kahekili in about an hour, we didn’t actually climb to the top of the peak as the trail contours to the right of the peak and down into Makaua or Hidden Valley.

Down to the valley

Scrambling down into the thicket of tangled tree branches and roots made for an interesting descent down into the valley.

Stream

We made it to the bottom of this stagnant streambed that was feeding a waterfall trickling into the valley below, but didn’t stay long as clouds of mosquitoes were feasting on us for lunch.

Pu'u Manamana

We pushed our way up though the heavily overgrown vegetated trail consisting mostly of uluhe ferns. Wearing long pants on this hike is highly recommended. From the top, we had a better view of the Kualoa Mountains and as far as the eye could see to Kaneohe. Looking at the Kualoa Mountains, I was wondering if it’s possible to climb them?

Going down the ridge

I believe there are three ways of going down the mountain. One of course is the way we came up from Kahekili. The other two are the trails going down Cemetery Ridge and Pu’u Manamana Ridge, we chose the latter which is the trail to the right as you face the ocean.

Kahana Valley and Bay

Going down the ridge is pretty much all downhill, affording us some great views from Kahana Valley stretching to Laie.

Up and down

Well, the ridge is not exactly all downhill as there are various rock formations we had to climb up and down. But that’s what makes ridge hikes fun!

Looking back

Here is a panoramic view of the Kahekili ridge and part of the Manamana ridge.

Still going down

As we came down closer to the ocean, we could see the knob to the right known as Crouching Lion which overlooks the restaurant bearing the same name. We had already climbed to the rock formation on our last hike, so we bypassed it going down.

Kamehameha Highway

Five hours later, we were on Kamehameha Highway walking South back to our car. We stopped at the 7-11 and had a quick lunch at the beach park. It’s amazing how a simple tuna sandwhich and a can of soda tastes after you’ve had a good hiking workout.

Pali Puka is a short and sweet hike that starts from the Pali Lookout and takes less than half an hour to reach the Puka. I didn’t even know about this hike until I found it on the Internet, gotta love the Internet!

Pali Lookout

We left our car in the parking lot which is free for kamaainas and military personnel, and I still don’t know how they distinguish between tourists and locals. It’s not like they give you a sign to put on your dashboard that says “I’m Local!” We walked towards the tour bus parking lot on the left side, where there is a break in the wall, which is the trailhead. The peak sticking up from the ridge is where we were headed to see the Puka.

Windward Oahu

From the breached wall, we walked into the bamboo grove and started making our way up the ridge. In less than five minutes, we had this fantastic view of Windward Oahu.

The Peak

Another 15 minutes later, we were at the peak. If we were to contour around this peak, I head there is a trail that goes to Lanihuli, but that is for another day.

Nu'uanu Valley

There is also a great view of Nu’uanu Valley and the city, that beats the view from the lookout anyday.

Pali Puka

I was thinking of climbing into the hole as we did at the Makapu’u Puka, but thought better of it, as the wind was really cranking that day.

Pali Notches

Climbing back down towards the parking lot, we could see the next hike that lay ahead of us. The Pali Notches, which are the two notches that are on the ridge above the lookout. I have heard stories that the Pali Notches are “crazy to climb” and “dangerous.” We were about to find out ourselves firsthand if the Pali Notches lived up to that billing.

Pali Highway

The trailhead to Pali Notches is on the right side, before the wheelchair ramp going to the Pali Lookout. We found that out when we were coming down, as we had started from the parking lot side. Going up the ridge, we came out into an open area, where the wind had it’s way with us. We stood as close to the edge as possible and played “kite” with the wind.

First Notch

We got to the first notch in about 30 minutes, which we climbed up and down without breaking a sweat, as the gusting winds took care of that. Now we were going to find out if the second notch lived up to its reputation.

Second Notch

The climb down the second notch was made easier with a rope that somebody had left behind. We found the best hand holds and footing was coming down the left hand side. Depending on your climbing skill, I believe this can and has been done without ropes. My friend lost his cap to the wind when he was coming down, I convinced him it was in his best interests not to retrieve it due to the steepness and the high winds. The second notch was hard but doable, not as dangerous or crazy as we were led to believe. These notches were actually cut into the mountain ridge to be used as gunports in the Battle of Nu’uanu in 1795, when King Kamehameha conquered the island of Oahu. I can’t imagine how these guys hauled heavy cannons up to these ridge notches. I guess that’s why they were warriors and we’re just hikers.

Another view of Windward Oahu

After we climbed the second notch, we continued on the ridge while enjoying the fantastic views of the windward side and trying not to get blown off the ridge.

The Chimney

My friend didn’t want to go any further past the rock and ontowards the Chimney as the wind was really blowing. So we turned around and went back to the Pali Lookout. Climbing up the second notch seemed easier than climbing down, as you can see clearly where you need to go whereas climbing down, you are not exactly sure where to place your hand or foot.

Pali Lookout

The Pali Notches took us about two hours to complete. I would recommend to hike this trail only when the winds are not blowing that hard. But then again, this is the Pali, which is known for it’s strong winds.