DGC's Hawaii Hiking Tales

1-19-2012: Bahamas Cruise via the Carnival Sensation

2012-02-04T01:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I can say I have survived my very first cruise ever in my life. Not only did I not hurl chunks, I had one of the greatest vacations yet. The weather conditions couldn't be any better for such a voyage on the open seas. The cruise itself was short, 3 days and 3 nights. If anyone is curious about trying their first cruise, I highly recommend a 3 night cruise. I recently joined a community called cruisecritics.com forum that is popular for rating cruises and wrote a review of the Carnival Sensation, the ship we embarked on this cruise to the Bahamas. I will post this review here as well for you guys. Let's get cruisin'!

Review as posted on cruisecritics.com (the text below is a copy from the review):

If you've never cruised before in your life, this is the perfect cruise for you. I was initially worried about the negative reviews of the Carnival Sensation but I beg to differ. I'll divide the review by days. Our cruise was 3 nights with Nassau our single Port of Call.

Embarkation: We were on the ship faster than we could say Sensation. Carnival has been known for it's lightning fast embarkation and this was exactly the case. Being a first time cruiser, we were slightly intimidated by the layout of the ship, but navigation soon became a breeze and we found our stateroom on the Riviera Deck with no problems. Our room was R-34, which was an interior with no window (a curtain is there to visualize but was redundant). This did not bother us as we would not be in our room much. We met our room steward who was just finishing cleaning our room and greeted us. Since we boarded the ship so quickly, we were not surprised that he on the finishing touches of perfecting our room so we went up to have lunch on the Lido Deck where the buffets are at. The food was quite delicious! After lunch, we went back to our room and it was ready to go. Away our luggages went.

Day 1 (Departure from Pt. Canaveral en route to Nassau): We were delayed by 4 hours but unlike an airline, this didn't matter and we still made it to Nassau on time. Departing Port Canaveral late was actually a treat as we cast off shortly after sunset. Our first night was casual dinner (6pm) and the food and service was excellent. After the main course was delivered, the waiters and waitresses did a quick "dance performance" as we continued to dine. I thought that was pretty neat. Our waiter made the effort to get to know us on our first night and he was quite the character. We would even run into him the next day during our lunch on the Lido Deck buffets and he greeted us and proceeded to have a short conversation before he returned to his duties.

After dinner, we caught the 8pm show time on the Fantasy Lounge. The comedians were a blast and did not disappoint! We returned to our state room and called it a night. The beds were very comfortable and we were out like a light.

Day 2 (Nassau, Bahamas): We arrived at 12:30pm, right on time and we participated in the "Discover Nassau by Jeep" excursion. It's essentially a drive (guided convoying) around New Providence Island, using the roads shared by the local populace. Initially I thought this was going to be an excursion on a private road that is separated from the rest of the populace, but this was not the case. Since I was the driver, I was stoked to discover that people drive on the left side of the road so I can personally say I've driven on such road. =)

The excursion probably took us about 2 hours and we were done just in time to return to the ship for our 6pm formal dinner. We stopped by the nearby markets to check out the local products. The prices can fluctuate via bargaining with the vendors. The 2nd night for dinner was better than our 1st night with the Lobster Tail! Yummy! For those curious about formal attire, it is recommended but not mandatory. We forgot to bring formal attire and wore what we would wear for casual, although we had designer clothing and jeans. We asked our waiter the first time and he said that they would not deny us. Speaking of our waiter, he remembered my drink of choice since I've purchased the "Bottomless bubbles" and my drink arrived before I could even have a chance to order it. After dinner, it was more comedian shows and it was just as good as the first night.

Day 3 ("Fun Day at Sea"): I woke up and caught the sun rise as the ship began to leave port, bound for Pt. Canaveral to conclude the cruise. Today was the day to have fun. Since we were to be on the ocean the whole day, we really made sure to explore the Sensation in just about it's entirely and utilize the amenities on board. The water slide was fun but felt rather outdated. I remember the Disney Dream, which was moored alongside of our ship in Nassau, sporting a revolutionary "Aqua Coaster", the world's first water coaster, similiar to what they have at Kalahari Resorts.

The swimming pool, located about mid ship on the Lido Deck was crowded. The Sensation could really benefit the use of a second pool on deck. The Carnival "Water Works" (where the slide is at), does not have any pool and this ship seriously suffers from the lack of a second pool to fully accommodate some 2,000 people. The hot tubs seem to be plentiful as there are 2 mid ship and 2 more on the aft deck, although these are limited to adults only (Serenity Deck).

Dinner was casual once more and it was a virtually a repeat of the 2 other nights in qualities of food and service. We bid our farewell to our amazing waiter and attended our final show, this one being the best of the three nights. It was an 80s theme, complete with spectacular effects to put it on par with some of the shows in Vegas. Well, maybe not, but it's close and we were fully entertained!

Day 4 (Debarkation): It was quick and we immediately thought, "We need a longer cruise next time!"

Summary: Our first cruise was memorable and we still talk about it even 2 weeks later! It was so memorable, that I even made a personal video using my photos and video clips on YouTube (search for "dgcpinoy Carnival Sensation" on YouTube). The crew was very joyful to interact with, the food was amazing (I especially enjoyed the Chocolate Melting Cake!), the fun factor was above our expectations, and the Carnival Sensation was well.... Sensational! Sure no cruise is completely perfect, but all of these were very minor and were lost in the sea of stimulating fun! We'll definitely be back on another Carnival Cruise!

Thank You, Carnival!

Video:

Bahamas Cruise - Carnival Sensation

1-7/8-2012: "Breezy" da Red Angry Bird

2012-02-01T00:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend was filled with fun flying adventures with the Breezy Experimental Aircraft. This time, we flew around the Leeward coast of O`ahu, getting phenomenal views of Ko'olina, the Kahe power station, Ka`ena Point, and the expanse of the Leeward valleys that make up the Wai`anae Mountain Range, including the roof of O`ahu, Mt. Ka`ala. Saturday's flight was cut short due to strong winds while Sunday's weather was prime for excellent flying!

Below are some photos from the flight. To view my entire album, click here.

Video:
Red Angry Bird - Leeward O`ahu Flight (GoPro 2 POV)

1/14-23/2012: On Vacation

2012-01-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is a temporary post. I've noticed that some of my photos were going dead on the early 2011 posts between the Makapu'u to Mariner's Ridge and Pali Notches to Konahuanui K1 entry. All the missing photos are now fully restored. Sorry for the inconvenience!

As of this entry, I am headed to the mainland for about 2 weeks to embark on a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas via the Carnival Sensation. I hope I don't hurl chunks as this is my first cruise ever! I'll be off island between the 14th and returning on the 23rd or 24th.

Aloha!

1-5-2012: Kalihi Saddle camera salvage attempt

2012-01-05T23:34:00.001-08:00

If two football teams were squaring off against each other in the rain and had numerous fumbles with the football throughout the game, that football would be my Panasonic Lumix ZS7 that I've lost back in July of 2011 on the Kalihi Saddle. Not only would this camera be lost once by me, it would be lost yet again by another person as recent as December of 2011!

I told myself I would never set foot on the Kalihi Saddle (other than to do lunch outings on the powerline trail) after I completed the entire saddle. Well, it looks like I ended up breaking that vow once I heard that Pete, Duc, Ras, and Laredo, who completed a descent from Bowman into the saddle last week (last year actually!), had located and possessed my lost camera for a brief period before somehow losing it again. It was Laredo who actually located and had it in his possession. When I lost it, it was somewhere just after the 1st Triangle (going towards power line trail). When Laredo ended up losing it, it was somewhere on the last down part of the ridge line just prior to Witch's Hat (again, going towards power line trail), according to him.

Upon hearing of this, I decided to see if I could fetch it myself. I've enlisted Kevin to join me on this day as he wanted to take a look at the Kalihi Saddle for the first time. Weather called for partly cloudy skies throughout the whole day.

The jaunt up the power line trail was uneventful and we were on the crest in little as 30 minutes. From there, we headed towards Bowman and the section where my camera was believed to be lost. Going up the Witch's Hat was uneventful and Kevin did spectacular on the ascent. The purple rope was still attached and in good shape. From the top of the hat, we took a hard glance at the remaining ridge line to Bowman. Upon closer inspection of the Two Triangles, I've noticed that the blue and yellow webbing were still there. However a red rope was visible on the 1st Triangle, left by Pete's crew coming down from Bowman. The Kalihi Saddle is becoming the "Rainbow Saddle" with all these numerous colored rope/webbing!

On the other side of the hat, I've installed a yellow rope to make the descent easier, the hardest part being that 6ft vertical face just prior to it's bottoming out. But I've recalled the maneuvers I did on my scout hike in July and quickly made it down. Kevin proceeded down without any problems.

From here, we proceeded along the narrow, often crumbly, crest at a snail pace as we kept our eyes peeled for the camera. At this point, I was stoked to think that I might have a chance to reclaim the lost photos I've taken during the descent of Bowman to Kalihi Saddle. While the camera itself is obviously long destroyed by water and weather elements, the memory card, still tucked in it's compartment, might have a good chance of being intact with it's data. I also thought about what Laredo said when he lost it. He was "butt sliding" the last down portion of the ridge prior to the Witch's Hat when a hole developed in his shorts pocket and the camera slid out. Not wanting to get my hopes up too much, I expected to return empty handed. Ultimately, the end result was just that. We reached the point where I lost my camera for the first time and there was still no sign of it. I then called Laredo for assistance in locating it.

Heading back down, we now began to scour the town side drops of the ridge. The drops were incredibly steep that anything falling would end up on the valley floor, more or less, but we continued our search anyway in that possible miracle that it caught a branch or a lump of grass. We reached the area where Laredo lost it and I slowed to an almost all stop, conducting a thorough search of every possible cranny and nook that it may have gotten lodged in to. Kevin, mean while, was already heading up to the Witch's Hat. While I was searching, I checked on the new GoPro 2 and was bummed to find the lens area fogged up. While the videos are watchable, it gives it an effect that we are hiking the whole thing in the clouds!

After about 30 minutes of searching, I decided that it was deemed lost for good and made the remaining climb back up to Witch's Hat. While disappointed, at least I can rest easily, knowing that it's resting easily as well! We retrieved the rope that we put up and made our way down the last descent of Witch's Hat, back to the power line trail to call it a day. Post hike dinner was at Kenny's in Kalihi with Kevin and his wife!

If another group traverses this section and finds my camera, that would be still amazing that it would be acquired for a third time! Set.. RED... 28... Haa-- Haa-- HIKE! ;-)

Kalihi Saddle Camera Scout (GoPro 2 POV)

1-1-2012: Ka`ena Point

2012-01-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

Ever wanted to find out why lies at the very northwest tip of O`ahu? Give this 5 mile round trip hike a try! Neelesh and I started the new year with a pleasant stroll along the Waialua coastline to Ka`ena Point to catch the year's first sunset. We were treated to a spectacular show with the waves pounding the coastline with such force that I can't imagine how surfers can survive a wipe out. The waves were at least 15ft or higher!

Enroute, we encountered numerous hikers come back from Ka`ena Point. Upon reaching the end of the 4x4 road and a gate, I was surprised to see that a fence was erected around the nature preserve. In 2009, the last time I was here, this fence did not exist. It's quite the eye sore. At the point, which was filled with numerous Albatrosses, we watched the sun set albeit some heavy cloud cover in the direction of Kaua`i. The waves however continued to pound the shoreline, higher than when we started the hike. All in all, it took us about 45 minutes from the parking lot to the point. After the sun disappeared, we headed back under a half moon to conclude a wonderful outing as we passed by a couple of groups with bonfires.

Happy New Year!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! (Happy New Year!)

2012-01-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

With 2011 only a memory, I can't help but recall the astonishing accomplishments the hiking community on O`ahu has done in such little time, such as traversing the three Ko'olau saddles, segment hiking the entire Ko'olau and Wai`anae summit crests, and 1st documentations of Lua`alaea Windward, Lanihuli Windward, Ka`au Crater Windward, 2 Apes Talking, Bolohead Ridge, and one that was done recently as yesterday (New Years Eve) Bowman Windward!

The hiking community is growing and evolving. More and more people are heading away from the stressful urban days at work to a full day outing on the trails. More ground is being covered on the trails and on the internet with more information available on numerous hiking blogs, photo sites, and video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. Unfortunately, more HFD rescues are being reported as well. Let's try to lower that count this year!

Another entity is also growing and evolving. And not just in Hawai`i, but all around the world. The GoPro has won our hearts and just about every video documentation is now made with this camera by extreme and casual hikers. Now the company has rolled out the much anticipated GoPro 2. If you haven't tried out the Hero 2, you're in for a treat! Trust me! You won't be disappointed!

I leave you with the 2011 Year in review video that I compiled together from all the various hikes (and flights) that were done this year.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou to you and your Ohana! May 2012 be an even better year for all of us!

Imua 2012!

12-2-2011: Bolohead Ridge

2011-12-10T01:24:00.000-08:00

The surf season is in full swing, the days are shorter, the Christmas decorations are going up, and the temperatures are falling. Tis the season. With 2011 almost over, I wanted to finish this year off with a bang. When Chenay brought up the idea of attempting Bolohead Ridge, I did not hesitate one bit to say yes. Bolohead is the ridge that is adjacent to the east of the main Wai`anae Ka`ala Trail that is popular to gain the summit of Mt. Ka`ala, the roof of O`ahu, standing at 4,025ft. I have acquired this summit numerous times over the years from the aforementioned trail, and from the Dupont Trail (now permanently closed). I've noticed the ridge to the east of the W-K Trail but paid very little attention to it... that is until Kaleo Lancaster and his crew pioneered the route. They have described it as a goat trail, with no signs of humans ever setting foot on it. "It shouldn't even be a route" was what was written on his write up.

The name "Bolohead" was coined by L Steve Rohrmayr to a particular section of the ridge line that features an ominous looking hump that looks like a face with no hair, hence the word "bolohead" meaning "bald head". This hump could probably give Kalihi Saddle's "Witch's Hat" a run for her money.

On December 2, 2011, Jeremy, Francis, Chenay, and myself set off on what would be one of the toughest and most mental climbs I've personally done. Also this was the debut of my GoPro Hero 2 camera. I ended up selling my original one and got this one so what a test this would be for it! We set off under a cool damp morning sun, making it ideal conditions, especially for that long walk up the paved road that heads up into the upper reaches of Wai`anae Valley. At some point in the road, we veered off it into the forest. Apparently there's a better way to reach this ridge but we beelined it regardless. After dropping into a small ravine, we headed up steeply to gain the crest of Bolohead Ridge, but not before intersecting a well trodden trail that happened to be one of the popular hikes in Wai`anae Valley. From here, the climb is steep through a forest.

Once the ridge opened up to reveal the expanse of Wai`anae Valley, we could see the upcoming obstacles to be traversed. The first was an extremely narrow dike, followed by a 20ft rock face with a black strap attached. Apparently the valley received some morning rain prior to us starting and the rocks were dangerously wet. I was the last to make the climb and just prior to topping out, there's an odd looking smooth boulder with evidence of another boulder on top of it that was dislodged loose. I felt my foot sliding downward on this slanted smooth boulder that terminates to a humongous drop off to my left. I quickly dropped to a near prone position, my free hand grabbing hold to another boulder in front of me, stopping me from sliding the rest of the way down. Whew....

First rock face completed. On to the next, which was the Bolohead feature itself!

We followed an eye sore fence line to the base of the Bolohead feature. Francis and I took a small break on a dirt mound while Jeremy and Chenay continued onward towards the climb. As they headed upward, I snapped photos and took video when they appeared to get stuck about halfway up. Things got worse when they haven't made any progress for about 5 minutes. Chenay veered left of a giant boulder while Jeremy went to the right. Eventually Jeremy found a way and was on his way to secure rope to help Chenay finish her climb. Francis and I followed to the base and discovered it extremely difficult. Just about the entire climb is on nothing but loose dirt and dry grass. Beyond another black strap, fastened to a tree, a section between a rocky outcrop and this tree was the most difficult. With none of us making any progress, I called out to Jeremy to bring the rope, followed by another rope, down to our location and after several tries, Francis made contact with the rope and was able to climb the remaining distance to the top. I was up next and found it nearly impossible to climb so I ditched my pack, tied it to the end of the rope. But with the double rope so springy, I could not trust neither of them so Francis put up a third rope and made it up to the top without incident. All three ropes were reeled up, along with my pack. This climb alone took all of us a very long time, about 2 hours! It's that mental!

We were standing on the top of the Bolohead feature with a giant tree and it's low lying THICK branches covering the entire top, making for a painful forward progress. In essence, we were "trapped". Descending the makai or the mauka side is exceptionally dangerous, as we were about to find out upon reaching the notch on the mauka side. The ridge line disappeared downward completely. This looked worse than the other side!

After the rope was affixed, Jeremy went down first, followed by Chenay. The cliff face is very vertical here and very narrow, with nothing but loose boulders.... ALL of them. This cliff face alone is probably on par with the Kalihi Saddle "Triangle #2" cliff face! Francis made it down safely and I was up next. I took no chances and proceeded to climb down this thing with my bare feet as it proved useful on the "Chimney" on Pali Notches to K1! After a lot of guidance from Francis where to place my feet as climbing down backwards is a must, I made it safely. Another bullet, or should I say fall, dodged!

The climb up the other side of the notch is very steep, but not as dangerous as that last one, but the eroded dirt and dry grass remains plentiful. At the top of this climb is a nice grassy lookout that allows a commanding view of the Wai`anae Valley and all of the dangerous features of Bolohead Ridge. However, with time against us, we continued the steep but pleasant climb up a broad ridge with peculiar plants shaped like spiny balloons. If anyone can tell me what these are, that would be awesome! The clouds rolled in and blanketed us for much of the remainder of the climb.

Soon that pleasant climb turned into a a taxing and annoying climb through thick uluhe ferns and thorny black berry brushes that lasted nearly an eternity! Ugh! We eventually came across an overhanging gully with a stream flowing through it. We could soon make out the flat plateau of the bog. The next portion of the hike sucked. It sucked really bad. We hated it and I'll keep the description short on the blog. It was muddy, confusing, green, thorny, thorny, and thorny. Sounds about right? I think so because we made not one but TWO complete circles in this mess! Eventually we found the "boardwalk to heaven" and made it to the light, the light of the setting sun as we proceeded down the W-K Trail back to the valley floor and ultimately back to our cars just after nightfall.

What a rush! Another hike added to my long list of "Never to do ever again" hikes. I probably received more thorns on this hike alone than all my other hikes combined since the dawn of hiking!

What's the reward? McDonald's in a place called human civilization!

I hate thorns...

Photos:

Kamaile`unu Ridge

Ka`ala, oh so close... FAR from it!

First cliff face (Note the Bolohead feature at center right just below Ka`ala)

Bolohead feature

Fence to HELL (Bolohead Feature)

Chenay and Jeremy on the makai cliff face of the Bolohead feature

Safe at last at the top of Bolohead, or are we safe?

Mauka side of the Bolohead feature

Almost there....

Salvation

What's going on here?

View of Bolohead Ridge from W-K Trail

The Bolohead feature (makai is right, mauka is left)

Video:

Bolohead Ridge (GoPro 2 POV)

11-12-2011: Manana to Waimano Ridge

2011-11-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

I would like to start off by wishing every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving! The year is drawing to a close and with that in mind, DGC's Hawaii Hiking Tales is about to turn 1 year old! Time sure flies when we're having fun hiking the majestic mountains of O`ahu. Speaking of mountains, we managed to complete another segment of the Ko'olau summit ridge. A couple weeks prior to this hike, we hiked from Waimano Ridge to Aiea Ridge. On this day, the Ko'olau summit quest continues with Francis, Leo, and myself hiking the summit ridge between Manana Ridge and Waimano Ridge.

Manana Ridge is the long 6 mile (one way) roller coastering trail that reaches for the Ko'olau crest from the end of Komo Mai Dr. in Pacific Palisades. Waimano Trail is the super long 7 mile (also one way), but graded CCC trail that starts from the end of Waimano Home Rd by the guard shack. The summit connector is about 2 miles. All of that adds up to roughly 15 miles of trail. While not technical, it is very strenuous, although not as painful as the 18 miler Waimano to Aiea Ridge. Since we were to start on Manana, we were to eliminate the ups and downs early and cruise down Waimano Trail at the end of the day. I remembered to make Waimano the return leg as I learned the hard way going down Aiea Ridge!

We set off at around 6-7am under morning clouds with a drizzle here and there. The last time I did Manana Trail was about 3 years ago so memory was a bit vague on this one. We eventually passed by the junction of Waimano Pools/Falls, although the sign marking the junction was gone. We put up some ribbons to mark the junction. To head to the Falls, turn right and head down "Cardiac Hill". To continue to the Ko'olau summit, keep left and also head downward an eroded bank, picking up the trail at the bottom.

The vegetation petered out to mostly red dirt and a few sets of stairs and walkways that were installed by Na Ala Hele. Beyond is a grassy field that was probably a remnant of a forest fire. A short while later, we reached the picnic table. This is a good turn around point if you are limited on time. The views towards the Wai`anae Range is splendid. Continuing mauka beyond the table marks the start of roller coaster action on an overgrown trail.

Pu'u after pu'u, climb - descent after climb - descent did we inch our way closer to the summit. We developed a technique of resting at the top of each hill, which had flat grassy tops, making it all too convenient for a break. The clouds remained over the summit ridge, but were already beginning to break up under the heating of the morning sun. We reached the "helipad", indicating we were getting somewhat close to the summit ridge, about an hour away. One thing we noticed was a silvery thread running on the crest of the adjacent ridge to our right and heading down into the gulch. You got it, it's another set of that dreaded fence line they are installing on the Ko'olaus to keep out pigs from destroying native plants. But I think the fence is doing more damage by simply being installed.

Beyond the helipad, the ridge gets windswept and the views of all the various gulches all around make for a peaceful walk. We reached the the summit at around noon, just in time for lunch. The wind was howling, but the clouds remained high above us and would remain this way for pretty much the whole hike. While this was bad for photos, it provided much needed shade. The views from atop Manana Ridge is beautiful with a commanding view of the windward coast of He`eia Pier, Waikane, and Hakipu`u towards the north and Kaneohe further south. Pu'u Ohulehule and Chinaman's Hat was also visible.

After filling up our stomachs, we began plowing through the thick summit foliage towards the terminus of Waimano Ridge. The three of us all opted to wear shorts and we would pay the price dearly by the time we reached Waimano Trail. After two or three humps, we reached a bowl shaped grassy pu'u. This is Pu'u Eleao and it makes for an excellent camp spot. The bowl shape makes it even better, shielding you from the windward trades. We spent some time here enjoying it like little kids hopping up and down for joy. I even let gravity take me and plopped flat on my back onto the soft grass! Food for the soul and mind. On the other side of the grassy pu'u lies a grand view of Waihe`e Valley and the amphitheater shape of the Ko'olau pali surrounding it. Looking leeward were the countless ridges all running parallel to each other. I couldn't help but spending considerable time here taking photos.

Just past Eleao is a tricky part where one can easily get astray. Be careful here. There is an obscure junction with the "obvious" trail leading away from the crest along a smooth and level grassy ridge which heads down leeward somewhere between Manana and Waimano ridges. One can easily get disoriented here if hiking in the clouds! Actually, turn left off the "grassy ridge" and head downwards to pick up the summit crest.

More ups and downs was the factor for the last mile or so until we finally had the small grassy clearing with the brown "End of Trail" sign in our sights on the last hump. The final obstacle was a nasty washout with the ridge even overhanging a bit, ready to fall at any given moment. Use caution here and you'll cross it easily. The Waimano summit lies nudged between two humps. After a final descent past another small eroded section and we were there. Our legs were covered in red angry slashes.

Not wanting to waste time, we proceeded down the Waimano Trail, still overgrown with uluhe but graded. It was muddy and slippery and even took a nasty spill when I lost my footing when I tried so hard to avoid mud puddles. Into the mud puddle I go, the weight of my pack acting as a counterweight, thus propelling me into a roll over that ended up getting me muddy on my entire right side of my body! Other than that, it was a very long and uneventful trail. So long that we were still on it by the time the sun set. After crossing the stream beyond the switchbacks, we put on our headlamps and finished the remaining 2 or so miles in the dark. We reached the car by 6:45pm and headed to the nearest McDonald's for post hike refreshments.

I highly recommend doing this route with Waimano Trail as your return leg, or you will be exhausted going down Manana with all those ups and downs as I was going up Waimano and down Aiea Ridge!

Photos:

(larger version)

Pu'u Eleao

(larger version)

Video:

Manana to Waimano Ridge (GoPro POV)

11-9-11: M. Middle Ridge to Haiku Stairs (Night Hike)

2011-11-11T03:33:00.000-08:00

The night hike craze continues with a hike up the popular Moanalua Middle Ridge to the backside of Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven). The last time I was on the Haiku Stairs was back in April 2011 when I did the Moanalua Saddle to the Stairway. Kevin and I actually planned this hike while we were hiking Koko Crater North Rim at night the week before as part of our desire to try something new (like hiking at night). It was the night before the actual full moon but with the Ko'olaus clear of clouds for much of the day, we decided to give it a shot that night in hopes of viewing Kaneohe from the CCL building atop the Haiku Stairs terminus. Unfortunately, the gusty tradewinds that were ever so present had other plans in store for us.

I met up with Rhonda at Walgreen's Kaneohe at around 6pm to stage her car on the Haiku side as we were going to go up Middle Ridge and come down the Stairway to Heaven to finish the hike. The view of the windward side of the Ko'olaus looked promising as clouds remained high above the summit ridge. Even the moon rise was clearly visible, shining brightly under a twilight sky. After parking my car at Moanalua Valley park, we were greeted by Shaun, Ryan, Thessa, and Robin. Kevin and Jeremy were running late and were to follow us in. Dave Fahrenwald opted to climb the Haiku Stairs and rendezvous with us at the CCL building.

We set off at a little before 7pm on the long and rather dull walk on the 3 mile or so valley road that winds it's way through the floor of Moanalua Valley. With headlamps shining brightly, our lights pierced the darkness with ease and made for easy navigation. About an hour in, we reached the junction with the Kulana`ahane Trail and the Moanalua Middle Ridge a few yards beyond. It was then when Kevin caught up to us and we took a short break before pushing upward on the middle ridge.

Up, up, up we went and the trees opened up to a more windswept ridge. Boy, were the winds sweeping the ridge indeed. Wind gusts even as high as 30mph roared over us and we had to navigate the somewhat narrow ridge to prevent us being blown off and down into the pitch black depths below. I put on my rain coat as knife piercing rain showers did not help. As we got higher up, we caught our first glimpse of the city lights of Moanalua and the Red Hill area. Up ahead we could make out the dark peak of Pu'u Keahi a Kahoe. Slightly to the left, we could make out the silhouette of Moanalua Saddle and further left, the ridgeline of Red Hill Ridge. The hike became muddier as we progressed. By this time, my new Merrell's I've purchased from Soul Trex Windward Mall have been officially covered in Ko'olau mud!

I spotted a headlamp way off in the distance and I immediately knew it was Jeremy after he messaged me about 30 minutes to an hour ago saying he was starting. Closer and closer did that light get the further we climbed upridge. All he needed was a train horn!

After a few rope climbs here and a few muddy scrambles up various false peaks there, we came upon the steepest portion of the hike with ropes in place to aid in the climb. Beyond that, we dropped down slightly and back up to reach the summit of Keahi a Kahoe. Just a couple hundred feet prior to topping out, Jeremy's bright beam from his headlamp shined it's rays behind a bush just a few feet from us and finally he popped into view and greeted us.

We reached the summit in the clouds and hung left along the summit ridge to begin our walk towards Haiku Stairs. Walk is an understatement. It was more buttsliding and "surfing" a muddy river than anything else before the CCL building came into view out of the darkness. At around that time, the city lights of Kaneohe appeared. The clouds were lifting just in time for us to make the summit of Haiku Stairs. However, the wind was strong. Very very strong.

We all huddled in the CCL building and I finally got the opportunity to meet Dave in person. He probably made it to the top about an hour before we rendezvous with him. With the winds howling, it was very difficult to set up the tripod for my camera and simply had to rely on holding my camera firm against the concrete roof of the CCL building while battling to fight the wind chill. Yes, wind chill! I could see the 2 "radar" dishes, which were anchored to the roof, rocking violently in the heavy winds. One of these days, the rusty support structure holding them in place will fail and the dishes will be sent flying high and far leeward. Maybe they will land in my backyard in Ewa Beach as a nice souvenir!

The views over windward were beautiful with the city lights. I could even make out the dark peaks of Olomana and even Makapu'u as the ocean was lit up a bluish tint under the full moon. However, the moon itself never showed. With this in mind, along the unbearable winds, we packed our gear and commenced the long and grinding walk down the Haiku Stairs. The stairs and railings were wet and cold, requiring caution to avoid slipping.

We reached the winch house and the moon revealed itself at last, shining everything in view. I snapped some photos but my lens is simply not enough to capture the beauty of the moon light. Oh well, maybe another reason for me to do this hike again at night. Shaun and I stayed back behind the main group and talked stories with one another as we carefully made our way down the 3,922 steps of Stairway to Heaven. About halfway down, someone pointed a green laser pointer at us (they did this on Koko Crater North Rim too!). Apparently our headlamps gave out our position once again. The beam originated somewhere near Windward Mall. Do people have anything better to do? Actually this served as a reminder that it was time to turn off our headlamps because we were in a hush hush area.

We reached the bottom at around 1am and proceeded to the nearest McDonald's for a well deserved treat. Will I do this hike again at night? Definitely! However, I do not recommend this if you are not prepared for a night hike or ridge walking. A good "practice" spot for night hiking is Mariner's Ridge and even the Koko Crater stairs (not the rim). While many people dislike hiking at night, I find it appealing! May the "Night Hikers" march on!

This also marks Haiku Stairs #15 for me! =)

Photos:

Check out a couple of old videos I made about this route back in 2009

Moanalua Middle Ridge

View from Haiku Stairs at night

11-2-2011: Koko Crater North Rim (Night Hike)

2011-11-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

Kevin called me up the night before and asked if I wanted to do a short hike. Since my last hike was the very very long Waimano to Aiea Ridge hike last month, I thought, "Why not?" and since I've done the Koko Crater Rim a while back, I decided to add a twist: hiking it at night. Kevin agreed and I scrambled to get a crew together. In the end, it was Neel, Francis, Thessa, and Tarnia. We decided to start on the Hawai`i Kai Dr. side of the crater since the botanical garden was closed and probably guarded by security. As I drove through the urban sprawl of Honolulu, torrential rains fell over the H-1, but I was not discouraged. The weather was utterly wet around the main Ko'olaus, but the Hawaii Kai area was completely dry as usual in that area.

After parking our cars in the near by neighborhood area at around 8pm, we crossed Hawai`i Kai Dr. and dropped into a cement ditch to pick up the slope of the crater on the other side. Francis took the lead and up we went through a dry and dusty forest to gain the crest of the north rim. From there, I took the lead and pierced the darkness with my headlamp. As we progressed further up, the ridge line narrowed, sometimes very thin, but contouring is possible to bypass most of the very sketchy sections. It was a pretty eerie feeling to be standing on a narrow dike with 2 drops into the black depths below. Like hiking in the clouds, there's that feeling of uncertainty to what's truly around you.

We took several breaks along the way and enjoyed the beautiful landscape as the lights of Hawaii Kai lit up the ground like white Christmas lights (the holidays are coming!). I took out my tripod and took some night exposures of the lit up city scape. Kevin pointed out a lit up subdivision looking towards Makapu'u that looked like a sailboat when the city lights are on.

Somewhere about halfway up, we were unexpectedly greeted with a very bright green laser beam, originating somewhere from the subdivisions across Hawaii Kai Dr. Francis pointed out that there's a skate park in that area and was probably some kids with nothing better to do then to point laser beams at hikers at night. I then remembered incidents where people flashed green laser pointers at airplanes coming in for a landing. That is just utterly stupid and dangerous for them to do that. Soon, it began to get very irritating so I had the crew hold position and turn off our headlamps for a while. It appeared to work and the green beam was gone. A little further up, a regular flash light was directed at us from another section of the neighborhood and appeared to be flashing morse code at us, perhaps asking if we were in distress. Unfortunately we did not know morse code and simply ignored it. Later on, a BIG white spot light was aimed at us from yet another area of the neighborhood. At first I thought it was maybe an HPD officer but that thankfully was not the case. Finally, if any of those other lights were not enough, a blinding blue laser pointer beam was directed from us from a 4th location in the same general area, much more powerful than the already powerful green laser pointer. Hawaii Kai apparently loves their lights and laser pointers.

Soon we began contouring on the left side of the crest and lost sight of the laser beam. At about the 3/4th point, we scrambled up some rock faces, made our way carefully through cactus groves, and walked over a final set of narrow dikes before coming upon the final rock face just before the summit. It looks bad from below but up close, it's a cakewalk with plenty of hand and foot holds. We soon acquired the summit and reached the metal platform.

The views of Hawaii Kai all the way as far as Diamond Head and Waikiki were wonderful at night. Since it was getting late, we opted out of doing the Halona Blowhole side of the rim. After resting here for some time and taking photos, we went to the top of the tram tracks/stairs/"Stairway to Hell". Kevin pointed out a long tunnel just beyond the top of the stairs that leads into a huge bunker with several rooms. I've never knew about the tunnel so we decided to take a look before we headed down the stairs.

Neel decided to skip the tunnel part and proceeded down the stairs first while the rest of us followed. The time was a little after midnight when we reached the Koko Head Marina to retrieve the car and ferry us back to the neighborhood to get our cars. If you are curious about what hiking is like at night, give the Koko Crater Stairs a try. I probably wouldn't recommend traversing the rim itself at night, but the stairs leading to the summit makes for a great spot on a full moon night!

Photos:

No video was taken on this hike for obvious reasons, however check out a video

of a video I took last year when we did the Koko Crater Rim during the day.

9-19-2010: Koko Crater Rim Traverse (GoPro POV)

9-29-2011: Waimano to Aiea Ridge

2011-10-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

What happens when I don't hike for about 2 months or so? Walk over to the deep end of the pool and climb the tallest diving board and make a triumph return to Hawai`i hiking! That's exactly what I did on this hike... an 18 hour hike over 17 miles of trail!

Since I am playing connect the dots with the Ko'olau crest, I've managed to add yet another segment to my slowly but surely goal of completing the entire Ko'olaus from Pupukea to Makapu'u. We hiked up Waimano Ridge, made the cross over along the crest to the terminus of Aiea Ridge and descended that ridge back to the Aiea Loop Trail. Sounds easy right? What I didn't realize was the amount of time that would be required for my snail hiking pace. Also my hiking shoes were so damaged beyond recognition that I wondered if they would last this brutal 17 mile hike. The very first hike ever with these shoes was the Awa`awapuhi Trail in Kaua`i, back in 2009.

After staging cars on both ends, Steve, whom I met for the first time from Leslie Merrell's "O`ahu Hikers & Adventurers", we started our long 7 mile walk on Waimano Ridge Trail at little past 6am. Since this is a graded trail, it is a gradual ascent to the Ko'olau crest. The funny thing was that a week ago from this day, I took Mabel and Francis up Waimano Ridge Trail and we missed the continuing contour trail from the Boy Scouts picnic shelter. There is a trail that continues directly mauka beyond the table and it is very easy to mistake this as the contour trail. The result was us plowing through head high uluhe up and down rollercoasting hills. Since it was nearly 3 years since I've last done Waimano Trail, I thought maybe aliens have rearranged the landscape. =) This trail ends at a metal stake with "R-1" enscribed on it. The trail dead ends here. FYI for future hikers on the Waimano Ridge Trail, if you decide to take a break at the picnic table, make sure to backtrack about 10 or 20ft and you will easily spot the contour trail. Do not proceed beyond the table as this gains the crest of the ridge. Waimano Trail is a graded trail all the way to the summit.

Steve was not liking the weather as we were continually pelted by fast moving rain showers. The rain squalls came one after the other, as if a never ending train. I scanned far ahead, looking for a summit ridge but heavy dark clouds obscured it. I told Steve that Hawaii weather can change in a heart beat. "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes."

The weather really didn't change in 5 minutes but as we got closer to the summit, the clouds began to rise and break up. Soon the sun poured it's light through the broken clouds. Five minutes before reaching the summit, blue skies took over and the views were grand to leeward.

We reached the summit at around 10am and took in the windward expanse. Directly below us was Waihe'e Valley. I've hiked through this valley to visit a couple of waterfalls last year. Farther out was the Kaneohe sand bar and He`eia. Knowing we had a long journey ahead of us on the summit ridge, we didn't spend much time and off we went, going up and down like crazy on a never ending parade of pu'u. The overgrowth was bad at times, but manageable.

I was attempting to look for the topping out point of Waiau Ridge but saw no signs of any ribbons or a distinct summit. We looked far ahead and noticed a gigantic grassy hill. I've read on several write ups that this grassy pu'u is the terminal point of Waimalu Middle Ridge. The climb up it was surreal. I've just never seen such a huge grassy meadow on the top of the Ko'olaus, or any mountain peak here on O`ahu. We probably reached the top of this hill at around 12:30pm and paused to take in the majestic views. The grassy plateau is so huge that it's probably the best summit camp out spot on the entire Ko'olaus. Far out, Ohulehule stood tall and proud and could see the ridges of the Kualoa Ranch in it's entirely. We barely made out True Manamana and Manana Ridge. Looking to the west was the Wai`anae Range and flat topped Mt. Ka`ala. Give me a lunch wagon, and a tent, and I could live up here forever.

I looked at the time and was beginning to worry whether if we were going to make it down Aiea Ridge before nightfall. Reluctant to leave, we departed the grassy hill and continued on what could of been 8 pu'u before topping out at Aiea Ridge. I looked far ahead along the summit spine and grew even more worried with the time. After pu'u #6, we reached the Aiea "saddle" powerline tower. By this time, the sun was slipping below the horizon and the night time clouds were beginning to return to the summit ridge. Time was running out fast. By the time we finally reached the Aiea Ridge summit, now completely socked in, sunlight was just about completely gone and out came our headlamps. I proceeded to have my MRE for dinner. We were beginning to get fatigued and we still had the 6 mile jaunt on the Aiea Ridge and Loop Trail.

Hiking down was very tricky to say the least. This would be my first time to hike on an ungraded Ko'olau ridge in it's entirely with nothing but a headlamp. When we got to Pu'u Kawipo`o, the helipad, the city lights came into view and it was beautiful. My shoes finally had enough, the soles of my left shoe peeled back like the cover of a sardine can and I was virtually hiking half shoe, half barefoot. We reached the junction with the Aiea Loop Trail by 11pm and we were back at the car at little past midnight to complete an 18 hour hike, the longest I've personally done. I took off my shoes at the trailhead and tossed them in the first trash can I saw and walked to the car barefoot.

I proceeded to fetch my car at the Waimano Trail at 12:30am and didn't get home til 1am. I finally fell asleep at 2am with a wake up time of 7am to head to work on a 10am flight to Tokyo, Narita, Japan, another 8 hour flight. I've never slept so hard on a layover before.... about 14 hours.

Photos:

The Ko'olau crest from Waimano to the large grassy pu'u, which is the high dark peak.

Typical of Ko'olau summit walking

Panorama of Waihe`e Valley, He`eia, and Kualoa Ranch

(Click here for a bigger version)

Giant grassy pu'u, which is possibly the terminal point of Waimalu Ridge

The grassy pu'u is on the right hand side

(Click here for a bigger version)

View from the base of the grassy pu'u

Climbing up the near pure grassy hill

Valley of the Temples

Past the grassy pu'u is the 7 or 8 pu'u to the large pu'u in the clouds, which marks the Aiea terminus

The Aiea terminus is the brightly lit peak. The dark peak on the right is Haiku Stairs

The sun begins to set

Photo taken from Pu'u Kawipo`o, on the Aiea Ridge Trail. Notice the H-3.

Video:

Waimano to Aiea Ridge (GoPro POV)

9-8/25-2011: Breezy Experimental Aircraft

2011-10-07T00:39:00.000-07:00

Ever remember watching the movie "Aladdin" back in your childhood days? Remember that Magic Carpet scene where they fly high above the desert city while the song "A Whole New World" is being played? That fantasy became a reality after befriending a local pilot who owns probably one of the most bizarre looking aircraft I've ever seen in my entire life. And to take it over the island of O`ahu, making flybys of the numerous ridges I've hiked on, made for a surreal experience. Photos and videos can only show a fraction of the experience. With me working in the airline industry, flying can be a routine thing... that is when I'm trapped inside a metal tube at 30,000ft. Try getting up close and personal to the pali in a completely "fuselage-less" aircraft with nothing but your seat holding you up thousands of feet. It truly was a mind boggling experience!

The aircraft is known as a "Breezy" due to the breezy conditions experienced during flight and apparently it can be constructed by anyone who acquires the blueprints from the original creator. The wings are from a Piper and rest are a tubular skeleton air frame that supports the rest. It is so light that one can push down on the tail section and the nose gear will go up. This is useful as the plane can be positioned just about anywhere by simply pushing or pulling it into tight spots that a plane would never be able to get to by conventional means of taxing.

As of writing this entry, I've made two flights, one on September 8, 2011 and September 25, 2011. The first flight focused on the Ko'olaus and the three highway saddles (ATC and pilots call these formations "gaps" ex. Kalihi Valley Gap). The 2nd flight does a low flyby of the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, causing the tourists to look up at us because this red bird has 2 big angry eyes to stare you down! If you're a green pig, I'd run! Following the Pali Lookout is a leisure cruise along the windward O`ahu coast northward towards North Shore and back over the Wahiawa Plains.

To the pilot: Mahalo nui loa for taking me into a new dimension... literally!

Photo from the 9-8-2011 flight (Photo album)

Photo from the 9-25-2011 flight (Photo album)

Experimental Aircraft

Got shaka high above Kahana Bay?

Video:

9-8-2011 Flight

9-25-2011 Flight

8-25-2011: Razor Ridge

2011-10-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

Where has the month of September gone? My last entry dates back to when I did the Kalihi Saddle over the summer. The days are getting shorter (slightly), the nights are getting a bit on the nippy side, and the U.S. mainland turns their clocks back one hour exactly one month from today (October 6, 2011), indicating that Fall is in full swing. I've been busy with work (Delta Air Lines) as I worked full time in the month of September although I did manage to squeeze in one super hike into my chaotic schedule.

Back in August, towards the end of the month, we did a hike out on the west side of O`ahu. The crew on this day consisted of Gene, Marcus, Francis, Thessa, and myself. Due to local "investigations", I am not allowed to name the location of the hike, but the ridge we climbed reaches for No Name Peak. Gene dubbed this "Razor Ridge" due to some rather thin dikes encountered. While this is no Kalihi Saddle or Bolohead Ridge, Razor Ridge can put on a good adrenaline rush.

The air was absolutely stagnant as if O`ahu was stuffed inside a large canvas. It also didn't help that the humidity was sky high. Hot and sticky was the theme for the day and it would only get worse as time progressed. Nonetheless we pushed off under partly cloudy skies into a valley to gain the ridge leading up to No Name.

The clouds departed and the sun began beaming down on us as we gained the crest of the ridge. The climb up wasn't that difficult, but the aforementioned weather conditions increased the difficulty factor to times fifty. At this point, I almost wanted to call it quits as I really began to bog down under the intense heat. Initially the ridgeline wasn't "razor" enough to pose an imminent danger of falling, but the further we went towards No Name, the more narrow it would get.

Eventually we came across a fearsome looking notch that had to be negotiated. But to even get to the notch itself required inching our way around a block boulder that filled just about the entire width of the ridge. This was akin to the block boulder on Kawiwi'unu Ridge. Ropes were installed to help get around the boulder. Climbing up and over the boulder is an option but I wasn't in the mood to perform any aerobic jumps or stunts.

I caught up to the group as they were descending into the notch one by one. Ropes were already installed to make the 30-40ft descent somewhat easier. A big drop on the ocean facing valley made us cautious during the descent. We knew the drill: big drop, crumbly rock, ropes that shouldn't be trusted. As my turn to descend came up, Marcus was just about at the top of the cliff (50ft) on the other side of the notch after free climbing it to install rope.

The climb up the cliff face was tricky. The best way to attack this was to follow a indentation in the cliff face. However, the bottom half was completely smooth and finding hand/foot holds proved difficult. To make it worse, a massive drop off awaited to the right and behind you. Falling here would end someone's day very quickly. We all made it one by one up the cliff face without incident.

Beyond the cliff face, the slope remained very steep with one minor rock face to scale. At the top is a false summit with a fence running through it. One could easily mistake this as the true summit but don't let it fool you. From here, one turns right and follows the fenceline towards No Name Peak, which is obscured by a hill. Once we gained the top of this hill, we saw the remainder of the entire climb. While the ridgeline was rather level, a 2nd and suicidal looking 60ft cliff face went virtually straight up to the summit of No Name. Have no fear though as this is easily bypassed by following the fence all the way to it's end, and then hanging left to pick up a contour trail that reaches for ridgeline between Tiki and No Name. Marcus wanted to look for that extra adrenaline and ended up free climbing the entire darn cliff face to gain No Name and proceeded to meet us at Tiki. Gene, being on a timely schedule with work, had to descend early ahead of us while we took a well deserved rest by the mammoth boulders making up Tiki.

Instead of following the ridgeline from Tiki to Three Poles (W-K Trail), we went north north west to descend back into the valley we came up from to complete the hike as a loop. About halfway down, we lost the trail and ended hiking back down via a very wet and slippery gulch. At this moment, I was already feeling the effects of heat exhaustion and was not able to properly concentrate on my foot placement. This resulted in numerous slip and falls on the wet rocks, making for a very frustrating descent.

We eventually popped out on to the valley road and headed back towards the ocean, concluding the loop hike. Will I do this again? MAYBE, if the weather is better. I would like to know the correct route from Tiki back to the valley road.

Photos:

Initial climb up Razor Ridge

This view awaits you upon cresting out on the ridgeline

(Click here for a larger version)

No Name Peak, our target destination, beckons on the right

The notch and 1st cliff face

The descent into the notch (1st cliff face is behind me in these photos)

The 1st cliff face

View from the top of the cliff face

Marcus free climbs the 2nd wall leading up to No Name Peak

Safely back on the valley road

Razor Ridge in it's entirely with both cliff faces clearly visible

Video:

Razor Ridge (GoPro POV)

8-4-2011: Lanihuli to Kalihi Saddle

2011-08-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

I never thought it would have came down to this so soon. With Moanalua and Nu'uanu Saddles under my belt and the Kalihi Saddle half completed from the Bowman side, it was only natural for me to attempt the daring descent from Pu'u Lanihuli towards the Wilson Tunnels of the Likelike Hwy. I've tried doing research as far as any documentation whatsoever on this section of the Kalihi Saddle but to no avail with the exception of Pete Clines' scout hike. I've only heard that Hawai`i hiking legend, Chuck Godek, has descended from Bowman down into the saddle and up to Lanihuli back in the good old days. Of course back then, documenting a hike was probably not the "in" thing to do like it is today with all the numerous modern technological ways to document a trek.

I've looked at this section of the saddle time and time again from various points of the island and wondered if it can even be done at all. There was only one way to find out. I knew we would have to get through menacing rock formations and pinnacles such as "Can Opener", "The Pimple", "Doorstop", the two "Bunny Ears", and the "Shark's Fin" before we reached the powerline trail. Continuing past the powerline terminus would be the "Witch's Hat" and finally the maddening ascent up the terminus of Bowman, having to negotiate the "Two Triangles". The Daredevils today would be Marcus Griego, Jeremy Kreis, Michael Loftin, Rhonda Hutchinson, and myself.

We shoved off at around 6:15am at Alewa Dr. and began our long 6 mile jaunt on the roller coasting Lanihuli Trail. The weather was typical of a morning day on the Ko'olaus: low clouds with an occasional rain shower. However the trades were roaring on this day and this would be worrisome while on the saddle itself. Enroute to the summit we saw the Kalihi Saddle to our west, once again smiling it's evil smile with the glow of the morning sun. Over to the east, we could barely make out the eastern portion of the Nu'uanu Saddle. Pali Notches and the Chimney were visble under the glow of the sun. It was pretty eerie looking.

The Kalihi Saddle, viewed from Lanihuli Trail

We reached the summit roughly 3 hours or so later and began making our final preparations for our descent of doom. There was uncertainty so we were to go as far as we felt relatively "safe". Sturdy anchors or a lack of them would decide if we shall pass or not. Weather at the summit was socked in conditions, wet, fog, and lots of wind.

Turning left at the summit, we prodded on through typical summit terrain. Like the Bowman side, we had to reach another smaller peak before the actual descent into the Kalihi Saddle. Weather conditions turned for the worst with a brief downpour coupled with the winds, making for a miserable walk. But we were not to be deterred!

We reached a large grassy clearing marked with several trail tape upon reaching this peak. Looking ahead, we could see the ridge start to make it's perilous descent and disappear into the thick clouds. As we continued ahead, the clouds briefly lifted to provide a spectacular view of the Likelike Hwy, far below us! The excitement has begun! Further down, the ridge narrows to Kalihi Saddle proportions. While the ridge itself was incredibly thin, 6 inches on the massive eroded portions, there were overhanging gullies about some 10-20ft down on each side to act as a safety net should we fall, unlike the Bowman side of the saddle. But safety net or none, falling is a bad thing, with the potential to break you mentally. Marcus and Jeremy were ahead of me while Michael and Rhonda were trailing behind me.

Still on the descent, we traversed over a couple of severely eroded spots that made for some tricky negotiating. The clouds were still thick so I could only see probably some 50ft or so in any direction. Winds were howling and I thought I could feel the ridge swaying a bit. At some point after the eroded dikes, the clouds magically lifted on the windward side of our ridge but still remained socked in to leeward. This is the kind of thing that keeps me coming back for more. I just couldn't get enough of those "cloud dances". Looking down windward, I could see the cars motoring about on the Likelike and H-3 highways, oblivious to "dare devils" on the ridges above them!

Suddenly, the ridge moved! In a blink of an eye, I realized I was tumbling down towards windward! Apparently the eroded ridge, plants and all, crumbled apart and I lost my balance as I was straddling it. Like a bolt of lightning, I threw my arms higher than Mt. Ka'ala and grabbed hold of anything. Fortunately, I felt my left hand touching a sturdy root and tightened my grip with quick reflexes. My other arm wrapped around the still crumbling ridge and literally did a bear hug with it. Together, I heaved myself back up onto the crest with Mike, who was behind me, looking in disbelief of what just transpired. All of that happened in probably 2 seconds. This would be the first close call of many to follow.

As the clouds completely dissipated and the sun began to shine, we reached a level section of the ridge. Then it all disappeared! We all knew we were at the top of the dreadful "Can Opener". Marcus went over to take a peek of what was down below and signaled a thumbs down. There was absolutely nothing to anchor ropes to. If we couldn't go down it directly, we would have to contour it on the windward side. We backtracked a bit and came across the only sole tree that was not in good shape at all. Looking on the windward side, the grade of the slope was actually not that bad and we spotted more sturdy trees further below that we can use for anchors. After affixing 100ft of webbing, Jeremy was first to go down, followed by myself. I glanced back to where Rhonda and Marcus was... only to find out that Marcus was gone! I took a closer look and discovered Marcus already halfway down an overhanging gully that is adjacent to the Can Opener! And he was free climbing down too! That guy was nuts!

Once Jeremy was off the ropes, I went down the steep grassy slope until I was relatively at the same elevation as Marcus and now Jeremy, who were waiting for the rest of us. They were to the windward of the Can Opener's "hook". The rest of us made it down without incident and regrouped. Up ahead was a sketchy contour that would bring us back to the main summit ridge past the Can Opener. Since Marcus, Rhonda, and myself had donned our microspikes, it was not too bad. Jeremy and Michael however, had to make due with nothing for security but a few clusters of loose grass here and there, while contouring on a non existent ledge. Slipping was not an option. If one slipped here, game over. Period. Jeremy called that section the "scariest of his life".

Thankfully we all made it over without incident and we all looked back up at the Can Opener, which was now above us. Ironically, it looked very similar to the Pali Notches "Chimney" section, although more severely eroded. The grade of the descent was now at level with the remainder of the Kalihi Saddle. This angle provided a unique view of the saddle and it was magical! Up ahead however, were menacing looking pinnacles that looked impossible to climb. These were the "Pimple", "Doorstop", and the two "Bunny Ears". Quoting Pete "The Pimple looked indescribably thin". He was right!

We descended down into a notch just prior to the Pimple and began discussing options of how to get by the next pinnacles. Marcus, almost on autopilot, continued up to the Pimple to scout the other side while the rest of us stayed back in the notch to watch. As Marcus was going up, I swear I never saw so much rock dislodge. In fact it was so frequent, that we were all nearly scared to death for him! If you have watched a boat pass by you, you would see the water behind it trail in it's wake. That was what all those loose rocks were like as he went up the Pimple. It formed a "boulder wake" behind him! It was one of the creepiest things I've ever seen in my entire life. To top it all off, the winds were still roaring at 20mph or more!

"No Thanks!" was all what we agreed upon after seeing that so we began affixing rope to a Strawberry Guava tree that was strangely just below the summit crest of the notch. Our plan: drop to leeward and contour around the Pimple and regain the Doorstop by climbing on it's town side. After the rope was ready, we called out to Marcus who was still on the top of the Pimple and told him of our next move. He said he was going to try for it and that he would meet us on the other side of the Doorstop. Down we went back into the forest and began our contour. The contour was easier said than done. The slope was still steep and we merely used branches and roots for support. Eventually we saw the other side of the Doorstop about 20ft up. However, this would be the steepest climb on this hike and it looked in terrible shape as far as hand and footholds go. Jeremy was up, followed by Rhonda. Jeremy laid down rope to help make the climb easier for the rest of us. I was next and was just about to complete the climb when disaster struck. The non existent foothold crumbled below me and I was sliding down the very steep slope. I caught myself and tried reaching what appeared to be a sturdy tree. Then suddenly, that tree was uprooted and 170lbs of hiker, 20lbs of camelbak, and a large tree were all free falling down leeward! At this point, everything in my vision turned into a blur. I let out a loud scream and that's all I could do! Somehow, the rope wrapped around my right knee and I felt it tensing up! Still free falling, the rope caused me to reorient upside down. Now, I was tumbling head over heels. Small rocks and dust filled the air around me. Like a noose on my knee, it tightened up. Excruciating pain shot down my right leg. I looked up and saw the rope rubbing over the back of my knee at great speeds as if it was on a pulley system! I reached up and tried to grab the still moving rope! It tightened around my knee even more and the pain intensified! With my sense of direction lost amidst the chaos and no signs of slowing down, I thought this was it. I'm a goner. I waited and I waited...

Then everything went quiet. I looked around and found myself laying on my back against my camelbak, which was now being held up by some brushes and other small trees. I looked at the slope and noticed it was still at the steep sloping grade. I wasn't on level ground, but merely held up by vegetation. Then I looked up and quickly released the rope from my knee. The wound looked like it was burnt with a blowtorch. My adrenaline was in full swing and I barely noticed the pain. I then heard Michael call out to me. I called back out and noticed my words were slurred! This was when I began my body feeling numb. Michael then came down to where I was and secured a second rope to help get me back to safety. Calling rescue came across my head but Michael shot that thought down, saying that my crew wasn't going anywhere until they got me to safety. He gave me some water and coaxed me to safety of a nearby sturdy tree. Apparently I've gotten dehydrated and the water helped me regain my bearings, along with Michael comforting me to ease my traumatic stress. The numbing slowly went away. Eager to try again, Michael took my pack to lighten the load. While I was on the rope again making the climb, Jeremy and Marcus heaved on the other side of the rope to expedite my climb. This was a wonderful thing to see, my crew working hard together to bring me to safety. Now on top, I could feel the whipping tradewinds once again and I sat down and gulped down a 5 hour drink and one of Jeremy's "legendary" Rice Krispie Treats! Like Wall-E drained of battery power, my "power gauge" regained to full power and although slightly dazed with the wind knocked out of me after that fall, I was ready to continue. Michael came back up and were all now regrouped with Marcus. A near disaster averted. I thank everyone who helped me and especially Michael, who managed to calm me down and come back to myself during that awful experience.

After a 15 to 30 minute break, we packed our gear and marched forward on the sometimes narrow dikes. We were now heading down the much gentler slope of the Doorstop and towards the first out of two Bunny Ears. These were not as menacing as the Doorstop and Pimple but still challenging with it's crumbly dikes and steep ascents and descents.

One last pinnacle to go, the "Shark's Fin". Actually for some odd reason, whether if it was because we were all mentally drained at this point and didn't care what was next, or because it wasn't as impressive as the other pinnacles, we did not actually see it at all, nor noticed any great ascents or descents on said pinnacle. I guess we just wanted to all go home already. One last descent and we all reached the safety of the Powerline Trail. We did it. We truly did it! We were here! And it only required 8 hours of a hellish nightmare. We had finally woken up. Except this was all real and not a dream! By this time, the pain from my knee was starting to come back so we powered down the Powerline Trail and reached Likelike Hwy, 12 hours after we had started from Alewa Dr. The Kalihi Saddle was at last completed. With the Moanalua and Nu'uanu Saddles completed as well, this epic chapter of the Ko'olau Saddles can at last come to a close and I am very happy about that.

It was a hike to remember and I have the battle scars to prove it! I would like to quote Coty Gonzales who completed the Bowman to Haiku Stairs summit walk a few days prior to our hike: "It was insane, dangerous, scary, and extremely stupid. It was also a (once in a) lifetime experience."

Another hiking legend, Dick Davis mentioned that the Bowman side of the Kalihi Saddle to the Likelike Tunnels is "No Man's Land". I personally would like to call the Lanihuli side of the saddle to the Likelike Tunnels "Pandora's Ridge". When one sets foot upon the ridge, 8 demons are unleashed: the seven deadly ways of falling and the 8th being hope. Yeah, we captured hope today and we are grateful to be alive.

Imua!

Epilogue: On August 7, 2011 (8-7-2011), Martyna and Allegra completed a successful climb to Lanihuli via this route detailed in this entry.

Photos:

Alewa Dr.

East Nu'uanu Saddle with "nub" and "Chimney"

Calm before the storm

Pali Notches and Chimney leading up to Konahuanui K1

Kalihi Saddle awaits us with great resolve...

Summit of Pu'u Lanihuli

Descending into the Kalihi Saddle from Lanihuli

Reaching the top of "Can Opener"

Further below is the "Pimple" "Doorstop" and the two "Bunny Ears"

Just below is the "Can Opener"

Marcus scouts out the top of Can Opener while the rest of us have other plans.

No Marcus, don't go into the light!

Insanity at it's best!

Marcus is at least part sane for not being drawn towards the light!

Dropping down to windward to bypass the Can Opener

Side view of the "Can Opener"

The Can Opener "hook"

Probably the best photo of Kalihi Saddle from this side

Dave Fahrenwald shot this photo from the ground somewhere near the Likelike Hwy. Here we are contouring the bottom portion of the Can Opener.

Can Opener from below

Making our way towards Pimple, Doorstop, and the two Bunny Ears

Close up shot of Can Opener which looks surprisingly similar to the Chimney

Dropping down into the notch just prior to Pimple.

Top of Doorstop and heading for the Bunny Ears

The Bowman side of the Kalihi Saddle

(Note the peaks of Bowman, Tripler, Keahi a Kahoe, and Haiku Stairs are visible.)

Nu'uanu Saddle is barely visible. Jeremy and Rhonda is descending a cliff face at lower right.

Shot taken from the 2nd Bunny Ear as Jeremy and Rhonda descend the 1st Ear

Looking back at where we came from, Lanihuli!

Descending the other Bunny Ear

Overlooking Likelike and H-3 highways

Likelike Hwy windward

Tired and mentally drained

Likelike Hwy town side

Almost to the powerline Trail

PAU!

All smiles after waking up from a horrible nightmare!

This is the "battle wound" I received during my short but scary ordeal on Doorstop.

This is the backside of my right knee where the rope rubbed against during the fall.

As of writing this entry, I am still limping like an old man because of this.

Video:

Lanihuli to Kalihi Saddle (GoPro POV)

7-15-2011: Kahuauli (Bowman) to Kalihi Saddle

2011-07-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

There are three saddles on the Ko'olau mountain range on the island of O`ahu. All three have trans-Ko'olau tunnels running underneath that are part of highways that link the windward side of the island to Honolulu and Waikiki. These are the Moanalua (H-3), Kalihi (Likelike), and Nu'uanu (Pali) Saddles. Numerous hikers have documented their hikes on the Moanalua and Nu'uanu Saddles while Kalihi remained virtually untouched. Hawaii hiking legend Dick Davis called the section between Pu'u Kahuauli and the Kalihi Saddle as no-man's land. Pete Caldwell and Don Fox ascended to the saddle via a steep trail that was situated above the Likelike Tunnels on July 14, 1997. Pete Clines and company did a loop from the highway to the saddle and back in spring of 2011. Kaleo Lancaster and his crew ascended to the saddle via a powerline trail on June 25, 2011.

On July 11, 2011, Laredo, Francis, and I ascended the powerline trail and scouted the lower portion of the saddle in the direction of Kahuauli. This included traversing up and over a large pinnacle that was dubbed "Witch's Hat". The ridge remained mind boggling narrow for the entire way. I attempted to go as far as I could up towards Bowman but was halted by a completely eroded cliff face. I tried to free climb on it's windward side but with the margin for error virtually at zero, I decided against continuing. A top down approach would have to be the answer. Apparently there are actually two eroded cliff faces and I call these Triangles #1 and #2 due to their shapes. I only managed to get to the bottom of the 1st triangle. Unfortunately, after we have turned around and began our exit from the saddle, Laredo was struck by falling rock during the traverse over the Witch's Hat. Although injured, he was able to hike out under his own power and we all made the exit without further incident. This saddle is no joke!

Four days later on July 15, 2011, Marcus Griego, Jeremy Kreis, and I would make an attempt at a precarious descent from Pu'u Kahuauli (Bowman Terminus) to the powerline pole that is near the Likelike Tunnels. We began our trek at the Bowman trailhead and hiked it's entire 6 mile trail to reach Kahuauli. From there, we were to turn right on the Ko'olau summit ridge and begin the descent into the Kalihi Saddle.

Pushing off at 6:30am, we began the uneventful hike up Bowman Trail. With speed hikers Jeremy and Marcus a part of my crew, I knew I had to push harder than normal. As we reached several clearings along the trail, we saw the morning sun peek under the low lying clouds that remained over the summit ridge. The saddle however was free of cloud cover. The sun light created an eerie "smile" with the saddle, as if it were taunting us.

The Kalihi Saddle with the morning sun (Photo courtesy of Marcus Griego, taken from Bowman Trail)

After roughly 3 to 4 hours, we gained the summit, which remained socked in. Sometimes we got sporadic views of the windward side of the island. After a short break, we began our journey into the unknown. Jeremy took the ramrod and I took the rear position. The ridge at first was typical to any Ko'olau summit ridge. We had to gain another smaller peak before the actual descent into the saddle. When we began the descent, the ridge already had begun to narrow considerably. We soon dropped below the cloud decks and saw our first obstacle, a severely eroded dike with a sketchy cliff face at it's end. Jeremy scouted it out and signaled to us that it was a no go. Marcus then checked out the town facing side of the ridge and spotted an area where we could contour around the eroded dike. To get to the "trail" however involved a very steep descent off the crest of the ridge with the aid of ropes. We all made the contour without incident.

Continuing downward on the still narrow ridge, we reached a point where further progress was halted. The thin ridgeline literally disappeared. This gave us strong indications that we were probably at the top of the 2nd Triangle. We stopped here for quite some time debating our options, including turning around. The views from here were incredible. To our left was the expanse of windward O`ahu. At seven o clock was the Haiku Stairs terminus. Directly in front of us was the other half of the saddle and the impossible looking climb to Lanihuli. From twelve to five o clock was the commanding view of Kalihi Valley and the Likelike Hwy that snakes it's way through the forests. I've never had a heavenly like view like this from a Ko'olau summit ridge. I wanted to stay here forever. During the time I was admiring the views, Marcus attempted to scout ahead to the start of the 2nd Triangle and deemed it unsafe to continue. Things looked grim. Turning around was probably the best option.

After a short "meditation", I decided to scout and see if we could have any remote chance of descending it. Windward and townside were not an option. The ridge dropped almost vertical, making a contour impossible. Another issue was the lack of well... anything to anchor rope to. Miraculously, I found probably the only single "sturdy" 'Ōhi'a Lehua tree and affixed rope to it. I put sturdy in quotes because it was not sturdy at all, but it did support the weight of us. Going down the 2nd triangle was one of the scariest moments in my entire life. Here we were, on a ridge that was virtually undocumented, exploring a new frontier. To top all of that off, I was dangling off a side of the cliff as I was unrolling rope that was only secured to an unstable tree. The cliff face was as narrow as the horizontal ridge itself, maybe a foot wide! The suicide drops surrounded me on all three sides. I had to keep all of that out of my head and focus on the only 4 points of contact my body has with the 1 foot wide vertical piece of Planet Earth. Time was frozen in my head and all I could think of was getting down this cliff face safely. After a long and extremely tense moment, I could finally feel the ridge turning more horizontal as I went more of the townside direction during the descent. I let go of the rope and contoured the remaining final feet back to the ridgeline. I've made it and shouted that I was clear of the rope. The rope was 100-150ft and I had to use all of it for the 2nd Triangle. I walked on a vegetation free dike until I reached a brush and plopped down, facing the cliff face that I just descended! Video nor photo will do justice to see what this was like.

With the rope laid out, Jeremy and Marcus made the descent without incident and we all took a short break. I took the ramrod position and made our way towards the 1st triangle, the same cliff face where I turned around upon reaching the bottom of it. Once at the top of it, we found a lone but sturdy tree that we could use as an anchor. Jeremy made the descent first, followed by me. I got hung up after I dropped down on the town facing side and had to "contour" literally on the vertical cliff face to reach another lone sturdy tree that provided a critical hand hold. I could not make any head way to reach this tree. I even attempted to come directly at the tree from above but there was a completely vertical boulder with absolutely no holds, other than the flimsy rope. I decided that contouring was the only way and had to make the "contour of faith". I lunged forward at the tree and barely grabbed hold of it and pulled my way past it to reach a rocky ledge that was no wider than a shoe. The rope got tangled with the life saving tree and was forced to complete the remaining contour without any rope.

Without warning, I heard the ground tremble and Marcus yell something. Somewhere far above me, something was falling down fast. Suddenly, I came face to face with the biggest damn boulder I've ever seen freefalling! I have to say it was as big as a 50 inch television. And it fell right over me! Since I was protected by the ridge itself as I was in a groove that was etched into the side of it, the cliff above deflected the boulder right over the top of me. I could have probably touched it with my outstretched arm! It fell harmlessly past me and I watched it plunge further down and explode on impact upon hitting another object, disappearing in a cloud of dust and with a loud boomish thud. Had I been in the direct path of this boulder, I probably would have not survived as boulder and I would have taken the plunge together. I had to shake that feeling off and continue focusing on the remaining contour. Using only loose rock as a guide with my hand, I somehow made it over the ledge and back to the ridgeline. I was never so relieved to feel those whipping tradewinds again! Marcus proceeded to finish his descent without incident.

At last, we made it down the two triangles safely and I recognized the remaining ridgeline as familiar territory as we were at my turn around point on the scout hike! The ridge maintained it's crumbly knife edge narrow profile as we carefully navigated downward. The descent was beginning to level off and it transitioned into a more level and then down action. Don't let your guard down here, the danger factor is still extremely high with the big drops on both sides. I was bummed after discovering that my black Panasonic Lumix ZS7 went missing from my pocket. I remember taking my last photo just after we all finished the descent of the 1st Triangle. Somewhere between the 1st Triangle and the last descent prior to Witch's Hat, my camera fell out of my pocket.

Eventually we reached the infamous "Witch's Hat". The Bowman facing side of the Hat has a 5 or 6 foot face right at the bottom that involves a mighty heave (or a mighty jump if going in the opposite direction). Just past the Witch's Hat is another menacing looking hill but one contours on the windward side of it to bypass it completely. Beyond that, the ridge begins to take on a more broader profile at last and we were soon at the powerline pole, 6 hours after we started our trek from the Bowman Terminus! The powerline trail is actually suitable for beginner hikers, although the trail can be very muddy if it has rained recently. But the broad lookout where the powerline is at on the Kalihi Saddle makes for a good lunch area, akin to the Kulana'ahane Trail that reaches for the lowpoint on the Moanalua Saddle. The only problem is access. There's no where to park your car legally along the side of Likelike Hwy. Someone would have to drop and come back for you.

As for the Bowman to the Likelike Tunnels via the Kalihi Saddle? It's hands down the most messed up ridge I've ever hiked. Never again. I seriously urge against attempting this. The ropes do NOT have good stable anchors at all! And if a group does attempt it, if you find a black Panasonic Lumix ZS7 somewhere on the ridge between the 1st Triangle and the nub next to Witch's Hat, that would be amazing!

What about the Lanihuli side of Kalihi Saddle? That looks even worse...

7-11-2011: Kalihi Saddle to Bowman Scout Hike Photos:

Power station with ridge line making up the Bowman side of Kalihi Saddle

The Bowman side of the saddle up close

Summit of powerline trail

Looking back on powerline pole and in the direction of Lanihuli

We start scouting the Bowman side of the saddle.

The photo on the right is the tunnel facing side of Witch's Hat

A lone ironwood tree stands tall and proud. Haiku Stairs terminus is in the clouds.

The photo on the left shows how far I got. The photo on the right shows the 2nd Triangle

Starting to head back down

View of Kalihi Saddle and some of the Nu'uanu Saddle behind Lanihuli

The Witch's Hat far and up close

Ridge heading up to Kahuauli

The Lanihuli side of the saddle

Pali Lookout, Notches, and Chimney

Kalihi Valley

Pu'u Kahuauli at the top with the steep ascent/descent from/to Witch's Hat

Triangle 1 at bottom, Triangle 2 at top

Taken just before my turn around point

Turn around point at bottom of Triangle 1

7-15-2011: Kahuauli to Kalihi Saddle Descent Photos:

Since I've lost my still photos when my camera went missing, I had to make due with snap shots from videos.

Summit of Bowman Trail

Initial descent into Kalihi Saddle

Jeremy checks out an eroded dike, which we would later contour on lee side.

Jeremy scouts the eroded dike.

Contour around eroded dike

Taken just above the two triangles

Jeremy and Marcus with Haiku Stairs terminus on the ridge line behind on the right

H-3 and Likelike Hwy far below

Start of descent down 2nd Triangle

I reach the bottom safely and look back at 2nd Triangle

Jeremy heads down the 2nd Triangle (Photo courtesy of Marcus Griego)

2nd Triangle up close! It's very very steep! (Photo courtesy of Marcus Griego)

Jeremy descends the 1st Triangle

Notice the "groove" running horizontally through the 1st triangle. This is what protected me from the boulder!

(Photo courtesy of Marcus Griego)

After 1st Triangle, ridge gets really narrow

Marcus straddles probably one of the thinnest portions of the ridge

The Witch's Hat (photo courtesy of Marcus Griego)

Still alive and kickin'!

Video:

Kahuauli (Bowman) to Kalihi Saddle (GoPro POV)

Kalihi Saddle - Scout Hike (GoPro POV)

DGC and the 808 Goonies to appear on local T.V.

2011-06-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

The 808 Goonies and myself will be featured LIVE on local radio and T.V. on July 12, 2011 at 8am! Join us by tuning in to the radio or television channel below!

Local Radio - K108 AM1080
Local T.V. Channel - OC16 (Oceanic Cable)
Live streaming video - http://www.oc16.tv/

Show: Urban Beach Boys
Topic to be discussed: Our hiking adventures and the GoPro camera
Showtime: 8am (HST) with a runtime of 1 hour

For everyone who's living on the mainland, this show will be also LIVE via streaming video via this link: http://www.oc16.tv/ (remember to start streaming your video at 8am Hawaii Time / HST (ex. Detroit, Michigan will be 2pm EST.)

6-12-2011: Kawiwi to Kamaile'unu (Kawiwiunu)

2011-06-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

I apologize for bringing this tale up so late. I attended an old college friend's wedding, whom she got married on June 19th, 2011. The result was me flying all the way to Detroit, Michigan from the 17th up to the 22nd. Needless to say, I had a great time!

The weather was a rotten one on this day with the Ko'olaus completely drenched with rain. The clouds also remained over the Wai`anae Mountains but showed some signs of dissipating so Francis and I decided to venture out on the ridges high above the lee side of O`ahu. Gene Witte would join us after putting aside plans to help maintain a heiau, which ironically happens to be in the same area in Wai`anae Valley.

If one hikes up the Kamaile'unu Ridge from the coast, he/she will reach a point on the ridgeline where the terminus of the normal HTMC club hike is located. Here, one will get a commanding 360 degree view of much of the entire leeward side of the island. Looking towards the east, there lies Pu'u Kawiwi and No Name Peak. If one were to continue along the ridge towards Ka'ala, he/she would drop down very steeply to a saddle with a notch that has a near vertical rock face that has to be traversed, along with a secondary but less minor rock face, before the summit of Kawiwi could be acquired. The target ridge today was to be the connector between Pu'u Kawiwi and the terminal point of Kamaile'unu Ridge. Gene opted to show us a different exit from the Kamaile'unu terminus leading us down to Makaha Valley and the towers, thus avoiding having to use the normal club hike in it's entirely. This area was Gene's stomping grounds so he knew all the ins and outs of the valley.

After staging my car at Makaha Resort and Golf Course, we motored our way via Gene's Taurus towards Wai`anae Valley Rd. Just before the dirt parking lot and the gate, we passed by a rather large group of hikers, also preparing for a hike in the Wai`anae Valley area. Almost instantly I spotted Steveo and Udom! Turns out the HTMC was doing the Wai`anae Ramble the same day of our hike. The weather was not looking too good as we saw a rain shower pouring further up the valley near Three Poles. The sky remained overcast.

We shoved off at 8:30am and began our upward grind on the board of water supply road that begins at the end of Wai`anae Valley Rd. The road is also the same starting point for the Wai`anae Kai Loop and Ka'ala routes. At a certain point up the road, with Gene leading us, we veered left off the road and through a fire break. Turns out this was also the location of the same heiau that he was to be maintaining today! Sure enough after hiking a short way towards the direction of Kawiwi via a fenceline, we ran into Gene's heiau clearing crew and exchanged pleasantries.

Soon enough we arrived at the grassy pasture at the foothill of the ridgeline that climbs up steeply to Kawiwi. I concluded this was the most direct path as the trail completely avoided the forest that I had to trudge through last time I did Pu'u Kawiwi to No Name. Not wasting time, we huffed and puffed our way up the grassy slope, taking care to watch our step as the thick grass hid many uneven rock and other obstacles. At some point up the climb, I received a missed call from Laredo Muredo. After checking the voicemail, we learned that he was going up the board of water supply road to join us in our trek. Apparently he was to hike the Wai`anae Ramble with the HTMC, but I guess Steveo or some other people in the group revealed today's extreme hike of the day and decided to follow us. At about two thirds up the climb, we spotted Laredo chit chatting with Gene's heiau clearing crew below and proceeded his climb to meet us and he did it with much speed. I still wonder where he gets his power from!

After some 20 minutes or so, Laredo became part of our crew and off we went to tackle the rocky ridge, filled with mucho rock faces comprising the 2nd half of the climb up to Kawiwi. We began to get pelted by a passing rain shower, but it came and went quickly. There is one rock face near the summit of Kawiwi where it's a little tricky, but very doable. We reached the summit sometime between 11 and 11:30, just in time for a lunch snack. As I gazed at each of the four cardinal directions, I noticed a spectacular cloud dance coming off the Kamaile'unu ridgeline between Kawiwi and No Name! Makaha Valley was still more or less hidden by clouds and Wai`anae Valley was clear as a bell with views extending as far as Palehua, making up the backside of Makakilo along the Wai`anae Summit Ridge. After about 30 minutes or so of munching down our snacks, the clouds completely lifted and the beauty of Makaha Valley was revealed. Even Mt. Ka'ala was beginning to show it's flat topped profile. Down below, we took in the awesome vistas of the leeward coastline, including the towns of Nanakuli, Ma`ile, and Wai`anae and the vast expanse of Lualualei Valley, dotted with military depots. Directly makai was the towering backside of the Kamaile'unu terminus! It looked so close yet so far!

Heading makai from Kawiwi we immediately encountered the first out of two rockfaces to descend. From the looks of it, it was maybe 20 something feet, but still very vertical. Fortunately, rope was present and one by one we made it down the cliff face. Continuing makai, we made our way through typical lee side overgrowth and the ridge began a shallow descent into a low lying saddle before climbing back up to a prominent nub, which supposively was hiding the infamous notch on the other side! The clouds were now completely clear of the entire Wai`anae Summit ridge at this point, but remained high to provide us constant shade in the otherwise brutal hot lee side!

On the climb up, we encountered rocks that resembled a jigsaw puzzle, akin to what we saw during the cross over from Kawiwi to No Name. Past the "jigsaw puzzle" we encountered the "block boulder", a cube shaped boulder about 7ft tall. Here, we had two choices. We could either do a mighty pull up to the top of the boulder, go over, and drop some 6 or 7 feet back down to the crest. Or, we could gingerly scoot to the Makaha Valley side of the block boulder on a very thin ledge to "contour" it to the other side. We all opted the latter and Gene was off first, followed by me. The trick here is to actually lower yourself onto the thin ledge, going backwards. This made for an uneasy feeling as you must feel where the ledge is. Mess up and you'll find yourself free falling about some 50ft straight down! We made it over without incident, but this was only the prelude of what was next!

Just beyond block boulder is the top of the nub. Beyond that, the ridge suddenly drops straight down about 50ft, with a hundred foot drop on both sides! On the other side was the "oh so close" rocky ascent up to the backside of Kamaile'unu! We spotted a red rope loop that was anchored to a boulder. I immediately recognized this red rope as Ras August's as we used this same type of rope on Hahaione Windward. Pete Clines and his crew traversed this section about a month or two ago. Francis got out his trusty 4,000lb webbing and looped it around the red rope anchor. Gene was first to descend the vertical wall. Next was Laredo, then myself. The way to attack this wall is to descend a short way to a ledge, then follow the ledge to the right (actually to your left when facing the wall with Kamale'unu behind you). The ledge will then "switch back" over to your right (Kamaile'unu still behind you) to a broader ledge beyond a tree. Sounds easy right? Wrong! Be wary that this switch back is on an almost non existant ledge, especially after the switchback itself! Also, you'll be doing the switchback over a 100ft vertical drop! Once you're on the broader ledge beyond the tree, you'll find yourself at the bottom of the notch. After gaining some elevation on the otherside, one can look back to see what he/she just accomplished!

Francis was last to descend and even managed to retrieve his webbing (the web was simply looped around the red rope and we simply pulled one side to release once at the bottom). From there we started our steep upward climb towards Kamaile'unu! This was actually the easiest part of the entire hike! Before we knew it, we were at the top, marked by several distinct boulders and of course the three pink ribbons marking the end of the club hike! We took a group photo and enjoyed the sweeping vistas all around! Gene proceeded to bomb the Kameile'unu terminus (off trail of course!) with the famous #2! =)

From the summit, instead of heading makai via the regular Kamaile'unu club trail, Gene lead the way down a side ridge that drops down to the floor of Makaha Valley. Apparently the ridge was coined as "Knife Edge Ridge", probably by Fred Dodge or by some other early HTMC hardcore trekker. I have to say there really wasn't anything too knife edge about it, but it was still fun nonetheless. In fact, this ridge was incredibly easy, even more easier than the ridgeline leading up to Kawiwi from Wai`anae Valley. There was only one rock face we had to worry about, but it was cake compared to the other two we just did earlier! While the ridge was rather long, it was far more forgiving then the brutal Kameile'unu Ridge heading makai! The views from Knife Edge Ridge was world class with views of Makaha Valley like no other!

We eventually entered a forest and veered right off the crest to make our way towards the valley road. Once at the road, we headed makai towards Makaha Towers, passing by a heiau and then veering off the road to a stream crossing to bypass a residential area. We soon picked up another road that makes a beeline directly towards Makaha Towers, passing a water tank along the way. Looking back towards Kamaile'unu Ridge, a rainbow was casted over the ridge by the setting sun. Upon reaching Makaha Towers, it was another half mile walk to reach Makaha Resort and my car.

What started out as questionable weather turned out to be a perfect day to hike the ridges separating Makaha and Wai`anae Valleys!

Photos:

Heading up to the summit of Kawiwi from Wai`anae Valley Rd.

Climbing the rocky ridge up to Kawiwi

We spotted this rectangular shaped object in the grassy pastures. Hidden heiau perhaps?

Pu'u Kawiwi summit

No Name Peak with the "dancing clouds"

The first rock face immediately beyond Kawiwi summit, heading towards Kamaile'unu

Kamaile'unu backside

Laredo and Francis take a quick break

Looking back towards Pu'u Kawiwi. Look closely and you can see the 1st rock face!

Zoomed in shot of 1st rock face

Gene clears the way!

Shot taken just before "Block Boulder"

"Contouring" around block boulder

The infamous notch! (Note: photos were taken after the descent)

Going up the backside of Kamaile'unu

Looking back towards the notch and No Name Peak in the distance

The boulder marks the Kamaile'unu terminus!

Panorama of the Notch and No Name Peak

(Click the picture to view a larger version)

Summit of Kamaile'unu, with Kawiwi and No Name Peak behind us

Panorama taken from Kamaile'unu terminus

(Click on the picture to view a larger version)

Start of descent down "Knife Edge Ridge" to Makaha Valley (Note the Towers on the far left)

Panorama of Makaha Valley, taken from Knife Edge Ridge

(Click the picture to view a larger version)

The lone rock face on Knife Edge Ridge

View of the notch from Knife Edge Ridge

Kawiwi, the saddle, and the notch!

Looking back along Knife Edge Ridge with No Name on the left

Road back to Makaha Towers

Rainbow over Kamaile'unu

Pau!

Route from Wai`anae Valley to Makaha Valley via Kawiwi and Kamaile'unu

Video:

Kawiwi to Kamaile'unu - Kawiwiunu (GoPro POV)

5-29-2011: Aiea Ridge to Moanalua Saddle

2011-05-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Josh and I were free on Sunday so we came up with a plan to hike the Ko'olau summit ridge between Aiea Ridge and Kulana`ahane Trail, at the low point of the Moanalua Saddle. Because of this route, it would mean having an opportunity to revisit the "Haiku Hidden Stairs", a name I decided to give to the rusty old metal stairs that are on the north ridge of Haiku Valley (Stairway to Heaven is on south ridge). Josh gave it the name of "Stairway to Hell", maybe due to it's rusty like appearance. I would have probably coined it as such but "Stairway to Hell" in my eyes is already the Koko Crater stairs because the first time I hiked up those old railroad ties to it's summit years ago, it was in the dead of summer. Add in the fact that clouds and winds were completely absent, making for a hellish like experience on Koko Crater.

With 6 miles going up Aiea Ridge, 5 or 6 miles going down Kulana`ahane Trail and the Moanalua Valley Road, and perhaps 3 or 4 miles on the Ko'olau summit ridge, this hike was going to be a very long one. After placing a car on the Moanalua Valley Park, we began our hike at the Keaiwa Heiau State Park a little after 5am. Because the park didn't open until 6, we were forced to park outside the gate and hike up the paved road to where the upper parking lot and restrooms are located.

We cruised through the Aiea Loop Trail with Josh, being the speed hiker that he is, up front and me trailing behind him. After about 45 minutes to an hour from starting out, we reached the junction with the Aiea Ridge Trail. Normally Aiea Ridge is overgrown with Uluhe but with the recent clearing from the HTMC, this trail was virtually a freeway up until Pu'u Kawipo'o. In fact, I realized that today was the scheduled HTMC hike for Aiea Ridge and they would begin at 8:30am. From Pu'u Kawipo'o to the summit, we were hiking in misty clouds.

We were on the summit at 8:30am and still no view. I began to get a little discouraged, thinking we would be in the clouds for the entire day. That discouragement grew stronger as we were literally being pushed back towards leeward by 30mph gusts as the winds roared their way up the steep windward pali. I could see the clouds whipping up and over the crest at times. Sometimes rain pierced us in the eyes like needles, the winds making the rain fall "upwards"! After about 20 minutes or so on the summit ridge, a "puka" opened up in the clouds and Valley of the Temples was visible in it! I sensed that one of my family members was watching over me at that moment. She passed away last March and her final resting place was indeed at the valley temples. It was one of the greatest feelings I've felt in a while. A few moments later, the rest of the clouds lifted up and we were treated to magnificent views of the entire windward coast of O`ahu from Chinaman's hat all the way to Olomana and Waimanalo!

We hiked further on along the summit crest and we were in dismay when we encountered that dreaded fenceline that is all too present on the Wai`anae summit crest. This is the first time I've personally seen such fences on the Ko'olaus. I've heard rumors that more fences are to be erected and I felt the urge to take them down. Josh also told me that the windward ridge directly below us was Ulupaina Mauka, a route that Pete Clines used to descend to windward from the summit ridge. Soon our dismay turned into surprise when we came upon a tent that was occupied! After Josh and I took in the windward views at this spot, talking and yelling over the nonstop gusting winds, the tent opened up and two individual popped out. Probably they were surprised to hear our voices themselves as one may think they would be isolated. After chit chatting with Daniel and Marie, we've learned that they packed enough supplies for 4 days and that their intended route was to go up Aiea Ridge, which they did the night before, and to go all the way across the Moanalua Saddle to the topping out point of Stairway to Heaven, maybe even beyond! I told them about the section between Kulana`ahane and Haiku Stairs, since I've done that route recently. With this windy weather, it would probably be 10 times as difficult. They didn't bring any rope either and they decided against it.

After telling them what options they have to descend back to leeward, we assumed that they were going to stay put in their tent a while longer since the winds were too strong and we continued on our way without them. The clouds quickly dropped back down on us in full force. Visibility was greatly reduced and it made navigation a little tricky. Tricky it was as I realized that something was not right about the "windward" side. I was beginning to see trees and the winds appeared to be coming from leeward! I took a glance at my iPhone GPS and discovered that we were unknowingly hiking down a leeward Ko'olau ridge towards Halawa Valley and the H-3! The strange thing was that the trail appeared to have been thoroughly cleared by someone, or perhaps by something! With visibily greatly reduced, it's easy for anyone to unknowingly head off the summit crest based on following a trail. We backtracked and to our surprise we ran into Daniel and Marie, apparently following us after packing up their tent! We informed them that this was not the correct way and we all backtracked together.

We made it back to the summit crest and realized that it drops into a low lying saddle, which disappeared into the clouds as it loses elevation. We mistakened it for a windward ridge and the "trail" leading down into it was overgrown. Josh scouted the saddle and confirmed it was the correct route. Daniel and Marie decided they would continue their journey and descend with us. After a few more humps, we dropped very steeply once more and the crest flattened out and became more broad. I immediately recognized this area and soon enough, rusty metal railings appeared in the thick clouds ahead and we arrived at Haiku Hidden Stairs just before noon.

As if the clouds were on cue with our arrival, they lifted up so swiftly, revealing the expansive views of Kaneohe to the east and Haiku Valley to the south! I decided to descend a portion of the rusty stairs to some kind of landing, where it was choked with Uluhe, but not high enough to impede movement. The views here are incredible, one of the best I've seen in a while! I began snapping photos and shooting video like crazy! I gazed over towards Stairway to Heaven on the otherside of Haiku Valley and spotted the silver thread heading up the massive green wall of Pu'u Keahi a Kahoe. Leslie Merrell and the Oahu Hikers & Adventurers were also hiking the Moanalua Middle Ridge to Stairway this day with quite a large group, but I did not spot anyone. Once back at the top of the stairs, the strongest wind gust I've felt all day nearly knocked me over. It was a sign that it was time to head towards the most convenient shelter on this part of the Ko'olaus, the concrete tool shed perched at the summit of Haiku Hidden Stairs. I found everyone inside, having lunch already and I busted out the MRE. With the gusty winds making for cold conditions, it was appropriate that I heat up the FRH (flameless ration heater) and cook my lunch, which was sloppy joe. Yummy!

Thirty minutes passed and we packed everything up and prodded on towards our next stop: the terminus of Halawa Ridge. The clouds continued to lift and drop back down on the crest as if it couldn't make up it's mind. Fortunately, the rain was not present this time. I wish I could say the same for the winds though! I noticed the trail on this stretch was in much better condition since the first time went to the hidden stairs. Perhaps this section has been receiving more traffic now that the existance of these stairs are now everywhere on the internet. If you post them, they will come!

We passed by a geological survey and some kind of weather vane? on top of a large peak (a Nissan Sentra was placed on this pu'u by the military back in the 90s!) just before the Halawa terminus. On the backside of this peak we spotted the swath of a trail snaking it's way from leeward. This was the Halawa Trail, one of the longest contour trails I've ever done. We reached Halawa and took another short break. The Red Hill Ridge terminus was surprisingly close to the Halawa terminal point, but a very large peak separated the two points. Also this large peak marked the point where we were directly above the Tetsuo Harano Tunnels (H-3).

We were now at Red Hill and the next section was the Moanalua Saddle itself, leading down to Kulana`ahane summit. I've done this section in reverse with Marcus last month and it was quite easy. Going down the same route was more difficult as we were sliding on our okoles for much of the way. Going down the two rope sections proved tricky as this was the most eroded section of the descent. Daniel needed to pass his backpack, which housed all his camping gear, down to me so he could slide on his butt more efficiently. The clouds were gone for good as we were rapidly losing elevation and we could make out the massive expanse of Moanalua Valley and the residential area way at the end of it, marking our end point of today's hike.

After one more tricky descent, the ridge became more level and more narrow. There was a rocky dike section that can be contoured, as I did last time with Marcus. Not this time. After seeing Josh go directly over the crumbly dike, I followed suit and it was quite fun. There was a small boulder that was very loose so I toppled it over, sending it into the depths below. Daniel and Marie followed behind me and we all made it over without incident.

We made it to Kulana`ahane Trail at last shot a group photo here before we started our long descent down to Moanalua Valley and back to the car. I pointed out the ridgeline going up to Haiku Stairs to Daniel and Marie and they expressed interest in going up this route at another time. Marcus, where are you?! =)

All in all, this hike took 14 hours, 14 hours of epicness!

Photos:

Aiea Ridge, thanks to HTMC's clearing crew! Where's the zip lane???

Pu'u Kawipo'o

Powerline tower just before the summit Start of summit ridge beyond Aiea terminus

Clouds lift to reveal Valley of the Temples

Closer shot of Valley of the Temples

Looking leeward towards Halawa Valley and H-3

Dreaded fence!

Haiku Hidden Stairs

Descended stairs to "first landing"

Looking down at the rest of north ridge, which terminates at a big cliff

Looking back up the stairs to the summit crest

Stairway to Heaven on the other side of Haiku Valley

Going down Moanalua Saddle from Red Hill Ridge

Down the saddle we go!

Group shot at Kulana`ahane summit

Click on a panorama to view it's larger version.

Video:

Aiea Ridge to Moanalua Saddle (GoPro POV)

5-25-2011: Pu'u O Hulu - Kai to Uka

2011-05-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

Leslie Merrell, Francis Jimenez, Gene Witte, and Steve (last name?) hiked up Pu'u O Hulu a short while back. If the Lanikai pillboxes is the Ying, then Pu'u O Hulu is the Yang in that they are virtually identical to each other in hike distance, views, location - windward and leeward, and that both feature old pillboxes. It resembles two small stand alone summits, Kai and Uka (seeward & mountainward), that is nudged between Maili to the north and Nanakuli to the south. To the east of Uka is towering Pu'u Heleakala. As you drive north on Farrington Highway towards Wai`anae, you can't miss the massive rocky bulk of mountain that looms in the distance. As with other Wai`anae leeward hikes, the sun is incredibly strong and there's hardly any shade. Fortunately for us, we had a right mixture of sun and clouds. Coupled by brisk tradewinds, this was actually a pleasant hike.

After meeting up at Nanakuli McDonald's at 8:30am, we shoved off from Kaukama Rd and began the upward grind up the north side of Kai. Huffing and puffing our way up, we sooned gained the crest of the ridge that heads up to a set of pillboxes (five pillboxes). To our right, cars purred about on Farrington Hwy. Looking northward, we noticed a great deal of house development that flanks the north side of Kai and Uka. There was even one subdivision that was under construction, adding to the sad fact that urban development is ever encroaching in our valleys.

We soon reached the first of the five pillboxes and it's here where it provides the best view. Looking outward towards the ocean, this view reminded me of the Makapu'u - Tom-Tom route. It's the only other view on the island where one is so high off sea level and the shore is so close to the base of the mountain where one is standing atop. Looking eastward, we could see the entire Wai`anae mountain range with it's wall like appearance, similiar to the view from the Lanikai Pillboxes and the Ko'olau wall as the backdrop. The large expanse of Lualualei Valley dominated the landscape to the northeast. I couldn't help but think that back in the days prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, that this island was the most heavily fortified in the world. It sure explains the sheer amount of pillboxes that dot the entire island.

Upon reaching the 4th and 5th bunker, Gene pointed out a metal pole, which served as a mount for the 30mm caliber. The 5th bunker itself was different from the other four as it had a hatch like type of entry from the roof. Again, I stopped and thought about the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The fact that the wave of Japanese Zeroes flew through Kolekole Pass had me thinking whether if this gun ever returned fire after the crew realized that it was an attack and not a drill. Being a World War 2 history buff, this thought intrigued me! The view to the south revealed the Kahe Power Plant and the Ko Olina Resort beyond it. Sometimes 3,000ft high mountains are not required to have such a marvelous view!

Beyond the pillboxes began a slow descent to a low lying saddle that has a water tank on the Nanakuli side. There was some nice rock formations that provided some fun for the rock scramblers, although most of these formations can be easily contoured. We also encountered a puka. At the bottom of the saddle was where Leslie would disembark from our group as he had an appointment at around lunch time. The rest of us would continue on to the smaller summit of Uka. The climb was gradual and before we knew it, we were at the very broad and flat summit. Looking back towards Kai and the saddle, we could make out Leslie descending towards the new Maili community housing area. The view from Uka is not as impressive compared to Kai. One thing was distinct and that was Pu'u Heleakala, directly ahead of us to the east. In between Uka and Heleakala was a paved road that we would descend to. The descent was uneventful, but near the bottom is a rope section on a somewhat tricky rock face.

We reached the paved road after a 3 and a half leisurely stroll. For you speed hiking demons, this can easily be completed in 2 hours or less. Be prepared with sunscreen and ample water if the clouds are not present.

Photos:

Maili and Wai`anae

First, second, and third bunkers

View from the top of the 1st bunker

View from inside the 2nd bunker

Notice the 30mm Cal mount at bottom right

Scrambling over rocks

Looking back towards Kai and the new subdivision flanking it's north base.

Pu'u Heleakala in the distance, viewed from the summit of Uka

Descending Uka towards road

Done!

Click here, here, and here for bigger versions of above panoramas

Video:

Pu'u O Hulu - Kai to Uka (GoPro POV)

5-15-2011: Pali Puka to Lanihuli (Pali Ridge)

2011-05-20T03:19:00.000-07:00

My adrenaline was in full force on this day with one hell of a monster hike. The original plan was to do the Pali Puka to Lanihuli by way of the "Pali Ridge" on Tuesday (May 17), but with weather being on our side lately, I decided that we wouldn't miss this opportunity to bag Lanihuli. We would also unexpectedly run into 2 individuals whom I've been following on their blog for quite some time. How proper it would be to meet them on such an endeavor that is to be done today!

The route from Pali Puka to Lanihuli (Click photo to view larger version)

I met Randy at the end of Alewa Dr. at little past 6am to stage my car and then be shuttled to the Pali Lookout. The planned route: Go up to Lanihuli from Pali Lookout and descend via the Lanihuli Trail back to Alewa Dr. As we left, I glanced at my car one more time and wondered if I would ever see it again. We passed by Queen's Hospital to meet up with Francis "Kinky", who took a bus from his place of residence in Hawaii Kai. I took a good look at the hospital and thought, "I hope none of us have to end up here by today's end..." as I pondered about all the nasty hazards that were documented by the group who completed this route on May 1, along with other photos and write ups from people who tried and failed to reach Lanihuli. Enroute to the lookout, I saw the jagged profile of the ridge to be climbed. We had our hands full.

The route to the Pali Puka spot was a pleasant one. The winds were unusually light and gentle and would remain that way for the duration of the day. The morning sun lit up windward O`ahu, but the clouds still lingered at the Lanihuli summit. After about a 20 minute stroll, we reached the Puka and the vertical wall immediately after it. Instead of climbing directly (it was done by Godek himself) over the wall, we contoured on it's left side and picked up a trail climbing up it's west flank. It's a steep and muddy climb to gain the crest of the ridge. Eventually we came upon the first rope, a springy one at that, followed by a couple of cables.

We gained the crest and took a short break here. Ahead of us was the suicidal ridge to be climbed and it looked mean. As we were admiring the views from here, we heard voices and out of no where, two girls emerge from the trees below. Upon introduction, I came to realize that these brave women were Martyna and Allegra, the ones whom I've been following up on Blogger! They have been on a hiking hiatus for some time and what a way to come back into it! I asked them if they were going to shoot for Lanihuli and their reply was "Yes!". Even better! It felt like one of those RPG video games where your team is on a quest and pick up fellow characters along the way to aid in completing said quest. Oh what a quest it would be!

The five of us shoved off with much enthusiam and the hike gets down to serious business right away. The ridge was already getting as narrow as True Manamana as we climbed the first rock face with the aid of a flimsy neon green rope that somehow withstood our weight. Further up, the ridge narrowed even more and began to get extremely crumbly. The rockfaces were no better either as they retained a very steep, crumbly, and razor thin profile! Progress was slow going as we all straddled along the ridge, our legs dangling over both death drops.

We spotted a blue and white rope heading steeply back down to Nu'uanu Valley which provided the only single bail out should the need arise. Past the rope, we came to a nasty saddle that featured a large and rather odd looking boulder that was shaped like the Moai at Easter Island. There was absolutely no way around it. I've heard people making lassos with their ropes and using it to scoot along side of it. Randy did just that and was the first up followed by Martyna. With her elite climbing ability, she was able to get past this obstacle with major ease. She wrapped her arms around the giant boulder like she was embracing it and placed her right foot on an invisible ledge that I did not see at all and heaved herself past the boulder! With me next to go, I did what she did and much to my surprise it was rather easy to get past it. Beyond the boulder was one of the worst sections to scramble up. Everything on this particular climb simply fell apart and we were required to distribute weight evenly on all four limbs, taking care not to dislodge anything... or worse!

Beyond was a tooth that was shaped like a dorsal fin of a shark. I remember Jeremy Kreis calling this "Pu'u Suicido". Climbing up it wasn't so bad but going down it's backside was pretty nerve wrecking. Fortunately, Randy secured a temporary rope on this section and it proved useful! Slowly but surely we made it down, one by one. On these kinds of hikes, every step counts. On the flip side, Martyna and Allegra took the ramrod position and took off like a rocket! Man those girls have a hiking need for speed!

As we got higher, I occasionally took a glance back towards the Pali Lookout to see how much progress (or rather lack of) we made. The clouds were scattered over the summit spine although they remained thick over the twin summits of Konahuanui. Directly across the Pali Lookout were the Pali Notches, a route I did a few months ago to gain the summit of Konahuanui. Lanihuli was still socked in but I could sense the clouds were beginning to lift from her misty summit.

The ridge transitioned from a razor thin crumbly ridge to becoming extremely overgrown, but the vegetation was a welcoming sight in a way as it provided a security barrier to the massive drop to Nu'uanu side while the windward side remained exposed. Compared to what we went through prior to this point, it was a pleasant ridge walk, a well deserved break "on the go". Up ahead, the ridge continues on to a point where it would begin to hang left towards a "false peak" where it apparently hides a nasty thing that makes everyone go bonkers.

As we started the climb to the false peak, that nasty thing was finally revealed and people called this particular section various names ranging from "Donkey Kong" and "True Pali Notches" to something simple as the "W". I glanced at it again and realized that Martyna was already on the 2nd tooth, what would come to be known as the "Incisor"! I finally reached the false peak and I could hear Randy's voice somewhere down below. Over to the left, I spotted a fresh looking rope heading virtually straight down and to the left of the false peak to gain the 1st notch of the W. A fall here would be disastrous, but it was the only way to get down. Down I went on the rope, eventually contouring on the lee side, and made it to the 1st notch with no problem. During my descent, I spotted the old red rope that Duc Ong apparently was using for support, when the darn thing wasn't even attached to anything! How the heck it supported him just blows my mind! Kinky, being the trail sweeper for the whole duration of the hike made it down safely and decided he would need a smoke break. I don't blame him as the worst section of the hike was next!

While the first tooth is easily contoured on it's left side, the "Incisor" had to be traversed up and over in it's entirely. Randy attempted to affix a rope but found absolutely nothing to anchor it to so he simply went over it. I was up next and began crawling my way towards the incisor. I spotted an old looking metal wire and came across a badly eroded section just before the apex of the incisor. This particular part spooked the hell out of me as I tried in vain to grab any vegetation for support, ripping them apart in the process. Somehow I made it to the top and the way the ridge looked like from this vantage point, looked like I was about to head down the first drop of a roller coaster from hell! I dragged my okole slowly down the backside of the incisor and tried to keep my back in contact with the ridge as much as I could. Time appeared to slow down as it seemed like an eternity to get down this backside, the phenominal dropoffs filling just about my entire field of vision. At last, I made it down and breathed a sign of relief, knowing it was over. Looking back, I could see Kinky on the top of the incisor and I snapped an awesome photo of him! I wished I got a photo of me on that thing! I don't know how it's even managing to support all of our weight.

We were now at the "3rd" notch (counting the 2nd notch which is actually a contour) and it was here where an old looking cable was attached to the infamous "Anvil Rock", a messy pile of "rock" that shouldn't even be holding itself together at all, let alone a cable! The way that thing looked was akin to a bad thing waiting to happen to Willie The Coyote everytime he used those ACME contraptions in a futile attempt to capture the elusive Road Runner. Going down the left side of the notch where the cable was at was the only option as our forward progress was halted by extremely eroded rock that was actually concaving! It was said that this entire area, including the Anvil Rock was all once a puka, similiar to the Pali Puka, only to be destroyed by erosion.

One by one we went down that cable and I swear I saw the Anvil Rock move each time a person went down! God forbid, but one day, someone will have the unfortunate event of completely ripping apart that rock, and the cable with it that he/she is pulling on! Beyond on the left side of the ridge, the contour was like no other contour I've ever seen before as it was virtually non existant. Eventually the path climbs up the left flank to regain the ridge line, bypassing the concave eroded section.

I looked up and realized that Pu'u Lanihuli was within striking distance! But it would be the slowest climb ever as tangle after tangle of thick overgrowth battled us one last time. We were soon climbing into the clouds that remained over Lanihuli for much of the day, revealing the summit every now and then. I put every ounce of energy I had left into me and trudged the remaining steps to finally acquire the summit!

We all made it and in one piece too! Actually, this summit was the topping out point of Mo'ole Ridge (Lanihuli East). The actual topping out point of the Lanihuli Trail was the next big peak over. After snapping a group photo at Lanihuli East, Randy, Martyna, and Allegra made their way over to the Lanihuli Trail while Kinky and I remained at Lanihuli East as he took another smoke break. The clouds began to lift and we were treated to some splendid views of Kaneohe to our left and the rest of windward O`ahu as far as Kailua and a bit of Waimanalo to our right. Far below was the ridge we climbed up from Pali Lookout, still menacing looking. Beyond the summit we could easily spot the saddle separating Lanihuli and Pu'u Kahuauli. It is supposively known as "No Man's Land", otherwise known as the Kalihi Saddle. Whether if I will ever attempt that remains to be seen, but for now, this will suffice!

The hike down the Lanihuli Trail towards Alewa Heights was a walk in the park compared to what we went through hours ago. But the trail was very long, about 6 miles one way. By this time, I was completely devoid of all useful energy and I was merely on autopilot the whole way. Far in the distance we could see Randy, Martyna, and Allegra. This would be the last time we would see them. They would catch a separate ride later on. About 3/4th of the way, we came to a junction and while I hiked the Lanihuli Trail with Leslie last year, I could not remember which way to go. I called up Randy and they said they went down the left fork so Kinky and I went that way, but then we backtracked over to the right fork, thinking it was not it because Randy mentioned that they ended up finishing at the wrong road. After a 10 minute jaunt on the right fork, it was decided that it was not it because the trail dimished to virtually nothing. After all this back and forth on both forks, we ended up wasting a good hour. With daylight fast running out, we opted to take the left fork and just be at any road before dark. Later on, we entered a dense forest and I remembered there was another junction to the left that led us along side a fence to Alewa Dr. But we turned left too early and we found ourselves on the wrong side of the road, behind someone's property. A lousy fence was all what separated us from my car! We ended up just circumnavigating the entire fence and eventually found the way to the now padlocked gate and hopped the gate and to the safety of my car at around 6:30pm, completing a whopping 12 hour hike (would have been 11 or perhaps 10 and a half had it not been for the junction issues along the Lanihuli Trail).

Martyna and Allegra, you guys are a beast! You did a superior job and showed a great display of teamwork, along with the rest of us! It was a pleasure to hike alongside of you!

All in all, I personally think this hike blows Pali Notches to Konahuanui K1 out of the water and gives True Manamana a run for it's money. This will be one hike to remember for a very long time indeed.

Photos:

Intial climb to Pali Puka (Note the Pali Notches and the ridgeline leading up to the shrouded Konahuanui K1)

Pali Puka Wall

Top of Puka Wall and remaining ridgeline to Lanihuli

Martyna and Allegra show no mercy!

Randy does a pose on the narrow ridgeline

Lanihuli beckons (the "false peak" is the left most peak in this photo)

The crumbly ridgeline just prior to "Pu'u Suicido"

Looking back towards Pali Lookout

The "W" (also known as True Pali Notches / Donkey Kong) just prior to the final climb to Pu'u Lanihuli (peak on the far right)

View from the 1st notch of the "W"

View from the W

Randy climbs the "Incisor" (2nd tooth)

Kinky on the top of the Incisor! (Viewed from the backside)

3rd notch featuring the eroded concaved wall and the infamous "Anvil Rock"

Allegra hangs on to Anvil Rock!

Anvil Rock up close! That thing shouldn't even be holding itself together, let alone a 170lb hiker! Be VERY careful here! There is a huge drop behind you during this particular descent!

Looking back during the final climb to Lanihuli

The "Pali Ridge" from Pali Lookout to Lanihuli

Group shot at the summit of Lanihuli East

Kalihi Saddle

Lanihuli Trail (Note Mo'ole Ridge on the left)

Kinky calls it a day already but we are far from it (Lanihuli is behind him)

Video:

Pali Puka to Lanihuli - Pali Ridge (GoPro POV)

5-10-2011: Moanalua Saddle to Red Hill Ridge

2011-05-11T02:06:00.000-07:00

Ever since the day we did Ohulehule SE Ridge, the Hawaiian Islands have been through over a week of nonstop soaking rains. From two waterspouts in Waikiki, to nature's fireworks, the islands have been experiencing some of the most unusual weather patterns not seen in a long time. While this is no 40 days and nights, the constant rains have transformed O`ahu into a saturated sponge. This didn't stop us from hiking a grueling loop in Moanalua Valley.

The plan was to hike into Moanalua Valley via the valley road and connect to the Moanalua Saddle via Kulana`ahane Trail. Once at the summit, we were to turn left and head along the northwest side of the saddle to reach the terminus of Red Hill Ridge. From there, we were to descend back to Moanalua Valley via the "Godek" shortcut, which saves you from doing the other half of Red Hill (but will have to hike the entire valley road back). Joining me would be Marcus, Leslie, and myself.

Off we went at 8:30am along the rather dull 3 mile road walk to eventually reach the signed junction to Kulana`ahane on this very wet and rainy day. The streams were flowing over the road on the crossings, a hint of a very wet Moanalua Valley, but refreshing to the feet everytime we forded across.

Once on the Kulana`ahane Trail, Leslie decided he would explore an unnamed waterfall that was flowing off the side of Middle Ridge while Marcus and I went on to the summit. From the waterfall, he would turn back and head back the way he came. We soon acquired the saddle crest and things looked very bleak. Low clouds blew over the saddle, at times revealing the still beautiful Haiku Valley below and the runway strip of Kaneohe Marine Corp base. Looking to our left, the ridge disappeared into the clouds and did not look inviting at all.

Not to be discouraged, we marched on. Almost immediately, the trail is nearly lost in thick overgrowth. At first, the trail contours the leeward side of the crest and then moves back to the crest. This pattern of crest and contour remained for a while until the climbing begins. We only spotted two white ropes (not really needed) during the climbs. As we got higher, the ridge became more windswept. To the right, the clouds shrouded the big drop into Haiku Valley, although we can clearly hear the cars on the H-3. There are a couple of eroded spots that fall towards the death drop, the remains of a landslide.

Despite all the thick overgrowth, we didn't realize that Red Hill was a lot closer than we expected it to be. Before we knew it, we came across a metal stake and 3 ribbons, marking the topping out point. In fact, it was so short that I wasn't convinced that this was the summit, but since I hiked Red Hill last year, I was familiar with this clearing. With visibility only maybe some 30 feet in any direction, a disoriented hiker can get lost very quickly. To be honest, I feel more comfortable hiking without the shroud because the clouds envelope a sense of uncertainty. Whether if the drop is 50ft or 2,000ft, it all looks the same in the clouds! On top of that, visual navigation is almost non existent. By this time, the rain was beginning to pour at a steady rate.

We wasted no time and immediately began our trek down the rollercoasting Red Hill Ridge. With all this rain in full force, I nicknamed it "Wet Hill Ridge" and the name stuck for the duration of the hike. Gradually we dropped below the cloud decks and we could make out all the paralleling ridges of Bowman, Tripler, and Middle Ridge on the east side and then Halawa, H-3, and Aiea Ridge on ewa side. We were attempting to look for the junction with the Godek shortcut and we saw one, although the trail was nearly gone, almost completely overtaken by Uluhe. In fact, the lack of a distinct trail made me dismiss it as being the Godek junction and we continued makai along the ridge. By the time we reached the narrow portions with the "rope railings", I realized that we missed the junction. Not wanting to waste time turning around, we decided to do Red Hill Ridge in it's entirely, a decision we would later regret.

After numerous ups and downs which seemingly went on forever, the trail reached the jeep road and the first powerline tower, it's three cables stretching across Moanalua Valley to the tower erected on Tripler Ridge. I thought of a zipline traversing these cables, what killer views and speed it would be, that is until you reached the saddle of the powerlines! Eventually the road intersects a side trail coming up from Moanalua Valley. This trail would take us all the way to the basketball courts just outside of Moanalua Valley Park, the starting point of today's hike. We were back at the cars by 4:30pm, with Leslie finishing a little after 5 after apparently having to bushwhack to and from the waterfall that was flowing off Middle Ridge!

Despite all being completely soaked to the bone with rain nearly the entire duration of the hike, we can finally cross this off our list. Red Hill Ridge is a brutal ridge, rain or shine!

Photos:

Waterfall flowing off Middle Ridge as we begin our final climb via the Kulana`ahane Trail

(Photo courtesy of Leslie Merrell)

Leslie ventured to the bottom of aforementioned falls. (Photo courtsey of Leslie Merrell)

(Photo courtesy of Leslie Merrell)

Clouds envelope Kulana`ahane Summit

Looking towards Red Hill Ridge, socked in clouds

This is all we could see at any given time.

Clouds obscure a big drop down to Haiku Valley

Video:

Moanalua Saddle to Red Hill Ridge (GoPro POV) *Middle Ridge Waterfal Bonus*

5-1-2011: Ohulehule Southeast Ridge

2011-05-07T02:47:00.000-07:00

When it comes to hiking trails in Hawaii, we can't forget the individuals who work hard to keep the trails open. I'll quote Ras August: "Trails don't grow on trees, trees grow on trails." Without people clearing and maintaining the trails here in Hawaii, they will eventually be lost under the thick overgrowth. I would soon find out what it would be like to hike a "derelict" trail when Marcus, Francis "Kinky", and I would hike a route that used to be an HTMC club hike until they abandoned it after an accident. That route would be the southeast ridge of Pu'u Ohulehule.

Today, the "official" route is via the northwest ridge and despite a trail that is in relatively good condition, ropes and all, the climb to the craggy peak of Ohulehule is still extremely steep and unforgiving. I would soon discover that the southeast ridge was the most overgrown I have ever experienced on a trail. And if that's not enough, a very nasty climb awaits you near the summit. Recent documentation of this route was made by Jeremy Kreis when he did it solo in a torrential downpour and more recently, Kaleo Lancaster and company.

I also have to mention that this ridge was also where two danish girls spent 8 days after hiking up the northwest ridge from Kahana Valley back in the summer of 1999. Once at the summit, they were intimidated by the very steep descent back down where they came from so they attempted to descend via the southeast ridge. However, that descent is twice as bad as the northwest ridge so they ended up hunkering down for over a week before the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club discovered them and ultimately rescued via helicopter. Read up on an article describing this rescue in detail here.

We set off on a 7am start time at the end of an unnamed road. The hike gets down to business upon leaving the road and we huffed and puffed our way through the forest to gain the crest of SE ridge. Once on the crest, the ridge opens up to the first views of Waikane, Hakipu'u valley, Chinaman's Hat, and Kualoa Ranch. True Manamana is clearly visible, showing it's suicidal backside down to 2 Apes.

Initially, the crest walk is a pleasant one, but it is shortlived as the ridge begins it's transition to numerous rocky dike formations and the never relenting overgrowth. I have to say that the rock dikes were actually salvation for us as they served as "bridges" over the thicket, despite their sheer narrow profile! There was one particular dike that reminded me of True Manamana, although it wasn't as crumbly nor the drops as massive, but still fun to traverse. On one of the dikes, we were pelted with rain from a passing shower and treated to a wonderful rainbow as the morning sun returned.

At about the halfway point, things were not fun anymore for me and I was starting to become irritated with the overgrown "trail". As I looked ahead, the ridge continued to undulate it's way to Pu'u Ohulehule, it's summit seemingly never getting any closer. Past "mini True Manamana" dike, the ridge broaden a bit and the next few dikes were actually contoured, one on it's left and the other on it's right. It was here that we spotted an orange ribbon, left by Kaleo's group. While the contours appeared easier, it was all a deception. When we contoured, it usually mean't battling overgrowth. The trail generally remained on the Hakipu'u side during at this point.

Eventually the ridge narrows again and begins it's steep incline along the base of Ohulehule. The vegetation became more windswept and the dropoffs were more pronounced with a big drop on the left down to Waikane Valley and also on the right down to Hakipu'u Valley. Looking further south, we could see the rest of windward Oahu as far as Olomana. To the north, majestic Ka'a'awa Valley revealed herself. The Ko'olaus themselves were shrouded in wet and rainy clouds over to the west. Down below, we spotted a tour vehicle motoring about on the dirt road close to the Hakipu'u saddle. Lucky we live Hawai'i!

We admired the view but soon we would have focus all of our attention to the first cable section. It was not too difficult, but this would only be the prelude of what was up ahead a few cable sections later. On the 2nd cable, my pack got stuck on a pesky tree branch and it couldn't have happened on the most inconvenient moment as I had to devote my already expending of energy to free myself while on an extremely steep incline!

After freeing myself, I noticed a yellow rope that was severely frayed to the point of snapping. Kaleo mentioned that he snapped a yellow rope during this section. This couldn't have been the same rope as it was still in one piece, although it was seriously ready to go on the next hard tug! A couple of cables later we encountered the final climb which would be one of the most difficult climbs I've ever done. This particular cable section was probably about 100 to 150ft and it was the sheer length on an extremely steep incline that made it so difficult. It also didn't help that this entire stretch was completely eroded! Marcus was up first, then I was next and I wasn't even halfway into the climb when I could feel my upper body muscles burning! I found a spot off to the right where I could take a short break to regain some energy to finish the remaining half. I couldn't break for long as I felt the loose ground below me beginning to shift. On I went, tugging at the cable and pushing down with my feet as hard as I could, the ground crumbling below me! Thank goodness this cable was the sturdiest of all the cables and ropes! I seriously don't know how I would have been able to climb this without it! At last, I made it to the top of the cable and to a flat ledge where Marcus was hiding out. The first thing out of my mouth was "That sucked..." Marcus couldn't have agreed any better. A short while later, Francis was already at the top, completing that section in half the time I did it. Man was that guy strong! Looking back down, we could see the rest of the southeast ridge and where we started at. We were so high and the ridge appeared to curve inward as I tried to follow it with my eyes downwards, akin to the first drop of the Millennium Force roller coaster in Cedar Point! This would make one hell of a first drop if the ridge was a roller coaster! I believe the bottom of this very cable section was where the 2 danish girls spent their 8 days! It's hard to believe they were in that same spot for multiple days with very little space!

After a well deserved rest, we looked further upridge and realized that this was a false summit and the true summit was maybe 200ft up ahead. Of course life had to be difficult with the overgrowth fighting with us one last time. Fortunately, the final climb was at a much shallower and before we knew it, we were on the summit! Done.... Pau.... Finished.... Complete.... was all I could think of as I plopped my okole down on the grassy summit! The clouds briefly shrouded the summit but quickly opened up to some of the finest views on the island. The last time I was on this summit was back in November 24, 2009 and the views were still as grand as last time, albeit a bit more cloud cover. Directly below and to the left, we could make out Ka'a'awa Valley in it's entirely while the rest of windward Oahu filled the rest of the expansive views. Chinaman's Hat appeared so small in the vast blueness of the ocean. The time was about 1pm.

After taking in the beautiful vistas, we walked across the summit over to where the northwest ridge tops out and began our long and steep descent. Despite all the ropes and cables, this section was still difficult to descend. I remember Francis saying that this appeared more steep than the southeast ridge. I thought he was crazy. We completely missed the right turn off the Kahana saddle to the floor of Kahana Valley and we were unknowingly headed in the general direction of Pu'u O Kila. Maybe that's something to try one of these days. We backtracked and headed down and what perfect timing would it be to get off the ridge. During the long hike through Kahana Valley, a thundershower passed over head and we were drenched with terrential downpour as thunder echoed off the valley walls. The rainfall was actually beneficial as it kept us cool as we double timed it across 3 streams, the dam, and finally through the neighorhood to be at the car by 4pm.

Photos:

Morning sun over Chinaman's Hat

True Manamana viewed from the south

Windward Oahu

True Manamana, Turnover, and Kanehoalani

I don't see a trail, do you?

As we get higher, more of Ka'a'awa can be seen.

True Manamana viewed from the west

Francis putting on his fake smile after going up that last cable section!

Last small climb to the summit of Pu'u Ohulehule

Ohulehule summit via SE Ridge!

Grand view of Ka'a'awa Valley

Chinaman's Hat

True Manamana and 2 Apes viewed from the north

I don't think a description is needed to explain this!

A walk in the park compared what we just went through this morning

Going through the remains of a forest fire

Hiking route tracked via Every Trails for the iPhone

Ohulehule SE Ridge

Video:

Ohulehule Southeast (GoPro POV)

4-21-2011: Moanalua Saddle to Haiku Stairs

2011-04-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

It's been said that the summit ridge between Kulana`ahane summit and the terminus of Haiku Stairs has been a frequent location for numerous helicopter rescues. Andrew Bayang and the 173 Hiking crew attempted a descent from Haiku Stairs to Kulana`ahane when they were forced to bail out, heading down steep waterfall chutes in the heart of Moanalua Valley. Supposively legendary Dick Davis completed an ascent on this very route back in the day. Recently Jeremy Kreis completed this segment (4-16-2011) as part of a super hike from Bowman all the way to Red Hill Ridge. Nearly a week later, we would make an attempt to go up from Kulana`ahane to the Haiku Stairs.

The weather forecast showed light trades with a 20% chance of rain islandwide. With favorable weather conditions in our favor, we decided to make a run for it. Joining me would be Marcus Griego, Francis "Kinky" Jimenez, Aaron Bullock, and Leslie Merrell (Leslie would stay near the Kulana`ahane summit to watch and film/photograph us making the climb and then return the same way).

With a 7:30am start, we hiked at a rather fast pace than I normally would go along the long Moanalua Valley Rd. Turning off the road some 3 miles in, we made our way on the Kulana`ahane Trail and eventually caught up to Leslie and Aaron who had a 10 minute head start on us. The five of us made the final climb and we were soon at a spot on the lowest part of the Moanalua Saddle. From here, one can either turn left and climb the northwest side of the saddle to reach Red Hill Ridge (Read Kaleo Lancaster's account of this route) or head right along the eastern side of the saddle to reach the Haiku Stairs terminus and the CCL building. Our goal was to reach the Haiku Stairs (only route I haven't done yet to the stairs) and then descend the stairs back to Haiku Rd where fellow 808 Goonie Sophia would pick us up.

After a short break, we began our trek, not knowing what to really expect. With only Jeremy's photos the only source of documentation (if someone has documentation that I don't know about, please tell me!), we really couldn't make sense of what could cause so many hikers to get stuck and call for air rescue. Since Marcus had used micro spikes on his shoes, he would the designated ramrod on this day. Leslie would follow us to a point where he could get a good vantage point to observe and get footage of us. Intially, the crest is typical of any other summit ridge walk, big drop to windward and a more conservative drop on townside on an overgrown trail. A short while later, the trail drops to a small saddle and the vegetation opens up to more of an exposed ridgeline with an imposing climb to a tall pu'u. At the halfway point into the climb, begins the mother of all crumbly and eroded ridges. There was a section so eroded that we were forced to climb on it's windward side where vegetation support us although the incline was much steeper. Marcus affixed several ropes to aid in our climb. Kinky, the last person to make the climb detached the ropes for use further up ridge.

Past the pu'u, the trail dips into another gentle saddle just before the next intimidating climb. This section would be the worst as far as eroded and crumbly goes. I like to call this the "Dust Triangle" because just about anything you touch inside of this triangle shaped eroded area disappears into dust! While there was a black cable already installed Lord knows when, we couldn't rely on it so we contoured the triangle over to the right side where vegetation was plentiful and climbed up, using ropes Marcus affixed to help us make the climb. I have to say this particular climb is almost identical to Piliwale Ridge.

Immediately above the triangle was a rocky and steep dike (old white cable attached to a withering tree) where Aaron got a little spooked. Marcus and Kinky looked for something to secure rope further upridge while I kept Aaron company to take his mind off it. With rope available, Aaron made the climb without incident, followed by myself. However, the trouble wasn't over yet because there was another severely eroded section where one must contour and climb steeply at the same time on the town facing side. The trickiest part was where one has to heave himself up a crumbly rock face, at a slant, with a huge drop to the right! Marcus and Kinky made it over without incident. Aaron however, was unable to make any headway with the ropes angled in such a way that if he were to lose his footing and or hand hold, he would swing directly over the huge drop off! I decided to go ahead of him to see if I could wrap the rope around something on the windward side. Luckly I found a sturdy tree and Aaron successfully made it over. The final task was a near vertical climb up a rock face. This face almost requires placing a good amount of weight on the ropes. Marcus secured two more ropes to suppliment the already existing 2 older ropes already in place. 2 old ropes + 2 good ropes = 4 ropes that bears 25%, one on each rope, of your total weight! How's that for Math? =)

At last, we could finally breathe. With the CCL building and her 2 dishes getting big in our view, the remaining ridgeline was at last back to typical Ko'olau summit ridge walking, albeit some minor rock scrambling here and there. A short while later, we came across the first A Frame concrete foundation and immediately beyond it was the first set of metal stairs, akin to the Stairway to Heaven. Since we were coming in from a more westernly direction, I decided to call these stairs "Haiku Stairs West" since this and Haiku Stairs reach for the same summit. We proceeded to take in the superb vistas as we gracefully walked the stairs. Unfortunately the stairs terminate and a long metal cable replaces them after passing a 2nd A Frame foundation, similiar to the cable on the Haiku Hidden Stairs. We had to watch out as the cable at times was completely rusted and it's jagged edges protruded in our direction. For safety's sake, I would strongly recommend having your tetanus shot before traversing this section!

The cable terminates at a third A Frame foundation and after 20 vertical feet later, we topped out at the terminus of Haiku Stairs! All I could think about was that we were PAU! The eastern portion of Moanalua Saddle has been completed at last and this marks my first visit to the Haiku Stairs this year, the last visit being on May 18th, 2010 (Bowman to Haiku Stairs). The views all around were incredible and it reminded me why I always loved to hike the Haiku Stairs back in the day!

With our scheduled pick up time nearing, we double timed it down the Haiku Stairs and back to Haiku Rd where Sophia picked us up and proceeded to reward ourselves with a post hike dinner at Big City Diner. Even Leslie happened to be in the area and joined us as we talked stories of our adventure today.

Maholo nui loa to Leslie for supplying us with much needed rope and Sophia for giving us a ride! You guys are da best! BIG props to Aaron for completing his very first "mento" hike! What an introduction!

Note: We took our own ropes with us. We did not leave any ropes behind. Please take this into consideration if you decide to make an attempt (NOT recommended) and make sure to bring rope!

Photos:

Kulana`ahane Trail

Moanalua Valley

Beginning our trek towards Haiku Stairs via the Moanalua Saddle

Sometimes one must throw himself on the windward side of life!

Aaron enjoys the windward side of life!

Photo courtesy of Leslie Merrell

Looking back down on Kulana`ahane summit. Look closely and you might spot Leslie!

Told you he was down there somewhere!

The "Dust Triangle"

The nasty crumbly contour on townside just above the Dust Triangle

So close yet so far!

Looking back towards Kulana`ahane and the massive Haiku North Ridge (Haiku Hidden Stairs)

Up close shot of the dreaded townside contour!

Steep eroded cliffs: THE END

The CCL building is within striking distance!

Don't worry! I'm still here!

First A-Frame foundation

"My arch nemesis...... Staaiiirrs!" - Kung Fu Panda 2

(Reaching the first set of metal stairs [not Haiku Stairs... yet]. I'll call these "Haiku Stairs West".)

Haiku Stairs West

Haiku Stairs West and CCL building

Haiku Stairs West, Pearl Harbor, and the south grading slope of Makakilo and the Wai`anaes

We made it!

Descending Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven)

Panorama taken during ascent of Moanalua Saddle

(Click here to download a larger version)

Video:

Moanalua Saddle to Haiku Stairs (GoPro POV)